Whether you are planting new seeds for your future lives or healing yourself of the current one, you will find the quiet and wonder both internally and externally at Diamond Mountain.
Serve
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Are you ready to put your spiritual practice into action? Join one of our volunteer programs to learn how to transform service into a powerful spiritual practice. We offer several formal Volunteer service programs, starting with 2 weeks up to 4 weeks. If you want to stay longer please talk to us.
Serve and Study
We offer a “Serve and Study program” for the upcoming LAM RIM Retreat in April 2023. The perfect opportunity to serve and meet the teacher.
Live the Life of Service
“I was blown away by the embrace of everyone in the community. You both have an ease to your openness. Thank you for extending me your home and advice. I am so filled with gratitude.”
– Caitlin MacIntosh, Austin, TX
Program Length: 2-4 weeks, if you want to stay longer please let us know.
Dates: Offered on an ongoing basis
Investment: FREE of charge
Open to: Anyone who is spiritually curious or spiritually committed, especially those with a self-motivated practice of meditation, yoga, study, and service. Flexibility, reliability, integrity, and enthusiasm are qualities we look for in volunteers.
Pilgrimage Path Trail Building
Learn and build hiking trails with an expert guide in the Chiricahua mountains (South Eastern Arizona, USA). This work will be outdoors and very physical in nature. Volunteers must be ready to protect themselves from the natural elements (sun!) and arrive with long pants and sturdy boots or hiking shoes. We provide work gloves.
We have spaces where you can park your RV/Van and camping spaces also (we can provide tents and bedding). Bathhouses with showers for men/women and a community kitchen to store and prepare food. We provide a small breakfast and volunteers are responsible for providing their own food/preparation for other meals. We provide rides to the grocery stores weekly.
We invite you to participate in the numerous activities happening here at the center. Yoga, meditation, Tibetan language instruction, Buddhist philosophy classes, dharma discussions, and excursions for fun!
Schedule and Activities
- We will begin each day with a group meeting to go over safety protocol, check-in with each other, and gather tools.
- We will hit the trail (Pilgrimage Path) by 8 am each day for our 5-hour shifts, 5 days a week (Sun-Thur).
Optional activities include daily guided meditation, weekly yoga classes, and Buddhist teachings weekly. Bring your musical instrument if you have one! Chiricahua Natl. Monument, Ft. Bowie, and Sand Dunes Hot Springs are also nearby for excursions off the land.
Program Length: 1-4 weeks, if you want to stay longer please let us know.
Dates: Welcoming new volunteers on the Pilgrimage Path starting October 26th through Spring 2023, apply now to reserve your spot
Investment: FREE of charge
Open to: Anyone who is spiritually curious or spiritually committed, especially those with a self-motivated practice of meditation, yoga, study, and service. Flexibility, reliability, integrity, and enthusiasm are qualities we look for in volunteers.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE
- 9:00 am – Spiritual Inspiration for the day
- 9:15 am – 3:15 pm Daily service work (with 30 min bring-your-own lunch/snack)
- 4 pm – Yoga, Meditation, or Dharma Class (Typically 4 days a week)
- 5 pm – Personal time for Study, relaxation, etc.
Volunteers serve 30 hours per week on average, in the areas of hospitality and cleaning, maintenance, landscaping, cooking or special event-based projects. Weekends are free to relax, meditate, and explore local attractions. If you’re looking to go deeper in your own practice and connect with a supportive community of practitioners, this is the perfect opportunity.
If you are accepted, we will provide you with:
- simple, shared accommodation with beds/bunk beds
- use of a community kitchen
- comfortable bed and linens
- transportation between Tucson Airport and Diamond Mountain
- an opportunity to serve the dharma while learning how to use service as a spiritual path!
For a list of suggested items to bring, please CLICK HERE.
Options for getting to Diamond Mountain:
- 🚖 Driving directions are here.
- 🚍 Greyhound bus can take you to Willcox, AZ from a variety of cities including Tucson, AZ, and Phoenix, AZ. We can pick you up from Willcox any day between 11 am and 5 pm.
- 🛬 We provide complimentary pick-up and drop-off from Tucson Airport on Wednesdays at any time between 10 am and 3 pm. Please do not book your flight without confirming it with us first.
COVID: We require every participant to be vaccinated. You can check on the CDC site which vaccines we accept. Which measures are in place onsite (wearing masks, daily temperature check, distancing, airing will be decided before the retreat as the actual situation demands)
Volunteer Experiences
