Honorable Patron of the Fellowship

An Honorable Patron is someone who helps fund the work of the Dharma Fellowship in a significant way.

Keeping Our Spiritual Life Pure

According to traditional values, a meditation center, an institution such as the Dharma Fellowship, does not charge money in the practice of the spiritual life—does not make money off the "sale" of Dharma.

It is inappropriate to charge money for Dharma. Imagine if the Buddha had charged his students for attending his teachings? Imagine if Jesus had charged people to listen to his sermons? Or to receive spiritual healing? Imagine how a wandering yogi, like Tilopa or Milarepa, would have fared if at the gates of the monastery, entry was barred because residence depended on the payment of a fee? In the East, temples, monasteries, ashrams, places of refuge from the world, are open to all sincere seekers of Truth who wish to study and practice the path of Enlightenment.

The Buddha specifically prohibited his monks and nuns from receiving payment for their services. He told them not to even handle coins of gold or silver. Carrying only a simple alms-bowl, they were to make their way as religious mendicants, free of the commercial concerns that dominate the life of worldly householders.

But far too many "meditation retreat centers" in our Western world—in modern North America—are now, for the most part, profit-making institutions. Driven by the need to find financial support, these meditation centers take the slippery road toward becoming "spiritual motels," where visitors pay for lodging, pay for the privilege of meditating on the premises, and pay to receive Dharma teachings.

There is much money to be made in the "spiritual market" of the world these days.

But is this true Dharma-activity? Is this proper conduct on a genuine path to Enlightenment?

Selling the Dharma, or even such "Dharma-objects" as relics, sacred texts, religious icons, thankas, spiritual healing, etc., is referred to in Buddhism as "holding the Dharma for ransom." Such action goes against the vows of a Bodhisattva, and is considered spiritually harmful according to the Buddha"s teaching.

We adhere therefore to the ancient way. In strict accord with the wishes of our head Lamas, the Dharma Fellowship keeps spiritual work entirely separate from all forms of profit making or commercialism. For this reason the Dharma Fellowship does not charge for meditation practice sessions, meditation retreats, prayer or healing services, Dharma instruction, blessings, or meditation guidance. Nor does the Fellowship engage in the trafficking of "Dharma objects." Attendance at our Hermitage meditation retreats is by donation only. Donations alone have to cover everything: food, bedding, lodging, electrical bills, firewood, cooks and staff, support for the teacher, and all else.

How Does the Dharma Fellowship Survive?

The ancient way depends on patronage. An Honorable Patron—in Tibet known as a Jindak (sp.: sbyin-bdag), a "master of charity"— is someone who supports and promotes pure Dharma-activity in the world. This they do because they appreciate the great value that spirituality and meditation can have in the lives of people. They recognize that their funding of an institution such as the Dharma Fellowship is what makes the conduct of spiritual life possible.

People often do nothing toward really making a better world, because they themselves feel disempowered. They feel unable to change present conditions; to make the world a more spiritual or gentler or better place. They do not believe they are "important enough" to affect anything.

It is surprising how much good that well-meaning people can actually do, particularly if they work in unison and in fellowship. They can make important changes in the world around them, without necessarily being themselves "important" people at all.

When someone becomes a patron of Dharma, great good can be accomplished. People become empowered.

The Dharma Fellowship survives entirely thanks to those who understand the importance of patronage. The Fellowship would not even exist, where it not for the generosity of people like yourself, making the effort to donate toward its support.

Working for the Evolution of Human Consciousness

By supporting the spread of spirituality and meditation – by promoting non-violence, harmlessness, individual serenity, meditation practice groups, and the awakening of men and women throughout the world – a gradual but certain evolution of human consciousness is put into motion.

This "evolution of human consciousness" has been going on for some considerable time, assisted by many different spiritual movements, many sincere groups of people, and a diversity of seekers of Truth all over the planet. It is not something "new." But today we see this evolution growing exponentially.

It means a new level of consciousness is gradually coming about in the collective psyche of humanity on a worldwide scale—an emerging new spirituality arising from within, rather than imposed from without. This is occurring as individual meditation practice, and the quest for self-realization, becomes ever more common amongst people in general.

Like ripples spreading forth across a pond, the signs of this spiritual quickening are starting to show at the global level. People are getting "connected up" on an apolitical scale, beyond national, religious, and ethnic boundaries, in ways never seen before. The old world may be fighting back, trying to hold on: nevertheless, the new world, a spiritual world, a world of deep spiritual consciousness, is slowly emerging to take its place.

The work consists in assisting this naturally unfolding process.

What It Takes To Be An Honorable Patron

The Dharma Fellowship honors its patrons, because it is they who make the work of the Fellowship possible. Their generosity alone funds our pure Dharma-activity in the world.

There are many projects. For example, to have a property where meditation retreats may take place requires adequate funding. Nowadays suitable property can easily cost half a million dollars or more. Likewise, to support and facilitate meditation teachers also requires funds.

  • Having acquired a property such as the Hermitage, there is the need to build living quarters and support facilities, a meditation hall and teaching spaces.
  • Critical to this spiritual work are "meditation huts" (kutis) for deepening meditative practice. An average little kuti costs from $2000 to $3000 dollars to construct.
  • Additionally, to fund a meditation center, fairly large donations from many people are needed: $50,000 dollars, $25,000 dollars, $10,000 dollars, $5,000 dollars. Please consider donating to the building fund.
  • Direct support for monks and nuns (or of persons taking temporary vows) is a time honored means to sustain the practice of spirituality in the world. Monks and nuns need your support so that they can enter into deep meditation practice. In turn it is the presence of these monks and nuns who create and support the true environment of a meditation center.
  • Likewise seasonal retreats for Dharma instruction and community service require considerable funds.

This is what it means to be an Honorable Patron. This is the bottom line. It means to give real support to Dharma-activity in a way that counts.

All amounts are important. Some patrons very generously send $100 a month, since that is all they can afford. They know that their sacrifice is doing tremendous good. Even $10 dollars, if sent each month, is valuable.

It is not necessary to be a member in order to help contribute to the work of the Dharma Fellowship.

If you would like to be an Honorable Patron of the Dharma Fellowship, please contact us:

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