Subsistence living in the West

[aeio]

Hi everyone!

I have a hypothetical situation for you. Hopefully this is the right place to ask. Suppose you're a Buddhist in Chicago. You have no job, no home, and a small sum of money - a few hundred dollars or so. You have very few possessions, and you like it that way. You do not own or have access to a car. Aside from being alive and healthy, the most important thing to you is studying under a particular martial arts master who teaches at a school in the city. What do you do?

One possibility which I would be particularly inclined towards is living and working at a monastery as a layperson. However, I'm not sure this is possible in Chicago. What do you guys think?

Thanks!
aeio

edit:
So I've come to the conclusion that this hypothetical individual is thinking too much into it. Things will work themselves out for him, and, if they don't, that's fine, too.

[cooran]

Hello aeiou,

A bit of info for your second question:

Buddhism in Chicago
http://buddhist.uchicago.edu/chi.html
There is the Thai temple – not sure if it takes long term visitors.
http://www.buddhapia.com/hmu/bcm/direct ... dhamm.html

with metta
Chris

[aeio]

Thanks! I'll check it out.