Serving on a 10 day retreat

[wizi]

It will be the first time that I am serving on a 10 day retreat next month...

Having sat for 2 retreats before.. I am answering a longing to serve fellow students... However, I have a few friends who will be attending the retreat for the first time, I am concerned how I can affect their meditation journey because of our friendships.

Any advice I should heed before I plunge headlong into seva?

Thank you.

[Jhana4]

I volunteered over after a retreat to work in the kitchen for another retreat. Your mileage may vary, but I think the sleeping area of volunteers is separate from retreat participants, so coming into contact with your friends is likely a non-issue.

I've worked in alternative kitchens a lot. They can be stressy areas, even/especially at meditation retreats.

I did okay by reminding myself of that, that I was only there temporarily and that I could absorb any offense I felt for a few days for the sake of the retreat. I would repeat this to myself before I went on duty and a few times while on the job.

It helped me stay restrained in my speech where I might have said things that would have caused issues to germinate.

Have fun. It is a good experience. I got to know some interesting people I would not have had the opportunity to spend time with and I learned some good recipes too.

[Ben]

Greetings wizi

:namaste:

It will be the first time that I am serving on a 10 day retreat next month...

Having sat for 2 retreats before.. I am answering a longing to serve fellow students... However, I have a few friends who will be attending the retreat for the first time, I am concerned how I can affect their meditation journey because of our friendships.

Any advice I should heed before I plunge headlong into seva?

Thank you.

I've served on a number of ten-day courses and longer courses. When you do your Dhamma Service registration, be sure to let the assistant teacher/teacher know that you know some of the people intending to sit the course. It maybe that instead of being in a capacity of being in direct contact with students as the male or female manager, you might be serving in the kitchen instead.
As Jhana4 has said, there are stresses that occur working in a dhamma environment and a well-run kitchen can be a crucible of stress sometimes. If you are serving on a course in the SN Goenka tradition, there is a code of conduct for dhamma servers and be sure to read and abide by it. Another tip is not to forget your own sitting (at least 3 hours per day) and to 'take rest' from 1PM to 2.30PM.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
kind regards

Ben

[zavk]

Go for it wizi! Dhamma service really strengthens one's practice. It's been a while since I served on a course but I'm trying to offer service in other ways. In any case, if this is a Goenka course, I wouldn't worry about you affecting you friend's experience. You'll be busy with the daily chores and when you do sit in the hall for the group sits it'd be a good opportunity to share a kind of 'dhammic camaraderie' with your friends. I'm sure you'll develop strong feelings of metta for one another. A great opportunity to understand what 'admirable friendship' really means.

All the best.

[PeterB]

Its true, as Zavk says you will be too busy to worry about everyday preoccupations..

[wizi]

Thanks! I am really looking forward to the serving.

I am going to be serving in a small non-center in africa where I attended the past two retreats. From what i gather, there is always a lack of volunteers so the course organisers have always hired local help to do the main kitchen preps with assistance from part-time student servers. A full-time student volunteer (male/female) would be assigned as the 'course manager' assisting the assistant teacher in getting the schedule off the ground.

There are a few things I am concerned about serving in the retreat... the times when a student wants to leave the course prematurely.. or when they are physically sick.. or when other students are complaining about disturbance by another student who may be snoring or whatever... as a server will I get enough briefing on dealing with these interruptions?

[Ben]

Hi wizi,

There are a few things I am concerned about serving in the retreat... the times when a student wants to leave the course prematurely.. or when they are physically sick.. or when other students are complaining about disturbance by another student who may be snoring or whatever... as a server will I get enough briefing on dealing with these interruptions?

When you register to serve you should receive a code of discipline for servers and it should contain information how you should interact with students. Serving, especially in the manager role, is like being thrown in the deep end of the pool. You need to remember that everyone is different and you need to keep that in mind whether you are managing the other dhamma servers or the students. Every evening after final meditation there is a dhamma servers metta session in the meditation hall where you can discuss the days events with the assistant teachers and the other servers. Also, my experience has been that sometimes the managers meet with the assistant teachers just before the 12PM interviews in the hall. The assistant teachers will have had a lot of experience both sitting and serving on courses so they should be able to give you advice on how to deal with different situations as they arise. So, there should be plenty of communication between yourself, your corresponding male or female manager, and the assistant teachers and you need that to support each other in your respective roles.
Its not uncommon to have at least one or more challenging students on a course. That may be students who want to go home prematurely or those who do not take the course, or students code of discipline seriously. Also in my experience, sometimes there are cases where people with quite profound mental illnesses join a course, and without telling anyone, decides to take themselves off their medication. So, each course is different.
The best advice I can give you is to not miss three one hour sits per day and when meeting with students, always try and maintain awareness of vedana (sensation) somewhere on the body.
kind regards

Ben

[Monkey Mind]

I was an "accidental" manager on a course. I signed up to be a server, and at the last minute the assistant teacher asked me if I would be the male manager. My first reaction was, "Um, you picked the wrong guy. I'm the guy who opts to meditate in my room instead of the meditation hall at every opportunity. I'm the newbie to this tradition, and I certainly can't answer questions and I don't know anything about the behind the scenes workings of a retreat." The teacher heard my concerns, reassured me that none of that mattered, and had me serve as manager anyway. It was an outstanding experience, one of the best practices I have ever participated in. After the retreat, my daily practice was newly inspired.

I agree with what others said above. My other advice: Servers are allowed to talk with each other while on the job, but there are limitations to the content of the talking (Noble Speech) and limitations about where and when you can talk (nowhere where you could be overheard by students). I am an impulsive lad, and found this practice of being highly accountable for my speech to be a difficult one. Walk the course boundaries before the course starts, and mentally map out the places where talking would be appropriate versus inappropriate. I encourage you to keep to the rules of Noble Speech, even if some of the other servers want to indulge in gossip, idle chatter, etc. I wish you a great experience!

[wizi]

I guess i am slightly nervous before this serving, as a couple of my friends are attending the retreat after hearing from me the benefits of insight meditation in our daily lives. It would have been easier if we all sat in the retreat as participants on 'noble silence', but now I am concerned that I may affect their meditation practice as they would most likely come to me with their emotional past or future ... I guess a good rapport with the assistant teacher would help me to get through such encounters, but I would like to learn more from Ben about always trying to maintain awareness of vedana (sensation) somewhere on the body.

I am slowly cultivating this awareness of sensations in my day-to-day living and interactions. Particularly, when I meet relatives or friends going through troubling times, I have an even more heightened awareness of the sensations coursing through my body and I am aware that my words often aim to reflect the dhamma's law of impermanence. That whatever state we are experiencing now, it's going to obey the law of impermanence.

Sometimes, friends or relatives would ask? "Well, when will this end? When will I be free from it?"

How do you respond to that???

My common response is the dhamma prayer below in my 'signature'... sometimes, it brings about a in them, but oftentimes, I guess it makes em feel like this ... there's gotta be an easier solution out there!

In the environment of the retreat, I hope I could attain a breakthrough of being an amateur 'counsellor' so-to-speak...

[wizi]

Thanks for all the good wishes ... i am really looking forward to it despite my nervousness!!!

[Ben]

Hi wizi,

I guess i am slightly nervous before this serving, as a couple of my friends are attending the retreat after hearing from me the benefits of insight meditation in our daily lives. It would have been easier if we all sat in the retreat as participants on 'noble silence', but now I am concerned that I may affect their meditation practice as they would most likely come to me with their emotional past or future ... I guess a good rapport with the assistant teacher would help me to get through such encounters, but I would like to learn more from Ben about always trying to maintain awareness of vedana (sensation) somewhere on the body.

It should be in the code of discipline for servers that you'll read before serving but if anyone comes to you and wishes to discuss the technique or emotional issues that are arising as a result of meditation, then you need to direct them to the assistant teacher. And if you have friends on the course who feel that because of their pre-existing relationship with you and because of your role as manager (or server) gives them permission to break noble silence, then you'll need to be diplomatic with them. By serving as a manager, your role is to attend to the physical requirements of students and any questions regarding experiences or regarding the meditation should be directed to the assistant teacher. By doing so you help to ensure that students are not confused by receiving two different messages.
As far as extending awareness to vedana (sensation) during any conversation with students, its no different to what you do in formal sittng meditation. the only difference is that while you are talking to a student, you are also aware of the changing characteristic of some sensation occuring on the body.

I am slowly cultivating this awareness of sensations in my day-to-day living and interactions. Particularly, when I meet relatives or friends going through troubling times, I have an even more heightened awareness of the sensations coursing through my body and I am aware that my words often aim to reflect the dhamma's law of impermanence. That whatever state we are experiencing now, it's going to obey the law of impermanence.

Indeed!

Sometimes, friends or relatives would ask? "Well, when will this end? When will I be free from it?"

How do you respond to that???

Remind your friends that everything is temporary. Beyond that, I would try and help them find a practical solution to their current difficulty (if possible).

In the environment of the retreat, I hope I could attain a breakthrough of being an amateur 'counsellor' so-to-speak...

Keep in mind that on retreat, serving as a manager, you are not working as a counsellor. As I said above, any questions regarding the meditation or experiences or emotions that arise as a result of the meditation should be referred to the assistant teacher. By doing so you will assist the student to have a beneficial retreat experience. Serving on a retreat, your volition should be one of selfless service, serving others without expectation of anything in return. Serving on a retreat you get the opportunity to develop your paramitas. Serving on a retreat is actually quite demanding and at times hard work and can be as challenging as sitting on a ten-day course.
kind regards

Ben

[wizi]

Thanks Ben for your positive reminder about the nature of the role as a dhamma server!

Just met the organizers and already know there will be a co-server who will be the one who can deal with my friends' enquiries throughout the 10 day course.
Also i understand there is a half hour taped instructions for dhamma server from goenkaji which I will have to listen before the start of the course. I guess I won't confuse my role after this!

I also found out there will be a Sattipattana course running in conjuction with the 10 day course for senior students, so it would be quite interesting to serve them as well! Fellow servers have told me that the teacher in the upcoming course is quite "tough"... so it will be an excellent time for me to learn equanimity...

Just found a useful resource library on http://www.buddhistelibrary.org/
They have a great elibrary on meditation.

This particular article titled "The Vipassana Retreat" by Ven Pannyavaro is most informative!

[wizi]

Does anyone recommend any useful and relevant reading materials for my first serving at the retreat? I am thinking of taking some of Shinzen Young's articles which have been very inspirational on my practice... but upon discussing with fellow vipassana friends here, they are concerned that Shinzen Young's methods are not orthodox and neither authorised by Goenkaji, and it may be counterproductive reading or even practising his techniques of clarifying/FIT/expansion contraction ...

I hope to have a controversy free serving and so would really appreciate if anyone on Dhammawheel have any helpful comment or advice on this? Thank you so much...

[Jhana4]

You can read books at home.

Why not use your downtime to get to know the other servers, take hikes around the retreat center and of course, meditate ?

[Ben]

Hi wizi
The reality is that you probably won't have much time to read.
But if you do then my recommendation is John Coleman's 'Quiet Mind'.
kind regards

Ben

[wizi]

I am serving in a non-center in africa, so there's no chance for hikes as we are conducting the retreat with Acharya Daniel Mayer in a christian seminary where it's a pretty closed compound. The retreats here are usually not that big, so I think I will have time to read during my rest breaks. I found a book on the disciples of the Buddha which could be complementary to the contemplative spirit of the serving.. thanks the recommendation Ben, i will look out for that book when I am in a bookstore next time in europe or asia!

[Monkey Mind]

Wizi- do not get too attached to the reading. There really won't be much time for reading, and reading is generally discouraged in the behavioral code because it disrupts the concentration you are creating.

[wizi]

Thank you guys, upon your wise counsel, I am leaving behind the dhamma material as I zip my bag ready for the retreat starting TODAY!!!! So Happy!!!!

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam ..

[wizi]

Back from serving for the first time. Is it common for first time servers to suffer burnout?

Day 2 and Day 7 were the most stressful days as students' sankharas seem to arise en masse... and it was difficult to juggle the decisions whether to report to the Teacher and telling the student off by saying it's time to purify your craving!! There were banal complaints ranging from incessant complaints on lack of hot water, persistent request for a personal room, to the more serious breaking of code of silence ... a new student even gave money to the nuns to buy milk and sugar for donation to the kitchen citing it as a cultural tradition in her temple!

The experience gave me a really good insight into the role of the Teacher who has such a delicate job of dealing with students' sankharas as they arise. I found it interesting that many new students were fearful of approaching the teacher for an interview on the meditation technique. The teacher explained that sometimes the question that the student asks belies an underlying issue that is the cause of the student's agitation, as teachers, they have to identify these underlying issues and help the student focus in tackling these.

All said, Goenkaji's discourses were more profound this time when i hear them as a dhamma server, than the other times when I sat in the course as a student.
If you are deliberating whether to serve on your next course, I would urge you to undertake the serving as truly the benefits of dhamma serving is untold!!

[Ben]

Well done, wizi!