Intentional community has been at the core of Buddhist practice from the beginning. We live together in order to create an environment that supports the development of mindfulness, understanding and joy.
We aim to practice communicating in a spirit of harmony and work to embrace and transform old habits. We know that conflict is an inevitable and healthy part of all relationships, and we aim to learn from our differences. We are aware that happiness is not found in material things but in celebrating the unfolding of life together in each moment.
Living Together in Harmony
There are a number of guidelines, based on shared values and aspirations, that Morning Sun members observe.
- We take Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing as a fundamental practice. While we know that these Trainings can be interpreted in different ways, we seek to engage with them honestly.
- We believe that our stability, clarity and capacity to live mindfully are best served by a life free of all intoxicants. Morning Sun members do not use any recreational drugs or alcohol. Our reverence for the land and all life is reflected in the food that we eat. Community meals are vegetarian.
- The backbone of our community is shared practice. While many of us have jobs that take us away from the community, we are all committed to regular practice together; including sitting and walking meditation, community meals and a continuous training in the practice of loving speech and deep listening.
Livelihood
Initially, as Morning Sun is forming, each of us needs to be responsible for our own financial stability. Morning Sun does not yet have the resources to financially support staff, although there are some small opportunities for income through construction, land work and creative entrepreneurship (eg: woodlot management). As it is established and grows, many residents will likely be employed by the Education Center (which might include farming and craft activities).
Other residents will work outside of Morning Sun, and we believe this is healthy for a community. We hope that those who do will strive towards a sustainable and compassionate livelihood.
Housing Opportunities
Members of Morning Sun are able to live in community-owned spaces or to build their own homes. At present there are two homes and one cabin that house the co-founders of Morning Sun. There is some space to accommodate visitors who may wish to join our community; a place to stay as we get to know one another. There are also some rental opportunities and those will expand over time.
As we grow in size, community buildings and individual sites will be built out by community members. (In order to be a model of healthy development, construction of the built environment will have a high degree of ecological sustainability. It will be gentle in appearance, following the typical principles and patterns of eco-village development and Permaculture design.). Please read on to learn about this process!
Ownership Structure
The majority of the land will be held in common trust and homes will be built in clusters, some single family, some duplexes and some communal housing, close to the land for the Education Center. Residents can purchase home sites from Morning Sun on which to build, buy existing homes, or rent.
Over the next 10 years, we expect 20 homes to be built at Morning Sun. We hope there will be as many different possibilities for residing here as possible.
There are opportunities for creative financing regarding the purchase of house sites including owner financing and scholarships for income and capacity to contribute to the community.
Membership Process
All intentional communities have some sort of membership process. Our begins with the person or family contacting us to arrange a visit. After a period of getting to know each other through visiting (that could be a single visit or many), the prospective member writes a letter asking to become a resident. This is similar to the process of asking for a prolonged stay at Plum Village. A resident is someone who lives on the land and participates in community practice, but is not yet a member who takes part in community decisions. Residents can live in community-owned housing, rent space, or be the guest of a member. During this time, a resident chooses a member as their “second-body” and meets with that member often to discuss community life. The resident will also use this time to really get to know all of the members and explore the rightness of their fit in the community. A resident can apply to become a member at any time during their stay, but waiting 6 months is recommended. At that time, there is a meeting of all members and the membership committee of the Board of Directors with the resident to reflect on taking this step. It is very similar to the process of an aspirant applying to join the Core Community and receive the 14 Mindfulness Trainings. If there is a consensus, then a celebration is organized to welcome the new member.
