We hope to provide many different pathways for being a part of Morning Sun.
And all of them are glued together by our shared practice of mindful living, and our strong commitment to see the vision of MorningSun manifest in the world – we are working together as a Community to develop the Mindfulness Center and its programs as an offering of goodness and beauty. To be a part of MorningSun is to steward the vision of a mindful compassionate society. And, of course, we need a place to live while we do this.
For some folks that means living on site, for others, it’s living nearby. It is possible to purchase a lot and build a house as an individual or as a family. Its also possible to rent an apartment, a room or an entire house. We foresee people work-trading to live in staff housing or living in dorms of the Mindfulness Center as long-term guests. We see groups of friends or sanghas coming together to buy a lot and build a co-op house that they will share.
Some folks living at MorningSun will work primarily on site, staffing the Mindfulness Center, supporting the Community, or operating a business from their home. Others may work outside of the community, carrying the spirit of the practice with them as they do so.
It is understood that within a family there may be diverse interests and/or commitment to spiritual life and the practice of mindfulness. To that end, at least one adult member of a household needs to maintain the commitment to the shared practice of MorningSun. The other household members need not hold that same depth of commitment, but would need to maintain harmony and ease with the Community and the Center, participating in seasonal gatherings and supporting any conflict resolution practices needed.
Becoming a Member
All intentional communities have some sort of membership process.
Ours begins with the person or family attending a scheduled event (like a Day of Mindfulness or retreat) at Morning Sun. After a period of getting to know each other through visiting (usually several visits), the prospective member writes a letter asking to become a resident. 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 uses this time to really get to know all of the members and explore the rightness of their fit in the community.
After living on the land for a substantial amount of time (often 6-12 months but it can be shorter), a resident can request, or can be invited, to become a member. 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 aspiring to become a member of the Core Community of the Order of Interbeing). If there is a consensus, then a celebration is organized to welcome the new member.
People cannot own property at MorningSun until they have passed through the process and become a full member.