Ratna Ling Work Study Volunteer Program

The Yeshe De Text Preservation Project was founded in 1983 by Tibetan refugee and Buddhist master, Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche and is dedicated to preserving the Tibetan Culture. Our organization is committed to the replication of rare Buddhist teachings, our volunteers work as a team year-round to make Tibetan books and prayer wheels to be given away at the annual World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India–– the site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

Our team is motivated by knowing we make a difference by impacting the lives of thousands of refugees in Asia. We give our time and energy freely to save Tibetan texts that contain teachings that would otherwise be lost.

Work at the book bindery is hands-on and production oriented. Areas of work may include: 

• Operating bindery machines like the collator, gold stamper, trimmer, and folder
• Assembling traditional Tibetan books and wrapping them in colorful fabric
• Putting books in slipcases and boxing them up for shipment to India

We are also planning additional projects to help support our overall work including

• Installing solar panels to provide sustainable power for our printing and book-binding machinery
• Engaging in controlled burns and other fire-prevention activities on the 120 Ratna Ling Retreat Center land which hosts the Yeshe De Project

Dharma Publishing, has been a pioneering publisher of important Buddhist texts for over 40 years. Our founder, Tibetan Lama Tarthang Tulku, has written over 2 dozen titles for a Western audience offering different pathways to connect with Buddhist wisdom.

Dharma Publishing is currently seeking one or two tech-savvy residential volunteers to work in the areas of:

• Marketing
• Digital promotion
• Social media

Successful DP team members are:

• Interested in personal growth through work and daily activity
• Reliable and self-motivated
• Flexible and cooperative

All members of the lodge team carry out active retreat tasks Friday-Sunday. The rest of the week, team members share office duties: registration, answering the phone, managing the retreat reservation system, updating the website and social media with blog posts and retreat news, according to their skills. They also work in the organic gardens-vegetable and ornamental-and in various projects. 

All around handy persons! Responsible for simple maintenance/repair of electrical, mechanical, irrigation, and plumbing infrastructure, as well as mowing and other vegetation control. 

The ideal candidates for this full-time residential volunteer opportunity are self-motivated, reliable, hard-working individuals who work well both with minimal supervision, and with others. 

Work with our Head Gardener to keep the produce from our organic gardens flowing from farm to table! This is a full-time volunteer opportunity, not a work exchange program. The work week is rigorous-6 days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. 

Some garden/farm experience is preferred, and ability to work without direction as needed is a must. Flexibility (such as in work schedule), steadiness, and a strong work ethic are essential qualities.