Apprenticeship
Are you looking to enjoy the benefits of joyful service and intensive mindfulness practice as an apprentice at our training center?
The Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth (MAPLE) is committed to combining the rigor of traditional monastic practice with the dynamism of a startup. Our apprenticeship program is designed to take you through an intense meditation training that gives you a rare set of skills and experiences for life. The training will provide you ample opportunities to dive deeply into mindfulness practice in community, working, and dedicated sitting periods. Professionally, you’ll be in the trenches helping to build our modern monastery in Lowell, VT. It’s no easy task.
Apprentices can train at MAPLE for up to three months, which is the optimal amount of time that an apprentice can train, and the minimum amount of time for training is eight weeks.
They are welcome to arrive in Burlington, VT on Sundays to come to the Sunday Sit, a weekly program that we host from 5-7 PM on Sundays. From there, a resident will take the apprentice to our training center. Ideally an apprentice arrives in Burlington on the first Sunday of the month.
The program includes:
- 1-on-1 meditation instruction and guidance
- 2 healthy vegan meals each day
- 3+ hours of daily meditation
- 1 hour of dedicated daily physical exercise
- Monthly special programs and/or silent meditation retreats
- Supportive, authentic community of full-time residents
- Live at one of the most beautiful locations with access to swimming pond and hiking trails
- Do what needs to get done including buildings & grounds, cooking, social media, audio/video, and more
- Learning valuable skills in awakening and responsibility
Explore our training schedule here.
The apprenticeship is FREE with room and board provided.
Cellphones and electronic devices are allowed. Wifi is available in the building with the exception of the evening and morning silent practice periods.
Feel free to send questions to info@monasticacademy.com.
Testimonials from Past Apprentices
This whole experience has been really, really incredible and deeply humbling in ways that I never expected. I only feel a bountiful amount of love and gratitude right now for everyone here and this whole experience. I feel like I had my whole ego and a lot of paradigms shifted, to places where I didn’t think they would ever be shifted. I’ve discovered there’s something beyond my mind. And for the first time in my life, my mind is quiet, and that’s incredible for me because I’ve always celebrated its loudness, but I’ve never realized how beautiful it is when it’s peaceful and quiet. Since I’ve been training in finding out what love is and where love is, I see it even more clearly in this context, with everyone here, helping in the kitchen, with these non-verbal cues where you just know what to do, and it’s beautiful. Besides just the intense meditation, these little moments are what I really gained a lot from. Everyone kept telling me “those will change your life,” and they were right. – Claribel Wu
One of the things I read about the internship was that I would take away a skillset that I could use for the rest of my life. I didn’t know what that meant. I now know that not only did I learn about cooking, organizing events, and management, but I also can communicate more clearly and compassionately with others, create equanimity in stressful situations, and discover a deeper sense of my spirituality. MAPLE has opened up the pathway to a deeper happiness in the simplicity of what we do and has left me feeling full of fulfillment and peace. – Sarah Samosiuk
Whether you’re an experienced meditator or someone who’s only recently heard the word meditation, the internship at the MAPLE is for anyone looking to grow in unexpected and rewarding ways. You may learn a number of valuable lessons working on any simple and humble task as part of the buildings and grounds crew. – Lindita Camaj
I had probably the most meaningful few months of my life, my practice deepened and I made great friends. I now know that I am going to dedicate the next couple of years of my life to monastic/intensive meditation training. The Monastic Academy is my first choice of location. – George Lestner
My time here has been life-changing. More specifically, my time at MAPLE has given me direct practice at being more assertive and setting boundaries, and this is extremely important, as direct practice is the only way I see of building compassion. The Monastic Academy is like a school for how to live well, where living well means being trustworthy and acting with integrity. – Ashley Wolf