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What do you do to support Shantideva Center?

I help with some light editorial support, editing and occasionally writing the descriptions for teachings and other class offerings that appear on the email announcements, YouTube channel, and website. I sometimes lead group practices (pujas).

What do you do professionally and/or as a hobby?

I enjoy riding my bike in Prospect Park and I work in book publishing.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Volunteering for Shantideva Center ensures that my mind always turns toward the dharma, even if just in a small way. I enjoy when I am tasked with writing a description for an upcoming teaching, and I get to dig into a text to figure out what might interest someone about attending that particular event.

What kind of community culture are you interested in creating?

My younger self would have been surprised by my enthusiasm for the dharma, as I was skeptical of all ideological systems (and remain so)! Luckily, Buddhism is perfectly suited to this mindset. It took a long time of becoming familiar with Buddhist ideas, testing the waters with meditation and some Tibetan Buddhist rituals, and trying out and experiencing a lot for myself before I felt comfortable calling myself a dharma practitioner. I enjoy when Buddhism is accessible, culturally sensitive, and non-dogmatic. I hope to offer service with the same spirit of openness that convinced me that Buddhism was right for me!