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What do you do to support Shantideva Center?

I help organize various activities of the center, including our administration and growth-focused activities. I also lead Cittamani Tara and Heruka Vajrasattva pujas, serve on the board, and wash dishes!

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

I work for an inspiring organization that helps business leaders develop greater awareness, compassion and wisdom. In my free time outside of Dharma, I enjoy traveling, playing piano (time permitting!), and learning about history and the arts.

Why do you offer service?

In the spirit of universal responsibility taught by HH Dalai Lama, I feel a sense of duty to help the center flourish. When I lived at Vajrapani Institute in California from 2008-2010, I knew I needed to help this precious lineage flourish in my hometown of NYC. Serendipitously, when I returned back to the city in 2010, a few core students also wanted to take on this challenge, and so we worked together to make it happen. Back in the day, we used to schlep our Buddha statue and altar supplies in a shopping cart on the subway while renting space wherever we could find it. Today, we have a beautiful home in Brooklyn with a wide range of programming that reaches students across the world – with a group of really talented and dedicated volunteers who prioritize harmony and compassion. It’s extremely rewarding to hear from people how much they have benefited from Shantideva Center. Benefitting others makes all the effort worthwhile. The act of service is really just an insinct, and Shantieva Center has been a great organization to partner with over the years for this purpose.

How has Shantideva Center benefited your life?

I cannot say enough words about how the teachings that Shantideva Center have benefited my life! The teachers we have the privilege to work with are very skillful, wise and compassionate. The teachings and practice are deeply healing and profound, yet accessible with integration into daily life. The act of volunteering has also benefited my life. I feel that serving Shantideva Center has given me the positive energy to progress on the path. I often feel a sense of lightness when taking care of center activities. I also feel that my worldly life has fallen into place more easily and robustly because of my service. Based on the roles I’ve taken on, it’s true that I have given up days at the beach to take on various tasks. But at the end of the day, I see more clearly that happiness comes from the mind. I’ve also really been impressed by our core volunteers: tenacious, sincere, generous, and diligent. Everyone really tries to practice the good heart and make Shantideva Center a better place. It’s nice to be part of that kind of crew.