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Help Building at Beautiful Buddhist Retreat Centre in Portugal ✨

The experience

Currently, we are looking for volunteers to help us during two weeks, from 30 March to 12 April, to build a retaining wall at the back of our meditation cabins. This is the first step in upgrading this key area. Volunteers should be in good health. We offer our volunteers three vegetarian/vegan meals a day plus accommodation. You will be welcome to attend the daily morning practices with the community.

Languages: Português, Español, English

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Painting & Decorating: Help with painting or decorating the property facilities.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

What you get

2 days off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Team Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other people.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We are an international Dharma (Buddhist) community, that follows the Nyingma School, founded by Lama Urgyen Chökyi Dorje and Lama Gyurme.

Its main locations are Thubten Phunsog Gephel Ling Retreat and Teaching Centre near Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, and Ngedon Shedrup Phuntsog Ling Monastery, in Narangthan, Nepal.

Thubten Phunsog Gephel Ling, is 65 hectares of nature, where people can receive Meditation instructions, Dharma teachings, and learn how to integrate Vajrayana Buddhism into a "normal" family life in the modern world. Although it is not well known in the West, some of the greatest masters of Tibetan Buddhism had traditional family lives.

Our centre, set in the stunning hills of rural Portugal, Alentejo Region, has a magnificent Stupa, Tashi Gomang, one of the largest in Europe.
As stewards of this beautiful place, we are engaged in many projects including tree planting, growing organic food, and water retention, as well as gardening and landscaping, building maintenance, and necessary construction works. This area is also protected from hunting and serves as an important local breeding area for wildlife.

Activities & Shift

Currently, we are looking for volunteers to help us during two weeks, from March 30th through April 12th.

The project:

Build a retaining wall at the back of our meditation cabins. This is the first step in upgrading this key area. Future work will include indoor remodelling and and rebuilding the attached laundry area.

We will be working 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, for two weeks to complete this project.

Volunteers:

Volunteers should be in good health, fit and strong - the lifting of heavy materials, such as gravel and stone will be required, as will mixing and using cement. Experience with building, using cement/concrete is a bonus, but not a must.

**Please note that volunteers are responsible for getting to the centre themselves. We do not issue invitation letters or offer any similar documents.**

Rules

Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the retreat centre grounds.

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodation pets.