Oh dear..!
The Lama Foundation seems to have hit it on the head concerning the right mix of rural comforts to urban-creature comforts. (as i sit here in their often empty computer lab--- the sun setting over one of the most amazing views you'll ever see-- including a huge! gorge)
Kindra informed us that Lama would be hosting a worktrade in order to get some rooms done before their big month of retreats. ...with Carole Crews! one of the most gracious and well respected plasterers in the business. I flipped, of course.
So now here i sit. They have a most lovely kitchen ...and i mean most lovely, with wonderful outdoor seating/eating overlooking the gorge. Also, the bathhouse... surely the finest I've seen since leaving Marruecos. Blue tile, large tub-like shower--- complete with plants (bamboo?) next to it in which used to live a friendly snake ! :-)
- - - - - - - continued on weds - - - - - - -
So, I don't have a sophisticated understanding of the membership roles, the finances, nor the history of Lama yet, so far its organization does have some things I am very impressed with.
Right now they are preparing for and welcoming many returning residents or stewards for their annual meeting.
So, they have 3 different types of registration as far as i can see.
A Member--
A Steward
and a visitor.
(they also host a couple hermits in hermitages!! folks pay for this and are brought food up to their mountain lookout away from people... they have it arranged where they don't even see the folks who bring them their food)
Stewards are in a worktrade like situation for an extended period of time.
Visitors typically are paying something, and are often returning.
Members.. i don't quite know!
http://www.lamafoundation.org/ways_of_being_at_lama.htm
So there it is!
I really like these distinctions in a lot of ways.
It seems to be a system that welcomes folks to come back which both refreshes the visitors and the more permanent folks on the land.
Also, this puts more emphasis on the land as the permanence, and not necessarily so much on the personality/ies!
(Also... Lama has a large Sufi emphasis...and Sufi's are one of the more laid back and humorous spiritual traditions as you may know!)
Now, besides making prayer flags that they sell by internet, i think most of the finances are manifested through donation (I may be wrong).
So, in a situation that more resembles a working farm-- or group of small businesses or whatever, there would need to be some changes made.
But i DO think that a farm/group of small businesses would benefit greatly from a spiritual/educational type element that had a sort of revolving system for folks to visit/revisit, such as does Lama.
Next post on Lama to be about their layout and buildings!
