Support Jessica's Journey to Dharma Leadership

On Friday, June 21, under the Strawberry Moon, I opened my e-mail to the news that I have been accepted into the Community Dharma Leader (CDL) program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. CDL is a dharma training program that I have aspired to attend since I started along the Buddhist Path many years ago. Applications for this program open every 3 - 4 years, are by invitation only, include many pre-requisites AND an interview. To meet all the prerequisites, to be invited to apply and to be accepted into the program - WOOF - I am ecstatic.

MORE ABOUT CDL

The CDL program at Spirit Rock exists to develop the next generation of dharma leaders with the capacity, resilience and needed skills to carry the dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) forward. This training will support dharma leaders in cultivating the inner resources to skillfully address personal, socio-political and environmental suffering and other issues. Grounded in ancient Buddhist wisdom, graduates of CDL learn to embody, articulate, share and cultivate the dharma within diverse, multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural communities, so that it is accessible for all who seek refuge.

The foundation of the training is rooted in the Early Buddhist Theravāda tradition, and the program is designed to encourage innovative ways to live a life of Dharma and to integrate and offer these timeless teachings in and for our contemporary world. Learn more here: https://www.spiritrock.org/programs/trainings-intensives

WHY I AM ATTENDING

I have / hold the seat of facilitator and teacher in various mindfulness and meditation communities. I have attempted to hold that seat with integrity - naming the things that I know, acknowledging what I don’t know, and actively seeking to close the gap (and, of course, cultivating patience in acknowledging that often, awareness arises on its own time).

As a facilitator, my approach aims to disrupt cycles of erasure through personal inquiry and the support of sangha. Using meditation and creative practice, I blend dharma and art to lead myself and others toward liberation. This primarily looks like holding space that (1) Explores experiences of suffering to gain insights and awaken consciousness (2) Supports BIPOC communities to reengage or deepen their relationship to the Earth and (3) Challenges European thought frames that reinforce unconscious behaviors and patterns.

Through CDL, I will strengthen my exploration of these three pillars through the Buddhist wisdom taught during the program. I hope to work with new Americans (first or second-generation Americans, immigrants, refugees, or temporary / long-term visitors) and more broadly, anyone who feels that their experience falls outside of the binary. My long-term goal is to facilitate dharma-based creative placemaking and self-making within these communities.

It has been eight years (!) since I have been in a dharma training program and I feel a positive urgency (samvega) to engage in in-depth training to develop a deeper understanding of the Dharma so that I can continue to share Buddhist teachings responsibly and skillfully.

If you’ve spent any time with me you know that I talk about suffering all the time. Teaching and facilitating is how I respond to the suffering, my own and the global, and how I fulfill my ecosystem roles at Healer and Weaver. Attending CDL is a personal investment in my growth on the Dharma path and a continued commitment to collective liberation.

THE COST

I received a BIPOC scholarship which brings the full cost of the two-year training to $5,450. The program asked that I make a minimum 25% deposit of the full tuition cost by this Friday, June 28 - that’s $1,362.50. I’ve thankfully received an extension on that deadline. Right now, I am raising for the cost of the deposit the first couple of monthly payments of $280. Your support will help cover my program deposits and provide me with little wiggle room while I wait to hear back from the scholarships that I am applying for. Please consider making a donation and helping me reach my goal by July 27, 2024.

You can also donate directly to me (sans fees!) via Venmo or Zelle. My Venmo handle is @Jessica-Angima and you can reach out to me to get my Zelle info.

Put frankly, I will not be able to participate in CDL without the support of community and scholarship funds. There’s much I can say here about generational wealth and access to dedicating oneself to a life of the dharma and liberation (in short - if you’ve got money, you can commit your life to “spiritual exploration”, if you haven’t, spiritual exploration is often an imperative as a result of systemic oppression and struggle). For the moment, I’ll ask that if you’re reading this and you have the capacity, to please donate at least $10 - 25 to my fundraising campaign. I will be forever grateful. In return, you can expect to receive some printed ephemera of some sort, likely a zine or postcard, plus a little love note from me.

In the spirit of collective liberation, in forever solidarity, and toward the benefit of all beings. Thank you.

xo Jessica