Volunteering
All of Ananda Marga activities are managed by a dedicated group of non-salaried volunteers. There are different levels of volunteers. Some are lifetime workers as in the case of the order of monks and nuns. Others are temporary volunteers in the case of unmarried youths. Still others are part-time volunteers such as lay people who spare time from their work and families to help the organization.
Basic Training Center, Davao
One of Ananda Marga’s four global basic training centers for monks and nuns is situated in Davao, southern Philippines (the others are in India, Sweden and Ghana).
The training center has ample facilities to accommodate over 50 candidates. A highly qualified staff of two male trainers and one female trainer give thorough training in all aspects of Ananda Marga to the candidates. The classes include:
- Theory of Tantra Philosophy
- Theory of Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT)
- Training on Oriental Music and Dance
- Training in Holistic Health Practices for physical, mental and Spiritual development
- Training in Yogic Ethical Codes
- Training in starting small-scale cottage industry
- Training in Yogic Treatment
Eligible candidates should be between 18-30 years of age. There is no educational qualification required. Above everything else, prospective candidates must have a burning desire to follow the twin objectives of Ananda Marga: “Self-Realization and Service to Humanity”.
It is recommended that prospective candidates practice the lessons of Ananda Marga meditation for a minimum of two years and work as a local volunteer in their home country before making the big decision to dedicate one’s life to universal service. But this is not compulsory.
The training is of duration of 1-2 years depending on the spiritual development of the candidate. In Davao Ananda Marga has four farms where it is cultivating various crops to feed the training center. There are also 3 pre-schools where the trainees can get first hand experience in pre-school education.
For those not yet ready for a life of total renunciation but would still like to get trained as a local full-time volunteer (called LFT), there are two LFT training Centers in SE Asia, one in Bali, Indonesia and one in Laguna, Philippines.