The Zen Peacemakers unique approach to working with homelessness
Nov 18th, 2008 by admin
The Zen Peacemakers is a global network that integrates Zen practice, social action, interfaith work, and the arts.
The Zen Peacemakers unique approach to working with homelessness is based on “PathMaking,” an idea developed from two key Buddhist concepts: mandala (wholeness) and path (transformation). A mandala represents integration and unity at a given point in time. The concept of path recognizes that individuals and communities evolve over time, and that the different aspects of the mandala - body, heart, mind, spirit and self - are linked in their development. The PathMaker Program will help people determine what their individual path is in life, not just in the world of work but also the world of relationship, family, community, and the arts. While it will utilize traditional human services processes, it will be based on the Zen Peacemakers’ Three Tenets: Not Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Loving Action. These Tenets will be taught to program participants in very concrete forms, as a healthy, workable approach to dealing with the worlds of family, jobs, and community.
PathMaker Services help individuals gain greater clarity on their path in life. Using specifically-designed tools and measurement instruments, PathMaker Services help individuals focus on specific areas in their life where personal or professional development might help them move towards greater self efficacy.
The PathMaker Program approach joins community development with personal growth. The Sanskrit word mandala, meaning circle, indicates that PathMaker Services address the needs of the whole community and of the whole person within it. The PathMaker Program aims to create a healthy, vibrant and diverse community in which its clients, residents and staff are supported on paths to self-sufficiency.
For details go to http://www.zenpeacemakers.org/sa/spiritual.htm