Monks returning from almsgathering, Hosshinji Monastery, Japan
I find it rich, fertile ground for my own development exploring the topic of money, and particularly the aspect from a Buddhist point of view called "Right Livelihood." My eight years as a Zen monastic primarily at Hosshinji Monastery in Japan brought much teaching for me on this subject.
There I lived within a community that was supported solely by donations from the society in which we lived. Certain days and times of the year were dedicated to gathering alms. In the season of rice harvest, we trekked through the countryside, going door-to-door to villagers' homes, chanting the Heart Sutra. The farmers or other inhabitants gave us offerings of their rice harvest, or money. That was one way for them to participate in spiritual practice.
In the year I spent at a nunnery in Niigata, in the Snow Country of Japan, we also received vegetables: long white daikon and Chinese cabbages for pickling, potatoes, negi (Japanese scallions) and whatever else people were growing. We wheelbarrowed our way through quaint villages, again chanting the Heart Sutra. The verse that we chanted upon receiving donations as monks translates something like, "The Dharma (Buddhist teaching) and material goods-- equally exchanged..." I really love the idea that we put what we have to offer out in the world and those who receive it willingly exchange something of theirs in return. Money can be the medium of that exchange, and I like to think of it as energy or possibility--it allows us to carry on our lives in the way that seems appropriate.
I'm now living my life as a married woman and householder, responsible for bills, money matters, the running of a household and business. I know that what I offer in my counseling work has great practical value for people. I do a lot of work with individuals and organizations such as Hospice of the Northwest on a volunteer basis. And.....it is very difficult for me to set a price and tell people they must pay so much to receive my services. There is in me a part that wants to be able to just put my work out into the world, and trust that it will be met with compensation that will allow me to go on doing it.
AND...I realize this isn't how most of us work in our society. I can imagine that it is uncomfortable and maybe even impossible for people to assess the "worth" of this kind of work for them. I'm also aware that costs of living and prices vary widely geographically. When I teach workshops through other venues, like Skagit Valley College or Island and Skagit Hospitals, my fees are generally set by those institutions. So I want to offer a price listing for my individual services as a suggestion, and let you decide the level at which you can support this work. Please consider with honesty where you see yourself along this scale of financial possibility.
I do not accept insurance payments. All contributions are accepted with gratitude. (I wanted to have the verse we chanted with almsgathering play when you click on the button below, but alas....it's beyond my webmaster capabilities right now!)
Suggested Prices, to be paid in advance
Phone sessions
50-minute session: $80.00 to $140.00
In-person and Zoom sessions
In-person sessions can be arranged in Anacortes or Mt. Vernon, Washington.
50-minute session: $90-$140
Discount of 5% for 3 sessions, 10% for 10 sessions
By clicking on the DONATE button below, you can pay the amount you've decided for my services through secure processing. .There will be two options when you click the button--if you have a PayPal account, you can go through PayPal or option 2 is to simply pay with any major credit card.
Thank you in advance for your contribution to allow the work to go forward!
I find it rich, fertile ground for my own development exploring the topic of money, and particularly the aspect from a Buddhist point of view called "Right Livelihood." My eight years as a Zen monastic primarily at Hosshinji Monastery in Japan brought much teaching for me on this subject.
There I lived within a community that was supported solely by donations from the society in which we lived. Certain days and times of the year were dedicated to gathering alms. In the season of rice harvest, we trekked through the countryside, going door-to-door to villagers' homes, chanting the Heart Sutra. The farmers or other inhabitants gave us offerings of their rice harvest, or money. That was one way for them to participate in spiritual practice.
In the year I spent at a nunnery in Niigata, in the Snow Country of Japan, we also received vegetables: long white daikon and Chinese cabbages for pickling, potatoes, negi (Japanese scallions) and whatever else people were growing. We wheelbarrowed our way through quaint villages, again chanting the Heart Sutra. The verse that we chanted upon receiving donations as monks translates something like, "The Dharma (Buddhist teaching) and material goods-- equally exchanged..." I really love the idea that we put what we have to offer out in the world and those who receive it willingly exchange something of theirs in return. Money can be the medium of that exchange, and I like to think of it as energy or possibility--it allows us to carry on our lives in the way that seems appropriate.
I'm now living my life as a married woman and householder, responsible for bills, money matters, the running of a household and business. I know that what I offer in my counseling work has great practical value for people. I do a lot of work with individuals and organizations such as Hospice of the Northwest on a volunteer basis. And.....it is very difficult for me to set a price and tell people they must pay so much to receive my services. There is in me a part that wants to be able to just put my work out into the world, and trust that it will be met with compensation that will allow me to go on doing it.
AND...I realize this isn't how most of us work in our society. I can imagine that it is uncomfortable and maybe even impossible for people to assess the "worth" of this kind of work for them. I'm also aware that costs of living and prices vary widely geographically. When I teach workshops through other venues, like Skagit Valley College or Island and Skagit Hospitals, my fees are generally set by those institutions. So I want to offer a price listing for my individual services as a suggestion, and let you decide the level at which you can support this work. Please consider with honesty where you see yourself along this scale of financial possibility.
I do not accept insurance payments. All contributions are accepted with gratitude. (I wanted to have the verse we chanted with almsgathering play when you click on the button below, but alas....it's beyond my webmaster capabilities right now!)
Suggested Prices, to be paid in advance
Phone sessions
50-minute session: $80.00 to $140.00
In-person and Zoom sessions
In-person sessions can be arranged in Anacortes or Mt. Vernon, Washington.
50-minute session: $90-$140
Discount of 5% for 3 sessions, 10% for 10 sessions
By clicking on the DONATE button below, you can pay the amount you've decided for my services through secure processing. .There will be two options when you click the button--if you have a PayPal account, you can go through PayPal or option 2 is to simply pay with any major credit card.
Thank you in advance for your contribution to allow the work to go forward!
Mail checks to Jan Hodgman, M.A, at 3619 W. 4th St., Anacortes, WA 98221. Thank you!