Welcome to The Barley Jar Intentional Community!
We are in the process of seeking new longer term members. We will give preference to individuals who are interested in becoming long term stable members of our community. We are also open to shorter term guests.
We are an established mindfulness based community following and inspired by the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village and the best available scientific evidence. We give preference to individuals who are established in or very interested in exploring these specific traditions. These is a non-denominational spiritual practice open to individuals of any persuasion ranging from atheist to Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or similar. Our traditions focus on mindfulness in daily life. Though they arise from a Buddhist and scientific vision for a global spirituality and ethic, it's practices are nonsectarian, and their nature is universal.
We are an intentional community and research/teaching/practice centre that deeply aims to live sustainably socially, spiritually, environmentally and economically. Our desire is to be the change we want to see in the world.
We share meals/cooking, groceries, cleaning/ chores, music/art/ideas, joint parties, community dinners, collective space and household items, a mixture of privacy and community. We have positive shared values / enthusiasm for sustainable transportation (bikes, no cars owned), local organic vegan food, natural materials (plastic free) and fair trade. Inclusion and diversity are highly valued and desired e.g. no labels / all ages / all abilities / queer-positive / all backgrounds / all social (including marginalized) groups etc. We practice the Plum Village/Order of Interbeing tradition of engaged Zen Buddhism as described by Thich Nhat Hanh as a source of wisdom. We also pursue and choose practices supported by the best available scientific evidence.
Our house is medium to large, we really like having people around as well as having a balance of privacy, we like having guests.Our members positively contribute to our community and to the network of similar homes that we are a part of.
Physically: We live in a century home at the north end of Brunswick Ave in Toronto. The house has 6 bedrooms and there are lots of shared spaces - a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, sunroom, dining room, living room, patio-deck, and garden. We generally have 6-8 housemates including couples and kids.
Our members tend to be and have included community activists, social change agents, artists, trades people, professionals, scientists and farmers.
We host:
- community wide sunday dinners once a month (last sunday of the month - potluck optional with a music jam) all are welcome
- workshops (anything and everything - politics, art, sustainability, social justice)
- music and art events (house concerts, readings and the like)
- guests from all over
Teaching/Practice Membership Streams
The Barley Jar, as a developing training and practice centre, welcomes individuals to be a part of the community as short term guests, or 1 year residents. The 1 year resident options are 1) the intense training, practice, and contributing residency (with an aim toward a deepening practice and long term membership), 2) the learning experience and contributing residency, 3) the learning experience residency, 4) the learning and healing residency. All 4 can be renewed annually, however in the case of limited space, the first (intense training) stream will be given priority and a spot will always be reserved for the 4th (healing) stream. Priority for the 4th option will be given to individuals who have been chronically homeless who might join us after the community is close to residency capacity.
