Meditation teaching and mentoring

I work virtually with a small number of meditators directly for 1:1 teaching and mentoring. Meetings are typically 45 minutes to an hour.

If you are new to working with me in this capacity, my suggestion for getting started is that we meet once a week for the first month. This will help to establish a relationship and will allow me to better understand your practice.

I follow the ancient tradition of dāna (the Pali word for generosity), which means that I don't attach fees to any of my dharma work. Instead, I offer my time and teachings as a gift. If you feel moved to support me in this work, you can do so via Venmo: @Doug-Kremm-1.

If you are interested in working together, you can fill out this short form. I read each response carefully and will reach out personally to find a time to connect. Please note that, because my schedule is limited, I can’t always meet with everyone right away.

More on dāna

The Buddha famously said that one should not make a business of the dharma (Ud 2.6). There are various reasons for this, but the one I find most inspiring is simply that the dharma is priceless. It is very, very hard to keep one’s practice pure when it is bound up with the logic of buying and selling. There is also an inspirational quality that feels important to me. When I have met others who live this practice and share it freely without charging a price, that has stirred a deep faith in me, and I’ve found myself moved by that example. And yet, one has to make a living. What to do?

Since ancient times, many followers of the Buddhist path have striven to offer their dharma work without demanding a price. If one feels inclined to give– wonderful! If not– well, that’s the way it is. Trust in the practice and let it bring what it brings.

This is a fundamentally different model from the mode of economic exchange we are used to in the West. In fact, the very ideas of transaction and exchange are out of place here. Dāna (pronounced “DAH-nuh”) is not about buying or selling, nor is it really about “donating.” It is about giving freely from a deep sense of fullness and gratitude. When one feels moved to give in this way, one does so not out of a sense of debt or obligation, but as a natural expression of the generous heart.

I find it deeply moving to reflect on the staying power of this practice. It has survived for thousands of years, and this tells us something beautiful about the nature of generosity and the nature of the dharma. I offer my services with a deep sense of trust and faith in this path.

Still unsure? Here are some more words.