Fall 08

THE OAKWOOD CENTER a non-medical, non-pharmacological, meditation- based, residential center for the treatment of combat related post traumatic stress.

A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

548 Mary Esther Cutoff NW, PMB 319, Fort Walton Beach, , 32548 Phone: 978- 376- 4593 or 850- 582- 2740 E - Mail: [email protected] or [email protected], http://www.zaltho.org Business Proposal Oakwood Center A non-medical, non-pharmacological, meditation-based, residential center for the treatment of combat related post traumatic stress.

Content: 1. Current Situation 2. Goals 3. Proposed Methodology 4. Time and Cost 5. Qualifications 6. Benefits

1. Current Situation THE OAKWOOD CENTER addresses the current issue of veterans suffering with post traumatic stress.

• Millions suffering: More than 6 million US soldiers have served in military campaigns involving combat since 1964 (1) leaving a huge number of them to face the consequences of their service in war. It is estimated that 30-50 % of those veterans serving in military campaigns are affected by post traumatic stress (2). Within the veteran community the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

• Insufficient number of treatment facilities: While there are a limited number of facilities available - most of them medically based - only a small number of veterans who are affected are currently being treated, but even those receiving treatment in these facilities continue to suffer.

2 It is important to note here that the most effective programs for at-risk- veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” peer programs.

(1) http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/war-veterans-by-the-numbers/, War estimated 3,403,000 deployed, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, 694,550 deployed, http://fcnl.org/issues/afghanistan/afghanistan_invasion_ten_year_anniversary/ Afghanistan and Iraq War roughly 2,000,000 deployed

(2) http://fcnl.org/issues/afghanistan/afghanistan_invasion_ten_year_anniversary/

VA. 2012a. The Long Journey Home XXI: Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). West Haven, CT: Northeast Program Evaluation Center.

• Limited treatment strategies: Over the past 40 years the treatment model for post traumatic stress has focused primarily on psychotherapy, pharmacological therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive-behavioral therapy as well as somatic therapy, to name a few of the many existing modalities. These have been only marginally effective.

• Matter of Life and Death: The Director of Social Services of the Veterans Administration estimates that 22 veterans take their own lives every day, which means that a veteran commits suicide every 65 minutes and that 8,000 veterans die by suicide each year. It is important to note that only 20 states are currently required to track and report veteran suicides, which means that the actual number of veteran suicides is considerably higher

See Appendix for more information pages 8-9.

2. Proposed Methodology and Treatment Concept The real cost of war and the resultant suffering that veterans face will be more effectively treated by a life style rooted in a disciplined spiritual practice such as meditation. With this foundation, veterans are more likely to benefit from the other treatment modalities and strategies that are offered.

3

The official definition for post traumatic stress almost totally fails to convey the ease with which it can be confused with many different mental disorders. THE OAKWOOD CENTER will promote meditation - an alternative and successful approach to support veterans.

• Meditation-based approach: The primary focus at THE OAKWOOD CENTER will be a meditation-based treatment that can help the Veteran to deal with the more fundamental injuries which are caused through the experience of and preparation for war - injuries that are moral and spiritual in nature. http://www.honoringthepath.org/about/research/ • Writing: Veterans will be encouraged to develop a writing practice that will take place in groups and individually. • Mindful Listening and Speaking: Veterans will meet in groups where they will be encouraged to share their experiences with daily life or on military related issues through the practice of Deep Listening and Mindful Speech. • Meditation: Veterans will receive basic instructions in formal sitting and practices. The veteran will also learn a meditation-based approach to daily living with the understanding that meditation is not limited to a particular form, but rather is a disciplined, structured, and transformative way of engaging with daily life activities. • One-On-One Meetings: Veterans who are participating in this program will have constant access to people who are trained and experienced with these formal meditation practices (and are themselves veterans). There will also be mental health professionals on staff, who are also trained and experienced in the meditation disciplines used in this residential facility. • Follow Up: THE OAKWOOD CENTER will continue to have an active contact with those attending this program once the veteran leaves the center. This contact will be maintained via email, phone, web based technologies (Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) as well as people returning for shorter stays. See Appendix for more information pages 10-17.

4 3. Time and Cost This is what is needed to run a successful program:

The program will initially be open for 15 veteran participants, non-exclusive of gender, in October of 2015. It is believed that THE OAKWOOD CENTER can treat, within this basic structure, 60 veterans per year. THE OAKWOOD CENTER will operate as a pilot program for two years as a subsidiary of the Zaltho Foundation Inc. a 501(c) 3 tax exempt, non-profit and will rely on private funding, grants, in-kind donations. Residents will participate by sharing in the cost of the food on a weekly basis and through participation in the upkeep of the center.

The initial startup costs for THE OAKWOOD CENTER pilot program will be $ 500,400. This will cover facility development, operating, administrative, and marketing costs for one year. Operating costs for the second year are estimated to be $ 237,600. Key people:

• Founder and co-director, is a fully ordained Buddhist monk, author, and a decorated combat- wounded U.S. soldier.

• Full-time personnel will consist of 2 on-site helping professionals such as PhD psychologists and/or clinical social workers. All personnel will be trained and experienced with the different meditation disciplines.

• Part-time personnel will consist of a small number of administrative, house keeping, and kitchen staff.

• Other support staff will be available through existing community

5 services, i.e.; medical, psychiatric, social services. Veteran service agencies will also be utilized to support the residents of this program to secure their earned veterans’ benefits.

See Appendix for more information pages 18-21.

4. Qualifications This is why THE OAKWOOD CENTER is best qualified to offer this program:

Since 1998, Claude AnShin Thomas, a decorated combat- wounded veteran of the , together with the Zaltho Foundation, Inc., has been transformative residential meditation retreats for veterans living with post traumatic stress. (These programs have been held at retreat centers in ; State; and Colombia, South America as well as in many other locations.) Many veterans have expressed how much their life has changed and improved through their participation in these retreats, where they learned a meditation- based approach to healing the inner wounds of war. http://www.zaltho.org/the-founder/news/131-the-retreat-by-dan-new.html

• Thousands of veterans have already received support from Claude AnShin Thomas and this meditation-based approach to recovery from Post Traumatic Stress through attending veteran retreats. Therefore we are already in contact with many potential participants.

• Claude AnShin Thomas has been working with the topic of post traumatic stress both personally and publicly for over 40 years, and he has been facilitating meditation retreats as an ordained Buddhist monk for more than 20 years. These experiences provide Claude AnShin with a unique perspective and insight into the complex behaviors that show themselves within the lives of combat soldiers both during and post their service. Unlike many health care professionals and others offering services to veterans with post

6 traumatic stress, Claude AnShin has the personal experience of living constructively with the consequences of combat service.

See Appendix for more information pages 22-25.

5. Benefits These are the benefits veterans can experience when they implement the program into their life:

To date there has not been much research on the methodology that THE OAKWOOD CENTER is initiating to address post traumatic stress. However, there is personal testimony from veterans from around the world who have been able to stabilize their lives through this approach. http://www.zaltho.org/the-founder/news/131-the-retreat-by-dan-new.html

• THE OAKWOOD CENTER will provide a community for veterans guided by veterans to establish a self-empowering spiritual practice. This will enable the participants to discover how to live at peace with their un- peacefulness.

• This program is based on the understanding that healing will not equal the absence of war related memories and behaviors. Healing is about learning how to establish a more conscious relationship with our war-related experiences and the multitude of ways that these experiences can manifest themselves in our day-to-day affairs.

Claude AnShin Thomas on working with post traumatic stress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oru42N3pBgc

See Appendix for more information page 26.

7 Appendix

1. Current Situation

Approximately thirty percent of the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of post-traumatic stress, TBI, depression, or other mental illness or cognitive disability. Nineteen percent of current-conflict veterans who have received VA care have been diagnosed with substance abuse or dependence. Seventy-five percent of Vietnam combat veterans with post- traumatic stress met criteria for substance abuse or dependence in a national study. Veterans do not qualify for substance abuse disability benefits unless they also have post traumatic stress. https://www.phoenixhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DPA_IssueBrief_Veterans.pdf While the U.S. military does not divulge full records of the prescription drugs that service members take while deployed, a 2005 military survey found prescription narcotics to be the most widely misused class of drug among members of the armed forces. VA records reveal that prescription drugs are widely abused by veterans, especially opioid pain medications and mood altering medications, such as benzodiazepines. The Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army Multinational Force surveyed soldiers and found that one in eight was taking prescription medication for a sleeping disorder or combat stress, and USA Today reported in late 2008 that the number of opioid pain prescriptions for injured troops increased from 30,000 to 50,000 per month since the Iraq War began. (Issue Brief: November 4, 2009, Drug Policy Alliance, , NY, http://www.drugpolicy.org )

https://www.phoenixhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DPA_IssueBrief_Veterans.pdf According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans at any given point in time 62,619 veterans are homeless with another 1.4 million at risk. It is also significant to note that approximately

8 12,700 veterans of the Iraqi campaigns were homeless in 2010 and that 50% of all homeless veterans are from the Vietnam era. (http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/ ) According to an annual report compiled by The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (http://vets.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Annual-Employment-Report2012.pdf), the employment rates for Veterans remains significantly below that of the non-veteran community. The causes for this reality are a complex set of factors, however, it can be stated unequivocally that the lingering effects of post traumatic stress are a significant contributor. (http://nchv.org/index.php/employment/employment/guides_resources/#Factsheets)

Also significant are the overwhelming impacts of unidentified, untreated or partially treated combat- related post traumatic stress on the family, the community, and society as a whole. Accurate statistics are not available because the official definition of post traumatic stress fails to convey the ease with which it can be confused with other mental disorders.

Existing standard methods of treatment focus primarily on treating the symptoms of post traumatic stress. Combat trauma is more than just a set of psychological symptoms. The primary focus at THE OAKWOOD CENTER will be a meditation-based treatment that can help the Veteran to deal with the more fundamental injuries that are caused by military training and combat experience, injuries that are moral and spiritual in nature; these injuries are caused not only by the effects of trauma but also from the consequences of acting in violation of our shared moral standards, the foundations by which a veterans life is structured.

9 2. Proposed Methodology and Treatment Concept The basics: This meditation-based, non-medical, non- pharmacological, residential facility will be best positioned and equipped to give the wounded veteran the foundation necessary to benefit from the myriad of clinical modalities and strategies available. The veteran will be provided with a structured approach to engaging with the challenges of life post service. A Meditation Based Approach: Meditation does not take one particular form but is rather a disciplined way of conducting daily life activities with more awareness. Practice Forms: “Practice” is a generic term used to address a meditation-based approach to daily living. Examples of various practice forms that veterans will be training in throughout their residential experience with THE OAKWOOD CENTER will be as follows:

• Sitting Meditation: Each morning and each evening practice sitting meditation for at least five minutes. Find a comfortable, quiet place and, if you like, put up a small altar with a candle, incense, and some flowers. You can sit in a chair or on the floor. When you sit in a chair, place your feet flat on the ground and sit upright (don’t lean against the back of the chair). If you sit on the floor, you can sit cross-legged in the full- or half-lotus position, using a cushion to lift up your bottom so that your knees can more easily touch the ground. Or you can sit in seiza (the position that is frequently used among the monastic and lay practitioners in Japan), meaning kneeling and sitting on your heels. This position can be difficult for the beginner, so it may be helpful to place a cushion or meditation bench under your bottom. Sit with your head erect and your chin tucked in slightly. Put your shoulders back. Visualize your ears being aligned with your shoulders and your nose aligned with your belly button. Find a comfortable position for your hands, such as resting them on your lap. Or you

10 could take the more traditional approach of placing the fingers of your left hand on top of the fingers of your right hand, palms up, with thumbs almost touching. If you choose this position, hold your hands just in front of your navel. You can sit with your eyes open or closed. If you leave them open, lower your gaze, pick a spot on the floor in front of you, and let your eyes rest there. In sitting meditation, correct posture is important for many reasons, including the fact that it facilitates easy flow of the breath. From this posture, focus on your breath, each in-breath and each out-breath. Feel your abdomen expanding when you breathe in, feel it contracting when you breathe out. There is nothing to be accomplished, nothing to be gained. Notice your thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. Don’t attach yourself to them and also don’t reject them. Just observe them and keep breathing. If you discover that you are having difficulty staying focused on your breath, use the technique of counting your breaths as a support. Take one in-breath and one out- breath, and count one; in, out, and count two, and so forth, until you reach ten. Once you have reached ten then count backwards to one. Keep in mind that the point is not getting to ten but staying connected to your breath. If you experience physical discomfort sit with that for a while. If it persists then just mindfully shift your sitting posture slightly until the pain is relieved. Your “sitting muscles” (mental and spiritual as well as physical) will get stronger after some practice. Even if you sit for just five minutes, do so each morning and each evening, without question. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it is important that you do it. And I guarantee your life will change, and you will begin to experience healing and transformation.

• Walking Meditation: Periods of sitting meditation can be interspersed with walking meditation. Walking meditation is similar to sitting, with the difference that we are now bringing our footsteps and our breath together; we coordinate our steps with our breathing. With each in-breath we take a step, and with each out-breath we take a step. In, out, in, out. We walk slowly and deliberately, not forcing a relationship between steps and breath, but allowing a harmonious relationship to develop. If we are in a group, we walk in a line, one behind the other. You can let your hands hang down at your sides, or you can try the following more traditional hand position. Make a fist with your left

11 hand with the thumb inside. Hold this fist with the palm facing in the direction of the solar plexus, the thumb joint facing upward. Then place your right hand over and around your left fist, so that the left knuckles rest inside the right palm. Maintain this position as you walk, keeping your forearms parallel to the floor. You can also place your hands in gassho, that is, palms pressed together just in front of your face with the tips of the second finger at a height even with the tip of your nose. Let your gaze rest several feet in front of you. Walk just to walk. There is no place to arrive. You are always here and now. Be aware of how your feet meet the floor. We communicate through our feet with the earth and the entire universe. Especially in times of upset and worry, walking meditation is a wonderful tool to help us stay centered and focused and not be carried away by our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. If you want to meditate for long periods of time, walking meditation is a wonderful way to break up your sitting time, relaxing and stretching the body. Just slow down and pay attention to your breath and your steps. When doing walking meditation outside, follow the same guidelines, but walk a bit more quickly, connecting yourself to the pace of the larger world, of daily life. For example, breathe in for three steps and out for three steps, keeping in mind that the intention of walking meditation is always to allow for a natural rhythm of breath and steps to establish itself. (I’ve found that my natural rhythm is four steps with each in-breath and four steps with each out-breath.) While walking allow yourself to experience the environment that you are moving through, that you are a part of. Notice how the air caresses or cools. Notice the colors that you move through and your relationship to them, notice the sounds and your relationship to them. Walk, breathe, and notice.

• Working Meditation: Work is part of our lives; it is an expression of our creativity, of our connectedness with life. There are always things to be done, so we might as well use these opportunities to practice. The shortest instruction for working meditation is: If you are not connected with your breath, you are not practicing working meditation! When we work, we work just to work. We just do what is in front of us to do. And at the end of a period of working we just step back and see what’s been accomplished. Be aware of every detail of your work. Be aware of what you perceive to be pleasant or unpleasant. Be aware of your concepts of

12 hierarchy. Recognize when and where you feel off balance and take a step toward more balance. For example, if you are someone who always works alone, ask someone for help. If you keep yourself mostly on the side and let others take initiative, then be a little more assertive. If you have a tendency to work too quickly, slow down. A Chinese monk said: “A day without work is a day without food.” Remember that our work supports us, makes our lives possible--that without an active engagement in daily life, such simple necessities as food will not magically appear. We can think of our work as a way to say thanks to the world for providing shelter, food, light, warmth, water, and so forth. Unfortunately work has become a tremendous source of suffering in our society. Our worth, social acceptance, and belonging are often measured by what kind of job we have or whether we have a job at all. Working meditation can help us bring the light of awareness and compassion into the world of work.

• Eating Meditation: We all have to eat, but often we don’t pay much attention to when, what, and with whom we are eating. Eating in itself can become a drug that numbs our feelings and prevents us from waking up. The best preparation for eating meditation is to be hungry and to know that less is often more. When you sit down with a plate of food, before you begin eating, take a moment and breathe consciously three times, in and out. Then recite a verse out loud our internally: This food is a gift of the whole universe, the earth, the sky, and much hard work. May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it. May we transform our unskillful states of mind, especially our greed. May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness. We accept this food so that we may realize the path of practice, of love, compassion, and peace. Then start eating. If possible, eat in silence. Chew each bite of food fifty times or at least, in the beginning of this practice, make your best effort, realizing that the bite probably won’t last that long. We tend to swallow our food very quickly. For many of us, it’s the same dynamic in our lives: We don’t want to chew on things; we like to consume, push them in and down. So take the time to appreciate the wonderful gift of food—the smells, tastes, looks, sounds. Rather than just eating for pleasure, consider the health of your body and mind. Food is only healthy if there is a beneficial balance; too much doesn’t work, too little doesn’t work. Take fifteen minutes at each meal to practice eating meditation and your body will actually

13 have a chance to inform you when it has had enough—a point we often miss. Your body will be grateful to receive food that is properly chewed, and it will be grateful not to get too much or too little. At the end of the eating meditation breathe in and out three times and say out loud or internally, “Thank you.”

Deep Listening and Mindful Speech:.

• Veterans will meet in groups where they will be encouraged to share their experiences with daily life or military related. Deep Listening and Mindful Speech is different from group therapy. There is no therapist moderating or responding to the participants. Clear guidelines and instructions are provided before these groups begin, a general topic is introduced as a guide or prompt, and no one is forced to participate or to talk about things that they do not want to talk about. While one person speaks, the other group members listen. It must be stated here that critical to learning how to live with the very real consequences of combat service is to create a community of trusted listeners where a language of feelings can be developed. So much of our suffering gets acted out through the ways we communicate. The practice of deep listening and mindful speech helps us to become more aware, to receive our own stories and those of others, and to bring more peace into our lives. We have to tell our stories, again and again, and listen deeply to others’ so that we can stop the cycles of suffering. This practice is not always comfortable and easy, but it is essential to waking up.

Writing:

• Veterans will be encouraged to develop a writing practice that will take place in groups and individually. This particular meditation practice provides the veteran with an opportunity to give voice to their voicelessness. Often veterans are able to write about issues that they have not been able to articulate.

One-On-One Meetings:

• Veterans who are participating in this program will have constant access to people who are trained and experienced with these

14 meditation practices (also veterans). There will be staff on hand who are both clinically trained and certified mental health workers. The mental health workers will also be trained and experienced in the meditation disciplines used in this residential facility.

Follow Up:

• The residential experience at THE OAKWOOD CENTER will not be limited to the time spent at the facility, but will continue once the Veteran leaves the Center via email and/or phone contact as well as people returning for shorter stays.

Frequently asked questions regarding THE OAKWOOD CENTER:

What stage of trauma, if any, should disqualify a veteran from attending?

• No veteran will be disqualified, however, registered sex offenders or those who have been evaluated as a danger to themselves or others will not be accepted in the pilot stage of this program (the first two years). At the conclusion of this period the standards for admission will be reviewed and reevaluated. Why is meditation practice so helpful and healing for veterans?

• The full array of meditation practices that the veteran will learn during their stay at THE OAKWOOD CENTER – will help them to discover that healing is possible, however, it will also be clearly communicated that healing is not the absence of symptomology (suffering). Healing is learning how to live in different relations with their lives, as they exist now.

What is the impact on veterans?

• The residential approach outlined in this plan will simply provide a

15 vehicle through which veterans are given tools that can support them in learning how to live in a different relation with how they have been affected by their military service and training. This will provide them with a sustainable foundation of practical exercises and actions the veteran can then implement when experiencing their post traumatic responses.

See comment from veteran: http://www.zaltho.org/the-founder/news/131-the-retreat-by-dan-new.html

Afghanistan Veteran Robert Rockwell regarding Veterans Retreats: ‘Mindfulness is the only thing that has gotten me to this point. This is a very strange way of saying thank you, but there it is, Thank you. I still desperately desire an opportunity to sit with you again this year. Your teachings have given me so much stability, what better way is there to say thank you than that. Thank you.’

How would the participants by chosen?

• Veterans will be chosen for admission through an application process. The length of stay will be a minimum of 3 months, unless otherwise requested by the veteran themself or recommended by THE OAKWOOD CENTER staff. For a veteran to be accepted to THE OAKWOOD CENTER they must be alcohol and drug free. If a veteran applying for this program is taking prescription medications, these medications and their necessity, will be evaluated by the in- house psychological staff. Adjunct medical personnel who will be used to support the medical needs of this residential community will also be consulted.

What happens after the veteran leaves THE OAKWOOD CENTER?

• After completing a period of time residentially the veteran will be provided with a list of recommendations to follow that will support

16 them to strengthen and build on the foundation that has been established through their residential experience. Some general recommendations will be:

1. Create a quiet place where the veteran can continue to practice sitting meditation.

2. Get active with a local meditation group or in the absence of such a group, the veteran, along with the support of THE OAKWOOD CENTER staff will be encouraged to start a group.

3. Return visits to THE OAKWOOD CENTER twice a year.

4. Maintain a life style of abstinence from alcohol and illegal drugs, utilizing all available local supports to maintain this commitment.

5. Maintain an active contact with the staff of THE OAKWOOD CENTER and the other veterans who have participated in this program.

6. Maintain an active relation with the larger civilian community as a way to make clear the nature and reality of how those who are trained for and who have fought in war are affected.

17 3. Time and Cost

During the two year pilot program THE OAKWOOD CENTER will use existing facilities that currently make up the Magnolia . The Magnolia Zen Center is located in Mary Esther, FL. This pilot period will allow more insights to be gained on how best to implement this approach as well as what funding requirements will be necessary. Going forward it is the goal of THE OAKWOOD CENTER to a dedicated facility apart from the Magnolia Zen Center.

Both men and women will be considered for enrollment, however, children of veterans will not be able to be accommodated. The program will require a minimum 3 month commitment.

THE OAKWOOD CENTER pilot program will be initially a collection of 5 individual houses with 3-4 bedrooms each. During phase 2 it is the commitment of THE OAKWOOD CENTER to expand this number to 20-25 veterans, bringing the total number of veterans served to between 80-100 per year. Each of the properties will consist of either private or semi- private rooms with shared bathrooms. All meals will be shared communally. There will be space provided within these properties for group meetings. All medical needs or emergency services will be cared for off site.

Phase 1, 2015-2016: serving 10-15 residents at a time, reaching 40-60 veterans per year. Three 3-bedroom houses can be immediately utilized as treatment facilities for up to 10 residents. With the purchase of 2 additional properties at $150,000.00 per property (to include

18 any and all renovations) the number of veterans served could be increased.

Fundraising Goal:

Phase 1: Secure 2 additional facilities $ 300,000.00 Secure the monthly budget $ 200,400.00 Year Fundraising Goal $ 500,400.00

Phase 2: Secure the monthly budget of $ 237,600.00 Year Fundraising Goal $ 237,600.00

In Detail: Phase 1, 2014-2015: In this phase the following personnel will be needed, the following is a schedule of the monthly salaries and building upkeep costs: Costs for the existing buildings (mortgage, maintenance, insurance, taxes, utilities) $ 3,000.00/mo

3 helping professionals/social worker, costs in total $ 4,500.00/mo

1 psychologist, cost in total $ 3,000.00/mo 2 part-time house-staff, cost in total $ 1,200.00/mo 2 ordained meditation practitioners $ 1,000.00/mo 1 administrative staff $ 2,000.00/mo

19 1 fundraising staff $ 2,000.00/mo Total monthly costs, Phase 1 $ 16,700.00/mo

Phase 2, 2016 and beyond – space for 20-25 residents at a time, reaching 80-100 veterans per year. It will be the intention to add two more facilities to the existing premises, assuming the following criteria are met:

• Demand for treatment spaces has proven to be significant enough. • The costs of running the facility have proven to be as planned. • That the necessary donations and grants can be obtained and secured on an on-going basis.

In this phase the following personnel will continue to be needed. The following is a schedule of monthly salaries and building upkeep costs.

Buildings costs (mortgage, maintenance, insurance, taxes, utilities) $ 5,000.00/mo

3 helping professionals/social worker, costs in total $ 4,500.00/mo

1 contracted psychologist, cost in total $ 3,000.00/mo 3 part-time house-staff, cost in total $ 1,800.00/mo 3 Ordained Meditation Practitioners $ 1,500.00 /mo 1 administrative staff $ 2,000.00/mo

20 1 fundraising $ 2,000.00/mo

Total monthly cost Phase 2 $ 19,800.00/mo

21 4. Qualifications

CLAUDE ANSHIN THOMAS

Profile Claude AnShin Thomas served in the US Army in the Vietnam War at the age of 18, where he received numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldiers Medal (medal of honor for action not involving combat), Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, 25 or 27 Air Medals (2 with V Device for Valor), , Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Vietnamese Campaign, Good Conduct, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit commendation, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, First Class Unit Citation Badge, and Unit Commendation Badge. Today he is a Buddhist monk in the Soto Zen tradition and an active speaker and Zen teacher in the United States, Europe and South America. He is an internationally renowned advocate of active nonviolence. He is an author and the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and nonviolence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_AnShin_Thomas

Education, Degrees and Professional Certificates

Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, - Bachelors Degree, English Education, 1968 – 1974.

1974 - Awarded Professional Certificate to Teach English in Secondary Schools in Pennsylvania

Lesley College, Cambridge, - Masters Degree, Business Administration, 1982 – 1984.

22 Religious Education

3 Years of Study (1990 - 1993) as a Lay Buddhist Practitioner, Plum Village, France - Abbot,

2 Years of Study (1993 - 1995) as a Novice Monk, Zen Center of New York, Yonkers, New York

3 Years of Advanced Study (1995-1998) Zen Center of New York, Yonkers, New York

Empowerments

1994- - Novice Ordination as a Zen Buddhist Monk, Auschwitz, Poland

1995 - Full Ordination as Buddhist Monk, Zen Center of New York, Yonkers, New York

1998 - Full Holder, White Plum (authorization to teach)

1999 - DenKai, White Plum Lineage (authorization to ordain others)

Publications Books:

AT HELL’S GATE, A Soldiers Journey From War To Peace, , USA (Also translated into several other languages to include German, Italian, Chinese and Korean) (http://www.shambhala.com/authors/o-t/claude-anshin-thomas.html) The Little Yellow Book, Indra Publishing, Italy Excerpts in: Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace, Koa Books, USA The Best of Buddhist Writings - 2007, Shambhala Publications, USA The Best of Buddhist Writings - 2008, Shambhala Publications, USA

23 Transforming Terror, University Press Magazines / Newspapers: Shambhala Sun, The View, Turning Wheel, The Engaged Buddhist Reader, The Mindfulness Bell, , The Concord Journal, The Oregonian, The Journal Star, The Kuai Times. http://thesunmagazine.org/author/claude_anshin_thomas Other Resources http://www.zaltho.org https://www.facebook.com/zalthofoundation Public Talks/Interviews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtl-49lELD8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oru42N3pBgc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IJSQPcb3Mc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QqKdw0s4XQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmTE9cKwajw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhTL5rJnJ2A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hZ5NWg-kok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ10G8VFsv0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdLE9vjY44k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE-rGznKq3g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqfI_h0aniE&list=PLG_9CfItVW8e ix-05CVG55EachEMog_iS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTdVfYs0ZBc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EalmJ5qt0gU

24 Awards

Winner of the 2005 Omni Media, Nautilus Book Award for best Autobiography/Memoir The 2005.

Spirituality and Health Magazine Award for Best Spiritual Book, Finalist for the National MS Society/Suzie Ormon, Books For A Better Life Award.

Military Awards and Decorations

Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldiers Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, 25 Air Medals (2 with V Device for Valor), Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnamese Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Vietnamese Campaign, Good Conduct Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit commendation, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, First Class Unit Citation Badge, Unit commendation Badge.

25 5. Benefits

Mindfulness in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Military Veterans Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2011, Vol. 42, No. 1, 24–31 Click here for more information.

While there are a number of other studies demonstrating that meditation supports recovery from post traumatic stress, it is the experience of those crafting this document that these studies are of limited application to the purposes and intent of THE OAKWOOD CENTER. The real evidence that this approach is effective comes from the various veterans’ retreats that have been offered by Claude AnShin Thomas in the United States over the past 25 years.

26