How to mount a host directory in a Docker container

Question

I'm attempting to mount a host directory into a Docker container such that any changes made on the host are mirrored in the Docker containers.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Here's how I went about it:

kishore$ cat Dockerfile

FROM ubuntu:trusty
RUN apt-get update
RUN apt-get -y install git curl vim
CMD ["/bin/bash"]
WORKDIR /test_container
VOLUME ["/test_container"]

kishore$ tree
.
├── Dockerfile
└── main_folder
    ├── tfile1.txt
    ├── tfile2.txt
    ├── tfile3.txt
    └── tfile4.txt


1 directory, 5 files kishore$ pwd /Users/kishore/tdock

kishore$ docker build --tag=k3_s3:latest .
Uploading context 7.168 kB
Uploading context
Step 0 : FROM ubuntu:trusty
 ---> 99ec81b80c55
Step 1 : RUN apt-get update
 ---> Using cache
 ---> 1c7282005040
Step 2 : RUN apt-get -y install git curl vim
 ---> Using cache
 ---> aed48634e300
Step 3 : CMD ["/bin/bash"]
 ---> Running in d081b576878d
 ---> 65db8df48595
Step 4 : WORKDIR /test_container
 ---> Running in 5b8d2ccd719d
 ---> 250369b30e1f
Step 5 : VOLUME ["/test_container"]
 ---> Running in 72ca332d9809
 ---> 163deb2b1bc5
Successfully built 163deb2b1bc5
Removing intermediate container b8bfcb071441
Removing intermediate container d081b576878d
Removing intermediate container 5b8d2ccd719d
Removing intermediate container 72ca332d9809
kishore$ docker run -d -v /Users/kishore/main_folder:/test_container k3_s3:latest c9f9a7e09c54ee1c2cc966f15c963b4af320b5203b8c46689033c1ab8872a0ea

kishore$ docker run -i -t k3_s3:latest /bin/bash
root@0f17e2313a46:/test_container# ls -al
total 8
drwx------  2 root root 4096 Apr 29 05:15 .
drwxr-xr-x 66 root root 4096 Apr 29 05:15 ..
root@0f17e2313a46:/test_container# exit exit

kishore$ docker -v
Docker version 0.9.1, build 867b2a9

My problems are as follows:

1. What is the best way to link the main folder to the test container folder inside the Docker container?
2. I need this to happen automatically. How can I accomplish this without using the run -d -v command?
3. What happens if the boot2docker service stops working? Apart from Dockerfile, where are the Docker files stored?