Updated on 3-July-2009



How to Apply to a Course

  1. Access the application form by clicking on desired course date.
  2. Please carefully read the Introduction to the Technique and Code of Discipline which you will be asked to follow during your course
  3. Fully and completely fill out all the sections of application form and submit it. An application is required to register for all courses.
  4. Await notification. All correspondence will be through e-mail if you give an e-mail address in your application. Due to the large volume of applications, it may take up to two weeks before receiving notification.
  5. If your application is accepted then we require you to confirm you will be attending in order to secure your place in the course.

Teenagers' & Children's Courses

2009 Course Schedule
Dates Course Type Status Comments Old Student
Servers Needed?
Aug 14 - Aug 16 Children's Course Adminisions: Girls — Open
Admissions: Boys — Open
Please visit our children's course page for more information. Children's course for 8-12 yrs. old at CVC.  

Ten Day & Other Adult Courses

All ten day courses begin on the evening of the first day and end on the early morning of the last day.

To apply for a course, please click on a convenient date in the course schedule below.

2009 Course Schedule
Dates Course Type Status Comments Old Student
Servers Needed?
Jul 1 - Jul 12 10-Day In Progress Bilingual English/Mandarin Yes
Jul 15 - Jul 26 10-Day Admissions: Women — Long Wait List
Admissions: Men — Wait List
Yes
Jul 29 - Aug 9 10-Day Admissions: Women — Closed
Admissions: Men — Wait List
Bilingual English/Khmer Yes
Aug 9 Trust Meeting
Trust Meeting; Group Sitting 9am followed by trust meeting and lunch http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org/os/trust/index.htm  
Aug 10 - Aug 19 Service Period
Please send an email to registration@mahavana.dhamma.org with your full name and dates attending.For old students  
Aug 19 - Aug 30 10-Day Admissions: Women — Long Wait List
Admissions: Men — Wait List
Bilingual English/Burmese Yes
Sep 3 - Sep 7 3-Day Old Student Course Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
For old students Yes
Sep 7 Trust Meeting
Trust Meeting; Group Sitting 9am followed by trust meeting and lunch http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org/os/trust/index.htm  
Sep 9 - Sep 20 10-Day Admissions: Women — Wait List
Admissions: Men — Open
Yes
Sep 23 - Oct 4 10-Day Admissions: Women — Wait List
Admissions: Men — Open
Yes
Oct 7 - Oct 18 10-Day Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
Yes
Oct 18 Trust Meeting
Trust Meeting; Group Sitting 9am followed by trust meeting and lunch http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org/os/trust/index.htm  
Oct 21 - Nov 1 10-Day Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
Yes
Nov 4 - Nov 15 10-Day Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
Yes
Nov 16 - Nov 25 Service Period
Please send an email to registration@mahavana.dhamma.org with your full name and dates attending.For old students  
Nov 22 Trust Meeting
Trust Meeting; Group Sitting 9am followed by trust meeting and lunch http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org/os/trust/index.htm  
Nov 25 - Nov 29 3-Day Old Student Course Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
For old students Yes
Dec 4 - Dec 13 Satipatthana Sutta Course Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
For old students who meet these requirements Yes
Dec 16 - Dec 27 10-Day  Registration
 Not Yet Open
Applications accepted after
September 15, 2009
Yes
Dec 30, 2009 - Jan 10, 2010 10-Day  Registration
 Not Yet Open
Applications accepted after
September 15, 2009
Yes

One Day Courses

A 1-Day course is a short course for old students.

To apply for a course, please click on a convenient date in the course schedule below.

2009 Course Schedule
Date Location Status Comments Old Student
Servers Needed?
Jul 5 SBVH Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Jul 11 Berkeley Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Jul 19 SBVH Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Aug 8 Rohnert Park Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Aug 16 Mendocino Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Oct 10 Rohnert Park Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Nov 14 Mendocino Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
Dec 12 Rohnert Park Admissions: Women — Open
Admissions: Men — Open
This 1-Day course is for old students  
 

Additional information about the California Vipassana Center and regional activities may be obtained from the Dhamma Mahavana Website. Nearby courses are also held in Southern California and Northern California.

To access the Old Student Regional Site please click here. A user name and password will be required to access these pages. Questions may be addressed to  Email: dhamma-service@mahavana.dhamma.org

All courses are run solely on a donation basis. All expenses are met by donations from those who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the same opportunity. Neither the Teacher nor the assistant teachers receive remuneration; they and those who serve the courses volunteer their time. Thus Vipassana is offered free from commercialisation.

Old students - Those who have completed a 10-day Vipassana Meditation course with S.N. Goenka or his Assistant Teachers.

Old students have the opportunity to provide Dhamma Service at the courses listed above. Please click on a "Yes" link in the above schedule to apply for Dhamma Service.
[back to course schedule]

10-day courses are an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. The courses begin after a 2-4 pm registration period and orientation, followed by 10 full days of meditation, and end the morning of the 11th day by 7:30am.
[back to course schedule]


Service Periods have been set aside to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects. All Old Students are welcome to participate. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods. On selected evenings, there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.
[back to course schedule]

Old Student short courses (1-3 days) are for any student who has completed the 10-day course with S.N. Goenka and his assistant teachers. All old students are welcome to apply to attend these courses, including those where it has been some time since their last course.
[back to course schedule]

Satipatthana Sutta courses have the same timetable and discipline as 10-day course. The difference is that in the taped evening discourses the Satipatthana Sutta is carefully examined. This is the principal text in which the technique of Vipassana is systematically explained. These courses are open to serious old students who have completed at least three 10-day courses, have not been practising any other meditation techniques since last 10-day course, have been practising this technique of Vipassana for at least one year, are trying to maintain the five precepts in their daily lives, and trying to maintain daily practice.
[back to course schedule]


Teenagers' Anapana Courses are available for teens in different age ranges from 13-18 years old. Their parents/guardians do not have to be Vipassana meditators.
[back to course schedule]

Children's Courses are open for all children aged 8-12 years old who wish to learn to meditate. Their parents/guardians do not have to be meditators.
[back to course schedule]