Wheel of Dhamma

Bodhi Leaf

 
Pubbananda
Dhamma Pubbananda, Claymont, Delaware, United States
Center Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English

Dhamma Pubbananda (Joy of the East), is the first urban center in North America. Situated on 13 acres in a quiet residential neighborhood, it is owned and operated by the Mid-Atlantic Vipassana Association. Since its purchase in 2013, it has undergone extensive renovations and we are able to provide 30 of our 60 students with private rooms and en suite bathrooms in addition to a small pagoda with 30 cells. The master plan includes completion of another 30 private rooms and cells as well as a larger Dhamma Hall and Teacher’s residence. 

How to Apply to Attend or Serve a Course
  1. Access the application form by clicking Apply for the desired course. Old students will be given the option to serve.
  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.
Additional information

Dhamma Pubbananda

2901 Green Street, Claymont, DE 19703, USA

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 202-556-3882 (202-55-METTA)  

Please check your SPAM folder regularly after applying so that you do not miss any important communications regarding your registration.

Due to high demand, students will be accepted using a lottery-style admission system.

Courses will open for 12 hours from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the day specified.

Applicants will be informed of their status within two weeks after they apply.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Check this link for the latest updates on how the center is responding.

 

A student may apply to only one course at a time in this region regardless of the center location or waiting list status. 
 
Teenagers' and Children's Courses
Courses for young people.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
No courses are currently scheduled.
 
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.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
2021 Ten Day & Other Adult Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply Jun 09 - Jun 20 10-Day In Progress Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jun 20 - Jun 23 Service Period Servers - Open Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jun 23 - Jul 04 10-Day Women - Closed Men - Closed Servers - Wait List Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jul 04 - Jul 07 Service Period Servers - Open Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jul 07 - Jul 18 10-Day
English / Khmer 		Closed Claymont For new and old students.
Priority given to Khmer students.
  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jul 18 - Jul 21 Service Period Servers - Open Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Jul 21 - Aug 01 10-Day Closed Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Aug 01 - Aug 04 Service Period Servers - Open Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Aug 04 - Aug 15 10-Day Women - Closed Men - Closed Female Server - Open Male Server - Wait List Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Apply Aug 15 - Aug 18 Service Period Servers - Open Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Aug 18 - Aug 29 10-Day Applications accepted starting Jun 19 Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Aug 29 - Sep 01 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jun 30 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Sep 01 - Sep 12 10-Day
English / Mandarin 		Applications accepted starting Jul 03 Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Sep 12 - Sep 15 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jul 14 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Sep 15 - Sep 24 Satipatthana Sutta Applications accepted starting Jul 17 Claymont For old students
  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Sep 24 - Sep 29 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jul 26 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Sep 29 - Oct 10 10-Day
English / Vietnamese 		Applications accepted starting Jul 31 Claymont For new and old students.
Priority given to Vietnamese students.
  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Oct 27 - Nov 07 10-Day Applications accepted starting Aug 28 Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Nov 07 - Nov 10 Service Period Applications accepted starting Sep 08 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Nov 10 - Nov 21 10-Day Applications accepted starting Sep 11 Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Nov 21 - Nov 24 Service Period Applications accepted starting Sep 22 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Nov 24 - Nov 28 3-Day Applications accepted starting Sep 25 Claymont For old students
  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Nov 29 - Dec 20 20-Day Applications accepted starting Sep 30 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
Dec 20 - Dec 22 Service Period Applications accepted starting Oct 21 Claymont For old students
  1. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  2. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
December 22, 2021 - January 02, 2022 10-Day Applications accepted starting Oct 23 Claymont For new and old students.

  1. Applications will be received from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on the open date.
  2. Due to our Coronavirus screening process all applicants will be initially waitlisted.
  3. No public transportation to the Center is permitted.
 
 

The online application form encrypts your information before it is sent from your computer to our application server. However, it may not be totally secure even though encryption is used. If you are concerned about the possibility of security risks of your confidential information while it is on the Internet, do not use this form and instead download an application. Print and complete it. Then please send the form to the course organizers. By faxing or posting your application form it may delay the registration process by one to two weeks.

To access the Old Student Regional Site please click http://pubbananda.dhamma.org/os. A user name and password will be required to access these pages.

Questions may be addressed to Email: [email protected]

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 are 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.

Bilingual courses are courses which are taught in two languages. All students will hear daily meditation instructions in both languages. The evening discourses will be heard separately.

Meditation courses are held at both center and non-center locations. Meditation centers are dedicated facilities where courses are held regularly throughout the year. Before meditation centers were established in this tradition, all courses were held at temporary sites, such as campgrounds, religious retreat centers, churches and the like. Today, in regions where centers have not yet been established by local students of Vipassana who live in the area, 10 Day meditation courses are held at non-center course sites.

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 7:30 am.

20-day Courses are open only to serious Old Students committed to this technique who have completed a minimum of five 10-day courses , one Satipatthana Sutta course, given Dhamma Service at least one 10-day course, and have been practicing regularly for at least two years.

Applications must be submitted well in advance as processing may take some time. Students who speak neither English nor one of the other announced course languages may apply for the course, however acceptance into the course will depend on the availability of required course materials, suitable translators and permission of the teacher conducting the course.

Satipatthana Sutta Courses have the same timetable and discipline as 10-day courses. 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 sat (not including courses served) 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, and who are trying to maintain their meditation practice and the five precepts in their daily lives, at the very minimum from the time of applying to the course.

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.

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.