in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Course Schedule
Center Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English
Dhamma Sela, also known as the Rocky Mountain Vipassana Center, means 'Rock of Dhamma' in Pali. Established in 2017, the center is situated in a secluded rural area near the Front Range town of Elbert, Colorado, surrounded by 156 acres of mature Pondersland pine forests and natural grasslands. It is approximately 60 miles southeast of Denver and approximately 35 miles northeast of Colorado Springs.
- Access the application form by clicking Apply for the desired course. Old students will be given the option to serve.
- Please carefully read the Introduction to the Technique and Code of Discipline which you will be asked to follow during your course.
- Fully and completely fill out all the sections of application form and submit it. An application is required to register for all courses.
- 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.
- If your application is accepted then we require you to confirm you will be attending in order to secure your place in the course.
Rocky Mountains Vipassana Association - Dhamma Sela
Mailing Address: POB 17882 Boulder, CO 80308-0882
Physical Address: 6409 County Road 82, Elbert, CO 80106
Email: [email protected]
Phone: [1](888) 213-8183
For Registration: [email protected]
Website: http://sela.dhamma.org
REGISTRATION GUIDELINES - Updated 2/7/23
Registration will start at 6am (Mountain time) on the listed opening dates.
Coronavirus Safety Measures at Dhamma Sela
Covid-19 Protocol
Dhamma Sela is making every effort to offer safe Vipassana courses while Covid continues to circulate the population.
Starting February 15th, 2023:
Covid vaccinations are no longer required. All participants are required to take a rapid antigen test for Covid dated the day of arrival at the Center, taken at home or upon arrival at the Center. Anyone with symptoms of illness, a positive Covid test, or exposure to Covid within the past 10 days will be asked to stay home.
Before February 15th, 2023:
All students, servers, teachers, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid, including one booster within the past 6 months. Proof of vaccination will be uploaded during the online registration process.
For all courses, the following points are required for attendance:
- Take a rapid antigen test dated the day of arrival at the Center, taken at home or upon arrival at the Center. Everyone staying at the Center more than 3 days will be asked to take another rapid antigen test 3 days after arrival. Bring three (3) additional rapid antigen tests to have available to take during the course.
- N95, KN95, or the equivalent masks are required indoors at all times, except in your private room and while eating. Students and servers should bring enough masks to last the entire course.
Details will be provided upon application.
Anyone with any of the following conditions just prior to the course should not plan to come to the Center:
- Testing positive with Covid-19 virus, or direct contact with someone who has tested positive, within 10 days prior to arrival at the Center.
- Experiencing any of the Covid-19 symptoms
Although Dhamma Sela is taking all precautions, there still remains minimal risk of exposure to Covid-19 while at the Center. Please note certain conditions may increase the risk of serious illness from Coronavirus. If you have any of these conditions, you may want to consider applying to a later course when Covid-19 is no longer a public health concern.
Accommodations at Dhamma Sela:
Students will be accommodated in shared rooms, with shared bathrooms. Students will be meditating in close proximity with others in the Meditation Hall for several hours daily and can also meditate in their rooms at specified times. Masks are required indoors, except when eating. Meals are eaten in congregate dining areas.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
| Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10 - Mar 11 | Service Period | Completed | Elbert |
For old students Two-day Work Period; overnight accommodations and meals provided. |
|
| Mar 12 | 1-Day | Completed | Elbert |
For old students |
|
| Apply | Apr 07 - Apr 08 | Service Period | Servers - Open | Elbert |
For old students Two-day Work Period; overnight accommodations provided. Servers will be painting the new water treatment structure; also house cleaning; some outdoor work and construction. |
| Apply | Apr 09 | 1-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open | Elbert |
For old students Old Students will be painting the new water treatment structure; also house cleaning; some outdoor work and construction. |
| May 26 - May 28 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting May 01 | Elbert |
For old students 3 day Work Period, old male and female students; overnight accommodations available. |
|
| May 31 - Jun 11 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Mar 31 | Elbert | Single gender (men's) course. | |
| Jun 11 - Jun 17 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting May 01 | Elbert |
For old students Work Period for Old Students: Logging week |
|
| Jun 28 - Jul 09 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Apr 28 | Elbert | Single gender (women's) course. | |
| Aug 18 - Aug 20 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Jul 19 | Elbert |
For old students 3 day Work Period; overnight accommodations available. |
|
| Aug 23 - Sep 03 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jun 23 | Elbert | Single gender (women's) course. | |
| Sep 06 - Sep 17 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jul 07 | Elbert | Single gender (men's) course. | |
| Sep 22 - Oct 01 | Satipatthana Sutta | Applications accepted starting Jul 21 | Elbert |
For old students Single gender (men's) course. |
|
| Oct 13 - Oct 14 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Sep 20 | Elbert |
For old students |
|
| Oct 15 | 1-Day | Applications accepted starting Sep 13 | Elbert |
For old students |
|
| Nov 10 - Nov 11 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Oct 18 | Elbert |
For old students Two-day Work Period; meals and accommodations provided |
|
| Nov 12 | 1-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 18 | Elbert |
For old students |
|
| Dec 08 - Dec 09 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Nov 15 | Elbert |
For old students 2-day Work Period; overnight accommodations provided |
|
| Dec 10 | 1-Day | Applications accepted starting Nov 15 | Elbert |
For old students |
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
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://sela.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.
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.
