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 Sirī, also known as the Southwest Vipassana Meditation Center, means 'Prosperity of Dhamma' in Pali. Established in 1990, the center sits on 20 acres of land near the end of a quiet rural road, 45 minutes from downtown Dallas, Texas. The Center is also less than four hours from Austin, Houston, and Oklahoma City. Dhamma Sirī holds approximately 25 courses annually serving over 2500 students. Instructions and discourses can be provided in over 40 languages.
How to Apply to Attend or Serve a Course
- Access the application form by clicking Apply for the desired course.
- 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 you must confirm you will be attending in order to secure your place in the course. You will receive an email requesting you to confirm when it is time.
Southwest Vipassana Meditation Center General Information [email protected] |
General Course Registration Voice Mail and Fax: [1] (972) 346-8020 [email protected] |
Dhamma Service Registration Voice Mail and Fax: [1] (972) 346-8020 [email protected] |
Children / Teenager's Course Registration Voice Mail and Fax: [1] (972) 692-3244 [email protected] |
Executive Course Registration Voice Mail and Fax: [1] (815) 301-9321 [email protected] |
Long Course Registration Fax: [1] (815) 301-9196 [email protected] |
ENROLLMENT NOTICES
PRE-COURSE SELF-QUARANTINE
All will need to self-quarantine for 10 days immediately before coming to the Center.
While under quarantine, you can still perform necessary activities, e.g. grocery shopping or medical appointments, as long as you wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
PRE-APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Anyone with any of the following conditions should not apply at this time:
- Testing positive with COVID-19 virus or direct contact with someone who tested positive.
- Not consistently wearing a mask and maintaining 6’ physical distance from others while away from home.
- Close contact with anyone not routinely wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing while outside of their home.
- Experiencing any of the following COVID-19 symptoms:
- new or worsening cough
- mild or moderate difficulty breathing
- fever, chills, or sore throat
- vomiting or diarrhea
- headache or body/muscle aches
- sustained loss of smell, taste, or appetite
- fatigue
- Significant changes that involve a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 viruses (traveling, moving residences or others moving into their home, changing jobs, etc.)
Everyone coming to the Center will be screened for the above conditions at the time of their arrival. Anyone with any symptoms of Covid-19, flu, virus, or other serious communicable illnesses will be asked to return home immediately.
Although the Center is taking all precautions, there still remains the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while at the Center. If you are at risk of serious illness from Coronavirus, it is advised that you not place yourself at risk to COVID-19 by coming to the Center at this time.
Travel:
- The center is not accepting those who will be flying, car-pooling/rideshare, or taking public transportation to the Center.
Occupation or Contact with Many People:
- The center is not accepting those who have many contacts with others outside of their household.
- The center is not accepting those whose profession brings them in contact with many people or brings them in close physical contact with others.
Diet:
- Due to the extra demands on servers at this time, we regret that we are unable to accept servers or students who have special dietary requirements.
Various additional precautions are being taken at the Center to protect against the virus. These include individual rooms, social distancing, assigned seats in the dining hall, and requiring masks at all times except while in your private room.
If you fall ill at the Center with flu, a virus, or similar symptoms, you will be quarantined and will be asked to leave the Center as soon as possible. If you fall ill and are unable to independently return home, you will need to ask your emergency contact for assistance. Please advise them of this possibility prior to coming to the Center.
Students may apply to sit only one course at a time, even if the course is at another center or if the course is waitlisted.
Click the 'Apply' link to complete an application. Enrollment opens approximately 4 months prior to the course.
Students are expected at the center between 1 and 5 pm for the registration period and the orientation. The course ends the morning of the last day by 7:00 am.
Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
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Apr 07 - Apr 18 | Cancelled | In Progress | Kaufman |
This course has been cancelled. The center is currently closed due to plumbing issues caused by the Texas winter storms. |
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Apr 21 - May 02 | Cancelled | Closed | Kaufman |
This course has been cancelled. The center is currently closed due to plumbing issues caused by the Texas winter storms. |
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Apply | May 07 - May 16 | Satipatthana Sutta | Women - Short Wait List Men - Open Female Server - Wait List Male Server - Open | Kaufman |
For old students |
Apply | May 19 - May 30 | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Closed Servers - Wait List | Kaufman | |
Apply | Jun 02 - Jun 13 | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Closed Servers - Wait List | Kaufman | |
Apply | Jun 16 - Jun 27 | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Closed Servers - Wait List | Kaufman | |
Apply | Jul 01 - Aug 01 | 30-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Wait List New Men - Closed Old Men - Wait List Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students |
Aug 04 - Aug 15 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting May 21 | Kaufman | ||
Aug 18 - Aug 29 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jun 04 | Kaufman | ||
Sep 03 | Old Student Program | Applications accepted starting Jun 20 | Kaufman |
For old students |
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Sep 04 | Open House | Open | Kaufman | ||
Sep 04 | Old Student Program | Applications accepted starting Jun 21 | Kaufman |
For old students |
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Sep 15 - Sep 26 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jul 02 | Kaufman | ||
Sep 29 - Oct 10 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jul 16 | Kaufman | ||
Oct 13 - Oct 24 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Jul 30 | Kaufman | ||
Oct 29 - Oct 31 | 2-Day | Applications accepted starting Aug 15 | Kaufman |
For old students |
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Nov 03 - Dec 04 | 30-Day | Applications accepted starting Aug 20 | Kaufman |
For old students |
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Nov 03 - Dec 19 | 45-Day | Applications accepted starting Aug 20 | Kaufman |
For old students |
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December 22, 2021 - January 02, 2022 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 08 | Kaufman |
Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
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Jan 05 - Jan 16 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 22 | Kaufman |
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://siri.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.
30-day Courses are open only to serious Old Students committed to this technique who have completed a minimum of six 10-day courses (one since their first 20-day course), one 20-day course, one Satipatthana Sutta 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.
45-day Courses are open only to persons involved in Dhamma Service and Assistant Teachers who have completed a minimum of seven 10-day courses (one since their first 30-day course), two 30-day courses, one Satipatthana Sutta course, and have been practicing regularly for at least three 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.
Old Student Programs are similar to Service Periods where there is time to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects, but have a more full and structured program, an opportunity to meet with assistant teachers, and possibly committee and trust meetings. All Old Students are welcome to participate. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods and in the evening there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.
Open Houses are held between meditation courses. All are welcome to attend and learn about Vipassana Meditation and the Center.
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.