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] |
BEFORE YOU APPLY
Although the Center is taking some 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 by coming to the Center.
VIRUS SAFETY & TESTING REQUIREMENTS
Last updated: May 26, 2024
COVID testing NOT required.
Masking is optional. We recommend those immuno-compromised and seniors wear one as a precaution, as COVID virus is still circulating among the population.
Out of consideration for everyone, please do NOT come if you are feeling sick.
If symptoms arise during the course, center management may ask participants to take COVID tests and wear a mask (both provided by the center).
- Any participant testing COVID positive during the course will be asked to leave
You can be considered for multiple waitlist courses with the understanding that acceptance to any one of them constitutes a cancellation of all others.
Click the 'Apply' link to complete an application. Link available starting on the "Applications accepted starting" date* for a course, as specified on schedule page. Due to reduced capacity, courses fill up within hours of opening.
* During US Daylight Savings time in winter and spring, courses link will open for application at 6:00 am. When DST ends during spring and summer, courses will open at 7:00 am.
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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Apply | Sep 03 - Sep 13 | Service Period | In Progress | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
Apply | Sep 14 - Sep 15 | Old Student Program | New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Female Server - Wait List Male Server - Open | Kaufman |
For old students New - now accepting applications from old students to sit (not serve). |
Sep 15 |
Trust Meeting |
Open | Kaufman |
For old students To attend in person, ensure you follow the Testing, Masking and other virus safety requirements for day trips to the meditation center as specified (see top of the course schedule page) |
|
Apply | Sep 15 - Sep 18 | Service Period | Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
Apply | Sep 18 - Sep 29 | 10-Day | Women - Wait List New Men - Wait List Old Men - Short Wait List Servers - Open | Kaufman | |
Apply | Sep 29 | 1-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students |
Apply | Sep 29 - Oct 02 | Service Period | Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
Apply | Oct 02 - Oct 13 | 10-Day | Women - Wait List Men - Wait List Servers - Open | Kaufman | |
Apply | Oct 13 | 1-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students |
Apply | Oct 13 - Oct 16 | Service Period | Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
Apply | Oct 16 - Nov 16 | 30-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Wait List New Men - Closed Old Men - Wait List Servers - Open | Kaufman |
For old students |
Apply | Oct 16 - Dec 01 | 45-Day | New Women - Closed Old Women - Wait List New Men - Closed Old Men - Wait List Servers - Wait List | Kaufman |
For old students |
Nov 03 |
Trust Meeting |
Open | Kaufman |
For old students NOTE: Meeting in DFW area (not at center). To attend in person please contact registration by email at [email protected] for location of meeting in DFW area. Ensure you follow the Testing, Masking and other virus safety requirements (see top of the course schedule page). |
|
Dec 01 |
Trust Meeting |
Open | Kaufman |
For old students To attend in person, ensure you follow the Testing, Masking and other virus safety requirements for day trips to the meditation center as specified (see top of the course schedule page) |
|
Dec 01 - Dec 04 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Sep 17 | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
|
Dec 04 - Dec 15 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Sep 20 | Kaufman | ||
Dec 15 - Dec 18 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Oct 01 | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
|
Dec 18 - Dec 29 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 04 | Kaufman | ||
Dec 29 | 1-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 15 | Kaufman |
For old students |
|
December 29, 2024 - January 01, 2025 | Service Period | Applications accepted starting Oct 15 | Kaufman |
For old students Service Period is a period of time set aside to perform maintenance tasks throughout the center and get everything ready for the upcoming course. Most of the work will be indoor but please let us know if you want to work outdoor. Part-time servers are welcome to apply! |
Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 01 - Jan 12 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting Oct 18 | Kaufman | ||
Jan 12 |
Trust Meeting |
Open | Kaufman |
For old students To attend in person, ensure you follow the Testing, Masking and other virus safety requirements for day trips to the meditation center as specified (see top of the course schedule page) |
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.
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.
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.
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 apply. 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.
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.
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.