Wheel of Dhamma

Bodhi Leaf

 
Pasava
Dhamma Pasava, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, United States
Center Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English

Dhamma Pasava, also known as the Intermountain Vipassana Meditation Center, means "Spring of Dhamma" in Pali. Established in 2016, the center sits on 256 acres of land just 2 minutes from the small resort town of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho and 30 minutes from Pocatello, Idaho. The center is centrally located in the Intermountain Region, less than 2 hours from Salt Lake City. Currently, the center offers approximately 16 ten-day courses every year. In addition, old student courses, including one long-course, Satipatthana courses, 3-day and 1-day courses and work periods are held throughout the year. The center is still in its developing stages, but at full build-out will be able to accommodate 120 students year-round.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

We ask that applicants apply to only one course at this Center at a time. 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 by coming to the Center.

**Priority will be given to students from the Intermountain region; applicants who are traveling from outside the region, and will be using public transportation, will need to have an emergency contact in the area or a plan of how you will leave from the Center if you get sick and need to leave the course early**

 
Once you have submitted your application, be sure to check your SPAM folder for communications from pasava.dhamma.org or you may miss important email communications.
 

 

 
Ten Day & Other Courses

Click the 'Apply' link to complete an application. 

Link available starting 6:00 am MDT on the listed application date. 

Students are expected at the center between 2 and 5 pm for the registration period. The course ends the morning of the last day by 7:00 am.

Weekly group sittings are also offered for old studentsEmail us for more info. 

2025 Ten Day & Other Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply Apr 20 - Apr 27 Service Period In Progress Lava Hot Springs For old students

Spring Work Period: One week to help the Center transition from winter to spring/summer courses

Apply Apr 25 - Apr 27

Old Student Community Weekend

New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Come join Dhamma Pasava's old student community. This will be an opportunity to develop friendships, listen to Dhamma talks and spend time together sharing meals and walking the land. There will be sessions to ask questions about your practice, about the culture of the center, about service and this tradition. 

Apply Apr 27 - May 18 20-Day New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Apply May 18 - May 28 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students
Apply May 28 - Jun 08 10-Day Women - Wait List Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs
Apply Jun 08 - Jun 11 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Apply Jun 11 - Jun 22 10-Day Open Lava Hot Springs
Apply Jun 22 - Jun 25 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students
Apply Jun 25 - Jun 29 3-Day New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students
Apply Jun 29 - Jul 02 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Apply Jul 02 - Jul 13 10-Day Open Lava Hot Springs
Apply Jul 13 - Jul 16 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Apply Jul 16 - Jul 27 10-Day Open Lava Hot Springs
Apply Jul 27 - Aug 06 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Service Period over which you'll have an opportunity to serve the Center in multiple ways including the Annual Children's Course.

Aug 01 - Aug 03 Children Applications accepted starting May 03 Lava Hot Springs

Servers are needed. Old students should apply with another application for serving.

Apply Aug 06 - Aug 15 Satipatthana Sutta New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Apply Aug 15 - Aug 18 Old Student Program New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Annual Trustee Workshop; old students encouraged to apply to serve. Servers are welcome to attend Workshop sessions.

Apply Aug 18 - Aug 20 Service Period Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed to help prepare the Center for the next course

Apply Aug 20 - Aug 31 10-Day Open Lava Hot Springs
Aug 31 - Sep 03 Service Period Applications accepted starting May 01 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Sep 03 - Sep 14 10-Day Applications accepted starting May 04 Lava Hot Springs
Sep 14 - Sep 17 Service Period Applications accepted starting May 15 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Sep 17 - Sep 28 10-Day Applications accepted starting May 18 Lava Hot Springs
Sep 28 - Oct 01 Service Period Applications accepted starting May 29 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Oct 01 - Oct 12 10-Day Applications accepted starting Jun 01 Lava Hot Springs
Oct 12 - Oct 18 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jun 12 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Longer Between Course ServiceOpportunity to help prepare the Center for the Old Student Gratitude course

Oct 18 - Nov 02 14 Day Gratitude Course New Women - Closed Old Women - Open New Men - Closed Old Men - Open Servers - Open Lava Hot Springs Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

This course is open to old students who are active in giving service. The application process will follow the same procedure as for long courses. Applicants will not have to fulfil all the long course requirements, the teachers will assess each application case by case. Scroll to bottom to see full list of requirements.

Nov 02 - Nov 12 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jul 03 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Pre-Winter Work Period: Old students needed to help Center prepare for Winter weather.

Nov 12 - Nov 23 10-Day Applications accepted starting Jul 13 Lava Hot Springs
Nov 23 - Nov 26 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jul 24 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Nov 26 - Nov 30 3-Day Applications accepted starting Jul 27 Lava Hot Springs For old students
Nov 30 - Dec 03 Service Period Applications accepted starting Jul 31 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Between Course ServiceOld students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

Dec 03 - Dec 14 10-Day Applications accepted starting Aug 03 Lava Hot Springs
Dec 14 - Dec 24 Service Period Applications accepted starting Aug 14 Lava Hot Springs For old students

Winter Service PeriodOpportunity fo old students needed  to help prepare the Center for the next course

December 24, 2025 - January 04, 2026 10-Day Applications accepted starting Aug 24 Lava Hot Springs
2026 Ten Day & Other Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Jan 08 - Jan 19 10-Day Applications accepted starting Sep 08 Lava Hot Springs
Jan 21 - Feb 01 10-Day Applications accepted starting Sep 21 Lava Hot Springs
Feb 04 - Feb 15 10-Day Applications accepted starting Oct 05 Lava Hot Springs
Feb 18 - Mar 01 10-Day Applications accepted starting Oct 19 Lava Hot Springs
Mar 06 - Mar 27 20-Day Applications accepted starting Oct 04 Lava Hot Springs Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Apr 15 - Apr 26 10-Day Applications accepted starting Dec 14 Lava Hot Springs
Apr 29 - May 10 10-Day Applications accepted starting Dec 28 Lava Hot Springs
May 13 - May 24 10-Day Applications accepted starting Jan 11 Lava Hot Springs
 
 

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://pasava.dhamma.org/os/index.html. A user name and password will be required to access these pages.

Questions may be addressed to Email: info@pasava.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 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.


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.


Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

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 Course Qualification Requirements

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.

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 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.


Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

The 14-Day Gratitude Course was previously called the Teacher's Self Course. One of the qualities we develop as we meditate is gratitude - gratitude towards one’s teachers, Goenkaji and Mataji, and towards the long tradition of Vipassana teachers, right back to the Buddha.

The course is open to old students who are active in giving service. Requirements include 3 x 10day courses plus one Satipaṭṭhāna course, being active in Dhamma service, trying to maintain two-hour daily practice since last 10-Day course, and trying to maintain the five precepts to the best of one's ability. Local teacher’s recommendation is required. The course follows the usual format of 3x group sittings with instructions in the day, but students work more independently and the teaching materials are drawn from the 20-day course. This is a half-way step to help students mature for long courses, and serves to inspire students to work more deeply in Dhamma.

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.