Vipassana literally means to see things as they really are and is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills. Those who practice this form of meditation see it as a way of self-transformation through self-observation, or intense meditation. Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka, was born and raised in Burma. The teachings of the courses at the center are conducted by assistant teachers of S. N. Goenka. They use audio and video tapes of Mr. Goenka’s instructions and discourses.
The history of the Dhamma Dhara meditation center has its roots in the land and is the first Vipassana meditation center in North America, located in Shelburne, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1982 by the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust of Massachusetts, Inc., which was formed by students in this meditation tradition. Since then, the center has been run solely by donations. The main house of the center was once a temperance tavern (i.e. not serving alcohol) for horse drawn coaches. The first 10 course at the center was completed by just 8 students and the whole house was limited only to 25. In 1989, a group of meditators donated an adjoining seventy acres of land, which now can accommodate 112 participants during the winter and 130 students during the summer when participants can use tents and cabins. New residences were also completed in 2004 with individual rooms and private baths so students can meditate seriously with the very least distractions.
The program participant range from adults to children ages 8-12. The courses are mostly 10 day course, with some 20, 30, and 45 day courses. Ten-day courses are introductory courses to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. Children’s courses are designed for children 8 to 12 years of age, preferably accompanied by an adult meditator of this tradition. Teen courses are designed for teenagers 13-16 years of age, also as an introduction to meditation. These 10 day courses are residential courses, in which each participant stays at the center and follows the Code of Discipline that carefully outlines the rules behind the meditation. Each begins at 4:00 a.m. and continues until 9:00 p.m. There are about ten hours of meditation throughout the day, interspersed with regular breaks and rest periods. Teachers at Dhamma Dhara place great emphasis on preserving the technique in its original, authentic form. It is not taught commercially, but instead is offered freely. No person involved in its teaching receives any material remuneration. Therefore there are no charges for the courses – not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation. All expenses are met by donations from people who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the opportunity to benefit from it also.
Dhamma Dhara’s contact information is below:
Phone: +1 (413) 625-2160
Fax: +1 (413) 625-2170
Email: info@dhara.dhamma.org
website: www.dhara.dhamma.org