LONG-TERM SERVICE AT DHAMMA NERU / DHAMMA SACCA

Transcription

1 LONG-TERM SERVICE AT DHAMMA NERU / DHAMMA SACCA Long-term Dhamma service is for those who wish to develop their paramis by serving for longer periods of time. It gives students the opportunity to bring depth and maturity to their meditation practice by integrating what they have learned during courses and applying it while serving. Students will learn to serve properly with an attitude of humility and renunciation. Sincere old students who are practicing this technique exclusively and maintaining the five precepts in their daily life are eligible to stay at the centre for longer periods of time. Acceptance is upon assistant teacher approval. Long- term service is intended for students who are able to work hard in a surrendered and cooperative way, and who are eager to learn how best to serve in this unique Dhamma environment. Applicants should be committed fully and exclusively to the practice of Vipassana as taught by S.N.Goenka. Dhamma Neru is a well-located centre between Barcelona and Girona cities, with easy public transportation access. Long-term servers will be serving at the centre. At times they will be serving on courses, at times they will be serving in other capacities around the centre, to keep everything running smoothly. While serving on a course at Dhamma Neru they will stay in the servers accommodation with the other course servers. At all other times they will stay in the long-term servers accommodation. Long-term servers will follow the regular Code of Conduct for Dhamma Servers. They are also expected to observe the following additional points: Five Precepts - Long-term servers must observe the five precepts for the complete duration of their stay, not only while resident at the centre but also during break periods away from the centre. During their period of service they should be in a committed relationship, or celibate. Daily practice When part of a course server team: they must sit the three group sittings in the hall, and attend servers metta. When not directly serving a course: they must sit the three group sittings. They need not stay for the course discussions after servers metta, although they should stay for servers metta on day 0, 3, and days 9 and 10, to be informed and helpful for the organizations of the day 1, day 4-Vipassana day, and day 10-Metta and 11- final Metta. Attendance at morning chanting is optional. Lights out at 10pm.

2 Facilities The aim is to provide single rooms for long-term servers, and this aim is largely achieved. However, in busy periods or when there are more long-term servers, they may have to be prepared to share accommodation with other long-term servers or with course servers. Meeting with assistant teachers Long-term servers have regular meetings with the centre teachers. In addition to this they can meet with the AT conducting the course, or ask the centre manager to arrange a meeting outside a course. Sitting courses - Long-term servers must sit a course at least once every three months. They may be able to sit more if there are enough servers for each course and around the campus. The purpose of their extended stay at the centre is to grow in Dhamma by serving and sitting. Serving courses While serving on courses long-term servers should put aside their previous daily routines, give full attention to the course and remain on site. n-urgent personal business should be attended to after the course. Between courses - In addition to serving on courses, there is a great deal of work to be done to keep the centre running smoothly. The centre managers will delegate work, and long-term servers will sometimes be asked to take on more responsibility and supervise the work in certain areas. Longterm servers are invited and encouraged to join one of the Trust committees, which manage the centre. Time Off Long-term servers should schedule regular time off, normally one and-a-half or two days out of seven in the general routine. But of course servers may take any periods of time away from the centre as they please. We only ask that this is scheduled in advance and in consultation with the centre managers, who have to try and ensure there are always enough servers on duty, and where possible in liaison with other long-term servers to avoid everyone being away at the same time. They may leave the centre between courses or during a course if they are not a course server, but should notify the centre managers beforehand and inform them of when they intend to return. Leisure time During their days off, long-term servers may stay at the centre and rest, or they may feel like going out of the centre for the day or the evening. When going out from the centre they should be mindful that they will be returning directly to Dhamma land, and so any activity they do

3 should be compatible with this. It is inappropriate to visit places that actively encourage people to break sila, such as bars. With regard to seeing films, they should avoid content of an explicit sexual nature or gratuitous violence. films rated for special adult contents should be viewed on an evening out from the centre. Activities related to outside work or studies are not permitted at the centre, they can be done on days off outside the centre if necessary. The centre teachers should be consulted first about any such work or studies. Segregation of sexes - To protect and preserve the strong Dhamma atmosphere of the centre, strict segregation of sexes must be maintained at all times, both during and between courses. There are separate accommodations for men and women as well as separate dining areas. Dhamma servers must be very careful to treat those of the opposite sex as their brothers or sisters. While Dhamma partnerships are not discouraged, the centre is not a place to develop them. Therefore, if two people find themselves attracted to one another and want to pursue a relationship, they should not continue to reside at the centre. Reading materials Dhamma servers may use the library of Dhamma books, and listen to Dhamma talks given by Goenkaji. Current affairs newspapers may be read in the server rest rooms or accommodation areas only. Other reading material is not appropriate at the centre. Use of Centre property - As a Dhamma worker, one lives the life of a renunciate. The centre will provide the basic requirements of food and shelter; other expenses are the responsibility of the servers themselves. Dhamma servers should take care not to appropriate centre property for their own use without permission. The centre is a special place where those resident do their utmost to preserve the unique meditative atmosphere. It is not a place to come to escape from worldly responsibilities or because one has nowhere else to go. It is a place of renunciation and celibacy where a student of Vipassana has a wonderful opportunity to grow in Dhamma. Dhamma service has enormous benefits for those who give it as well as those who receive. May more and more people share these benefits and come out of their suffering. May all beings be happy!

4 LONG-TERM SERVICE APPLICATION FORM Name: M/F: Age: Date of Birth: Home adress: Telephone: Occupation: Date: Place: Teacher: First Course Date: Date: Place: Teacher: Last Course Date: Number of courses sat 10 days: Satipatthana: 10 special days: Short courses or part-time: 20 days or longer (specify): Number of courses served: Place: When: What kind of service: Place: When: What kind of service: Place: When: What kind of service: Are you committed fully and exclusively to Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N.Goenka? Yes How have you benefited from Vipassana?

5 Have you kept up your meditation practice since your last course? Yes How many hours per day? Have you maintained the five precepts since your last course? Have you practised any other techniques since your last course? In which center would you like serve? Why would you like to serve? In which ways would you like to serve?

6 How long would you like to stay at the centre? (give dates & details) What plans do you have for when you leave the centre? Do you have a spanish health card, European health insurance card or travel insurance? Yes NOTE: If you live in Spain, please do not forget to bring your social security health insurance card or any other acceptable medical insurance with you. If you are not a Spanish resident, we ask you to bring your own European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if European or, if not, any other medical insurance valid in Spain during your stay. Please give your onward address: Work experience: Do you have skills/interests in any of the following areas? administration electrical building labouring maintenance arts Computing carpentry painting gardening cooking household Others: Are you in a relationship? Yes Name of partner: Has he/she taken a Vipassana course? Yes Have you the consent of your parents / spouse / family members to stay at the Centre? Yes

7 Are your family relationships harmonious at present? Yes Any physical or mental problems at present or in the past? Yes If yes, please give details: Which languages can you speak? Have you recently read the Code of Conduct for Dhamma servers? Yes Do you agree to all the additional points for the Code of Conduct specified in the above information notes? Yes Do you agree to keep the five precepts at least for the duration of your stay at the centre? Yes Do you agree to sit the three group sittings per day? Yes Do you agree to work under the guidance of the Centre Managers and Centre Teachers? Yes How will you finance yourself during your stay? te: People claiming unemployment benefits are eligible for long-term service as long as they are actively seeking work. Job searches cannot be done from the centre, they will have to be done during days off or time away.

8 Please give a short biography: Please give an emergency contact: Name: Adress: Telephone: Relationship to you: In compliance with Law 15/1999 on Protection of Personal Data, we inform you that all information provided herein, as well as those you may provide in the future, will become part of a file duly registered the Registry of the Spanish data Protection Agency, in order to process the application of this form. Given the sensitivity of the data provided by filling in this form you authorize, expressly and in writing, the processing of data. At any time you may exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition by sending your request to Els Bruguers "Vipassana Private Foundation" Urb., Cami Can Ram, s / n, PO Box 29, Santa Maria de Palautordera (Barcelona ), or by at info@es.dhamma.org. Place and date: Signed: Please, remember add a low resolution picture with this form to: info@es.dhamma.org