ABOUT DHARMALAYA INSTITUTE

Our Mission


To unite the best of traditional wisdom with creative innovation to produce compelling possibilities for sustainable and compassionate living in the Himalayas and beyond, and to empower sensitive and skilful changemakers to lead the way.

 

 Our Vision


We envision local and global communities that use humanity’s gifts of intelligence, caring and creativity to achieve a harmonious collective flourishing we call sustainable thriving, particularly as manifest in ecological responsibility, applied compassion, and shared prosperity.

 

 Our Approach


Dharmalaya Institute’s approach is:

  • holistic & specialized

  • nurturing & challenging

  • philosophical & practical

  • contemplative & embodied

  • community-centred & personalized

Our approach emphasizes maturation and transformation with long-term immersion to allow ample time for the development of the sensitivities and skills needed to make fruitful and lasting change in ourselves and in the world.

More about Dharmalaya's approach to learning

 

Our Work: What We Do

Dharmalaya Institute conducts an array of complementary educational and charitable programmes spanning the fields of environmental stewardship, experiential education and service learning, green vocational training, economic self-sufficiency, community service, holistic health, and holistic personal development. All these diverse activities serve a common prime objective: to develop and promote integrated approaches to sustainable development, meaningful real-world education, and altruistic service.

Our Name: What Does ‘Dharmalaya’ Mean?

The name Dharmalaya could be translated in several ways, due to the richness of meaning of the two Sanskrit words from which it is formed: dharma + alaya.

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Dharma is a word with many levels of meaning. Its Sanskrit root, dhr, means ‘to uphold, to support, to sustain, to nourish, to integrate’. In the philosophical sense, dharma can be translated as the integral wholeness that nourishes and sustains — in other words, the very essence of true ‘sustainability’.  Himalayan wisdom traditions observe that this harmonious wholeness is the original nature of all beings — and of nature itself — so to be true to dharma is to be true to our highest nature.

The word dharma also means virtue and responsibility, which are understood to be contextual, so to act in accord with dharma is to act with sensitivity to the dynamics at play in a particular time and place, considering the whole and responding harmoniously to nourish what needs nourishing. Thus, a modern definition of ‘practicing dharma’ could be ‘cultivating awareness and living responsibly’, as in the Dalai Lama’s concepts of ‘universal responsibility’ and ‘secular ethics’.

The Sanskrit word alaya also has different layers of meaning. The literal meaning is ‘abode’ or ‘dwelling’ or ‘repository’ (as seen in the word Himalaya, which means ‘abode of snow’). The deeper meaning could be described as a reservoir of energy, knowledge, experience, memory or potential.


Taking all these meanings together, we define Dharmalaya as ‘a place to live together responsibly and harmoniously, to learn deeply, to nourish virtues, and to work with joyful diligence to activate our great natural potential to support the sustainable flourishing of ourselves, our world and all the beings who share it’.


 

OUR VALUES

Four Foundational Principles


Our community culture is rooted in four universal ethical principles that guide our policies and practices. A holistic understanding of these traditional Himalayan values as applied in the modern world includes not only caring for all living beings but also ecological responsibility expressed in a commitment to sustainable living.

Ahimsa (Non-Harming)

Maitri (Loving-kindness)

Karuna (Compassion)

Seva (Service)

These four foundational principles find their expression in the policies and practices below.

 
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Policies & Practices


 
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Safe Environment

We are committed to maintaining an embracing atmosphere in which everyone feels safe, respected and included. We welcome all sincere people and we do not tolerate discrimination or abuse against any group of people. In particular, we stand firmly for the safety and respect of women and girls.

Come as you are!

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Vegan Campus

For reasons of compassion, ecology and health, our campus is 100% vegan. ‘Vegan’ means ‘not using animal products or anything that causes suffering for animals’. We serve 100% plant-based vegetarian food, free from all animal products (eggs, dairy, honey, etc.) and use plant-based soaps and cleansers.

Experience the joys of compassionate living!

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Natural & Organic

We do everything as naturally as we can. We grow food organically (without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides) and buy from organic farmers as much as possible. We build with natural materials and only use 100% natural soaps and shampoos. Our grey water is also recycled back into the organic gardens!

Get a taste of the natural life!

 
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Zero-Waste Goal

We’re determined to reduce our waste until no non-reusable waste is produced. We are particularly focused on eliminating plastic waste, which is so problematic for our earth, oceans and wildlife. Don’t bring any ‘disposable’ plastic items to Dharmalaya!

Protect our earth!

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Intoxicant-free Living

Dharmalaya is a place for cultivating a clear mind and healthy body, and for letting go of addictions and other unhealthy habits. For the well-being of all our residents, guests and local villagers, we have a strictly enforced policy of no smoking, no alcohol and no illegal drugs.

Enjoy the natural highs of a healthy lifestyle!

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Community Spirit

At Dharmalaya, everyone pitches in to help with everything. We wash our own dishes and do our own laundry. We sweep the floors and clean the toilets. We help with maintenance and carrying loads. We all do our parts to make community life great for everyone.

Find joy in selfless service!

OUR ECO-CAMPUS

Designed with care for the earth and its inhabitants, using natural materials and responsible methods, Dharmalaya Institute’s Himalayan campus promotes sustainable solutions both through training and by example.

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How it all began


Dharmalaya Institute was established by a team of educators, artists, and environmentalists concerned about the myriad perils of haphazard ‘development’ and inspired to be part of the solution. In 2010, they set out to create an Institute to empower caring changemakers to apply the wisdom traditions of the Himalayas to the modern challenges of sustainable and compassionate living. We launched our first programmes in 2011.

› Get the full story here

› Get the full story here


Life at Dharmalaya


The participants in our residential programmes enjoy the unique opportunity to ‘learn it by living it’ — to be immersed in a sustainable and compassionate way of life with the support of our faculty, our caring community, and our greatest teacher, nature. As an institute devoted to sustainability and ashram-style healthy living, we do things differently. Here is a page to help you understand what to expect and how to prepare for your journey here.


Visiting Dharmalaya


Dharmalaya Institute is open to visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, during visiting hours and by appointment only. Our normal visiting hours are between 11:00am and 12:00pm and between  3:00pm and 4:00pm, Monday through Saturday. The campus is closed to the public on Sundays and public holidays. Note that Dharmalaya Institute does not have a guest house, so overnight visits are not possible.

OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

One of our greatest assets is our local community, which consists of Himachalis who settled in the area many generations ago as well as semi-nomadic shepherds and Tibetans who have arrived since 1962. Our neighbouring villages include Ghornala, Keori, and Sansaal, and the closest towns are the popular ecotourism destination of Bir and the revered pilgrimage destination of Baijnath. 

Many people in our local community are active in their concern for the natural environment and their wish to see the wisdom traditions of the region preserved. Since 2010, several dozen members of the local community have joined us as board members, staff members, artisans, labourers, collaborators or advisors.

Supporting Our Local Himalayan Village Community


Vocational training: We empower rural labourers with ‘green’ job skills, supporting them to advance from the base level to the level of a skilled artisan, which increases their earning potential and instills pride. Our vocational training focuses particularly in seismically reinforced earthen construction with modern-rustic aesthetics (a field in which there is exceptionally high demand for skilled labour), as well as high-yield organic agriculture.

Green jobs: Since 2010, we have provided well-compensated full-time employment for over 30 local villagers from disadvantaged backgrounds, plus many more regional artisans who work periodically. To support our employees, we provide health care, pathways for advancement, and more. Our team members are proud to earn their livelihood by doing meaningful work that preserves their traditions and their natural environment.

Solutions for sustainable thriving: In addition to our low-cost, earthquake-resistant earthen buildings, we also promote high-yield organic agriculture practices, ecological sanitation, responsible waste management, and other sustainability solutions. Many of these solutions have been adopted or adapted by others in our area (and further afield), and our local panchayat (village-level government) won an award in recognition of waste management practices we initiated.



Dharmalaya Institute is founded and managed by a multidisciplinary, international team of people committed to creating a more compassionate and sustainable world.  


SUPPORT OUR WORK

Dharmalaya Institute is a charitable organisation and our success is fueled by the support of volunteers and donors. While we are committed to a model of financial self-sustainability for our day-to-day activities, the demand for our programmes continually outpaces our modest revenue and we rely on your gifts, grants and material contributions to build capacity and expand the reach of our programmes.


ABOUT:  OVERVIEW |  OUR ECO-CAMPUS  |  OUR APPROACH TO LEARNING  |  LIFE AT DHARMALAYA  |  OUR PEOPLE  |  VISITING DHARMALAYA  |  FAQ