Campus Life

Be a part of a community devoted to the study and practice of compassionate living, guided by traditional wisdom, the examined life, and nature herself.

Three distinguishing features express the essence of campus life at Dharmalaya Institute:

Caring community

Dharmalaya is warmly welcoming and inclusive, collaborative rather than competitive, and united to evolve toward our best possible selves and to help make the world a better and more beautiful place. In other words, people like you!

Healthy & balanced lifestyle

Everything about campus life at Dharmalaya is designed to support well-being. From our daily schedules to the healthy food we eat to our meditation and yoga practices and more, there is strong support for living in health and harmony.

Beautiful natural setting

Nestled deep in the forest and watched over by the Himalayan peaks, our campus has a feeling of being held within nature. Many of our participants observe that the setting itself is a powerful support for their well-being.

A learning experience is formed not only by the syllabus but also by the environment in which the learning happens: the community, its cultural values and practices, and the atmosphere generated by the place itself. At Dharmalaya Institute, the whole environment is the syllabus, and all of these integrated cultural and curricular elements are crafted to best support journeys of personal growth and professional development.

Com-mu-ni-ty:
(1) a feeling of fellowship with others sharing common values, interests and aspirations
(2) a group of people living and working together with mutual support to achieve what no one could alone

The Dharmalaya community is grounded in a core aspiration to find ever-better ways to take care of ourselves, of one another, and of the earth that supports us — and to discover how much better we function and feel when we devote ourselves earnestly to this gentle endeavour to do less harm and more good.

The power of a caring, creative, contemplative community

Shared values: We value kindness and gentleness, honesty and integrity, and humility and generosity. Our community culture celebrates unity in diversity and seeks to promote the flourishing of the individual in harmony with the collective and the planetary.

Shared purpose: Everyone who comes to Dharmalaya Institute shares a common aspiration to cultivate compassion — in ourselves and in the world. That intention pervades both our work time and our personal time, infusing our conversations. It’s in the air.

Shared lifestyle: It’s so much easier to quit unhealthy habits when everyone around us is committed to a healthier lifestyle and relishing the benefits of it. As we pursue these aspirations together, we become stronger in new ways that are healthier and more sustainable — less harmful and more helpful.

Shared evolution: One of the greatest benefits of living together on campus is the endless opportunities to get to know one another and ourselves better. We learn to communicate, cooperate and collaborate so that community living is not merely tolerant coexistence but rather joyful engagement.

Shared responsibility = shared enjoyment

At Dharmalaya Institute, we live and work as a community, with each person contributing to all the tasks that make residential life possible: washing dishes, sweeping floors, cleaning toilets, etc. Residents are invited to carry out these jobs meditatively, as karma yoga — working in a relaxed and mindful way, taking pleasure in the task itself and in playing a supportive role in the smooth functioning of the community. The spirit is that everyone cheerfully does a little more than what we think is our share, and it all works out smoothly!

Compassionate Code of Conduct

To live compassionately means doing our best to protect all beings from harm. This includes refraining from actions that could cause harm or distress to others, to oneself, or to nature. It also means treating everyone with kindness and respect.

All who come to Dharmalaya Institute commit to uphold our Compassionate Code of Conduct

Respect nature

We do our best to understand our impacts on the natural environment and to eliminate products and behaviours that harm nature. For example, we use only natural, plant-based products for cleaning and hygiene, and all ‘disposible’ plastics are prohibited.

Please care for nature and don't bring plastic rubbish or products with chemicals.

Respect animals

We practice non-harming (ahimsa) toward all sentient beings — even insects. Accordingly, we refrain from killing in any form, and our campus is 100% vegan, which means ‘not using animal products or anything that causes suffering for animals’.

Please don't harm any living creature, and don't bring any food items of animal origin.

Respect humanity

In a caring community, the wish is for everyone to feel safe, respected, included and loved, just as they are. We celebrate diversity and we do not tolerate discrimination or abuse of any kind. In particular, we stand firmly for the safety and respect of women and girls.

Please be gentle, patient, helpful and kind, and respect others’ ways and wishes.

Respect culture

Our staff and neighbours are from traditional backgrounds, and as guests in their village we respect their cultural norms for behaviour (especially between men and women) and dress (covering shoulders, chest and knees).

Please dress modestly, act with dignity, and refrain from using intoxicants.

Respect speech

Words are powerful, for better and for worse. We practice deep listening, seeking to understand one another deeply before responding. And when it’s time to speak, we aspire to speak with kindness and truthfulness.

Please listen well, giving space for others to be heard, and avoid false or hurtful speech.

Respect silence

One of the most precious aspects of the Dharmalaya experience is the opportunity to rest the mind in silence, hearing only the sounds of nature and letting them guide the mind back home to peaceful ease.

Please enjoy the sounds of silence and nature, and let others do the same.

PRACTICALITIES

Daily rhythms: A supportive schedule

The daily schedule at Dharmalaya Institute is designed to support a healthy balance of work, study, reflection and rest. The exact daily schedule during a given period varies according to programmes and circumstances, but a typical schedule is more or less as follows:

Wake up (usually by 6:00am)
Morning practice (meditation/yoga/exercise**)
Breakfast (usually 8:00am, followed by cleanup)
Morning circle* (usually 9:00am)
Morning work/activity session
Lunch (usually 12:30pm, followed by cleanup)
Afternoon work/activity session (usually until 5:00pm)
Karma yoga and cleanup (community chores, bathing, etc.)
Dinner (usually 6:00pm, followed by cleanup)
Group activities** or personal time
Quiet time (for meditation, reading, writing, etc.)
Lights out (silence from around 9:30pm until breakfast)

*Circles: Every day at 9:00am, we meet in a circle in front of the main building to make important announcements and discuss the day’s work. Depending on the circumstances, we might circle up again before and/or after the afternoon work session. It is important that everyone attends these circles so as not to miss important announcements, instructions, etc.

**Group activities: The morning practice and evening group activities are situational. Sometimes there are structured activities, while at other times there is no organised programme, in which case those periods are available for individual practice or personal time.

If there is an evening activity you would like us to consider during your stay, please let us know. Activities may include group meditation programmes, morning yoga or chi kung (qi gong), documentary films, videos on meditation/wisdom traditions, topical discussions, etc.

Accommodations, food & costs

Lodging: For registered programme participants, we offer both shared dormitory accommodations and a very limited number of private rooms and cottages. All options include mattress and bedding (pillow, bedsheet, and quilt or blanket). To get a sense of our accommodation options, see the photos and descriptions on our eco-campus page.

Food: We serve healthy, all-natural, balanced meals that are 100% vegetarian (plant-based, vegan), using local and organic ingredients as much as possible and from our own organic gardens when available. The majority is Himalayan Indian cuisine, making good use of local produce, with occasional international and original dishes for variety. Meals are typically served buffet-style. We provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea (both local organic black tea and a variety of herbal infusions). Meals can be taken either in our communal dining room or outside to enjoy the views. Helping to prepare meals with our local kitchen staff is one of many enjoyable aspects of residential life at Dharmalaya Institute.

Note: Packaged snacks are not permitted at Dharmalaya for both ecological and health reasons, which creates a great opportunity for those with junk food habits to get a taste of a healthier and more ecologically responsible lifestyle.

Costs: As we are a nonprofit charitable organisation, our goal is to make our programmes accessible to everyone regardless of financial status. Accordingly we keep our fees as low as we can manage while providing a fair living wage for our local village employees. The exact fees for each programme will vary depending on the programme.

Preparing for your Dharmalaya experience

With our focus on sustainable and compassionate living, there are many things we do differently here. We provide all participants with information to help you plan for your time at Dharmalaya Institute, including travel tips as well as a list of things to bring (and not to bring) and other useful info.

Frequently asked questions

Have some questions on your mind? Visit our FAQ for answers to our most common questions .

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