A long-term programme to empower the creators of a more compassionate and sustainable world
Overview
Dates: Rolling admissions, with next intake 25th November through 14th December, 2024
Duration: This introductory module is three weeks, and can be taken either as a stand-alone workshop or as a part of our long-term programme. For those who wish to gain further experience and deepen learning, it is possible to stay longer.
Location: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir, India (with some sessions available remotely)
Course type: Immersive residential
Modular structure: Ongoing series of workshops, retreats, and other events with practicums and breaks in between.
Cost: Sliding scale (see below)
This is a contemplative and embodied course that seeks to engage the whole of us in the exploration of responsible local and global citizenship and the arts of sensitive and effective changemaking.
Course synopsis
Dharmalaya Institute is partnering with Earthville Institute in the USA to bring you ‘Building a Better World’, a unique long-term programme specifically for caring people like you who want to make a positive impact in the world. This precious opportunity is designed to empower you as an insightful, sensitive, and effective agent of change, and to help you develop your skills for making your inspirations into realities.
Each of us has our own unique contributions to make to this world, and if you’re reading this right now it is because you want to make a difference. But how can we make the best contributions we can make? Where do we focus, and how do we improve? How do we meet the human challenges of working with others effectively? How do we communicate successfully? How do we reach people? How do we inspire others to action? How do we make it work financially? How do we take care of ourselves along the way? And how do we do our work as sustainably as possible?
This programme will address all of these essential questions and more, supporting you to make greater beneficial impacts while also evolving as a caring human and a compassionate local and global citizen.
What’s more, you will have opportunities to apply the skills and sensitivities you’ll be developing in the course in the real-world context of the work of Dharmalaya Institute itself (with the option of gaining experience at Earthville Institute in the USA as well). And, in that process, you will have the opportunity to be a part of the team that will shape the future of the Institute — a rare and precious opportunity to make a major impact.
Who is this course for?
Anyone with a caring heart and a passion to do some good in the world, who aspires to empower yourself to make the best possible impacts in the best possible ways. Whether your passion is expressed in the fields of education, sustainability, the arts and creativity, well-being, nonprofit NGO work, social activism or altruistic entrepreneurship, this course is designed for you. For those who already have significant experience, this course will serve as an integrated personal and professional development programme to refine your skills and sensitivities and enhance your effectiveness. And for those who are either looking for a career change or just beginning to find your paths in this world, this course will meet you where you are and help you find fruitful and satisfying ways to focus your energy and gifts.
Campus life and the experience of living in community
Most of our past long-term participants tell us that experience of being a part of the Dharmalaya community, living and working together, is one of the best parts of the experience for them.
We emphasize a culture of kindness and cooperation rather than selfishness and competition, and it’s great to live with kindred spirits in that kind of atmosphere.
Dharmalaya maintains an environment in which everyone is supported to learn and grow in this way, and this kind of learning truly changes lives for the better, because few lessons are more valuable than those that help us understand ourselves and others better and learn to relate with others more sensitively and skilfully.
So one thing to understand is that learning to be a healthy part of a healthy community is one of the most important aspects of all of our residential programmes — and of compassionate living more generally — so that kind of inner work and social evolution should be something that appeals to you strongly if you’re thinking of applying for this programme.
We’ll be spending a good bit of time talking about it and asking you to self-reflect, journal, and share with others about your experiences, which benefits everyone.
Schedules & dates
Start and end dates
The programme will begin at 10:00am on Day 1. All newly arriving participants will be required to arrive sometime between 9:30am and 9:45am on Day 1 itself (we will provide detailed timing, instructions, and travel tips after confirming your registration).
The programme will conclude at 3:30pm on the last day. Participants who are leaving after the programme should plan to depart between 3:45pm and 4:30pm.
Participants who complete this programme successfully may apply to remain longer as a volunteer (with reduced fees starting after the end of the fourth month - see below for details).
Daily schedule: What will the days be like?
Although the day-to-day schedule will vary a bit, the schedule for a typical day during this programme would more or less as follows:
6:00 Wake
6:30 Morning practice (meditation/yoga)
8:00 BREAKFAST
9:00 Morning work session (or learning activity)
12:30 LUNCH
1:30 Afternoon work session (or learning activity)
5:00 Personal time
6:00 DINNER
7:00 Evening activity or personal time (various depending on situation)
9:30 Lights out, silent time until breakfast
Programme fee
Dharmalaya Institute is a not-for-profit charitable and educational organisation, and as such seeks to make its programmes accessible everyone. Recognizing that our participants come from diverse backgrounds, we are providing a sliding scale with three tiers, to make it possible for each participant to give according to their means.
Total fees for this three-week workshop-retreat (inclusive of shared accommodation, three healthy meals daily, and tea), at each of the three tiers are as follows:
Standard rate
(For most participants)
Rs 30,000
For transparency: This standard rate is essentially a break-even rate, just enough to cover the Institute’s total average monthly costs in providing this service-learning opportunity.
Subsidized rate
(For low-income participants who can’t afford the standard rate)
Rs 20,000
For transparency: This subsidized rate is approximately 33% below our break-even rate, which means it is not enough to cover the Institute’s costs in providing the programme, though that shortfall might be covered by participants who choose to pay the ‘Supporter rate’ to the right.
Supporter rate
(For those who can afford to help subsidize low-income participants)
Rs 40,000
For transparency: This supporter rate is approximately 33% above the break-even rate, and 100% of that surplus will be used to support lower-income applicants to participate at the subsidized rate. We thank you sincerely for your generosity in choosing this rate if you can.
We do not want cost to be a barrier to anyone’s participation, so if you have exceptional financial hardship and cannot afford even the lowest subsidized rate, you can contact us to let us know your situation and your needs.
Note that advance deposit of at least 50% is required to secure one’s place in the programme, and deposits are nonrefundable because the funds received before the program will be spent on food provisions and supplies well before the programme begins.
RECOMMENDED EXTENSION: STAY ON AFTER THE PROGRAM ENDS TO DEEPEN YOUR LEARNING
For those who might wish to gain additional experience by staying on after the formal programme ends (subject to available space and acceptance of application), there would be an additional daily fee for each day after 14th December, for which the sliding scale is as follows: Rs 1200/day standard rate; Rs 800/day subsidized rate; and Rs 1600/day supporter rate.
For those who stay as a volunteer beyond four months, there will be the opportunity for a reduced work-study rate of Rs 25,000 per month (including all meals and shared accommodation) beginning with your fifth month, in exchange for taking on a few responsibilities to help with the work of the Institute. And for those who stay six months or longer (or who have extraordinary financial hardship) will qualify to apply for work-study scholarships (subject to availability) to cover between 50% and 100% of the cost of your room and board.
FULL COURSE DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION AVAILABLE HERE.