Have you ever cooked a rice?
It is very difficult to steam a small amount of rice. If too little rice is cooked, it is likely to be either too firm or too mushy. If we steam a good amount of rice, it is easy to have properly steamed rice.
Practicing in a sangha or group setting is like cooking rice in a big pot. When we practice with like-minded people, working, studying, living in a sangha, we are like sprinters with the wind at our backs. That is why the sangha, or spiritual community, is one of The Three Jewels, according to the Buddha’s words.
The Won Dharma Center, with captivating views of the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains, is a special environment where meditation, dharma study, weekly dharma services, volunteering for community work, etc., are on-going all year round. Whether you would like simply to learn meditation and take a mental vacation, to renew and redirect your life, or whether you seek to find the real meaning of life and solve the grave matters of life and death, the Won Dharma Center will be available to renew your vision and deepen your practice.
Within a community of like-minded people and supported by the schedule, classes, retreats and the guidance of the dharma teachers and ministers, retreatants can empower their minds and enhance their spirituality. Through the collective effort of a sangha, sometimes in solitude, and at other times in group activity, retreatants can easily bring mindfulness and meditation into every aspect of their daily lives.
- Practitioners start their day with morning meditation to purify their minds (“weeding the garden”).
- During the day, they study the dharma, do work meditation and continue to cultivate their spirituality (“cultivating the earth and planting the seeds of blessings”).
- At night they reflect on their day and meditate again to start a new day (“harvesting the fruit”).
- The Typical daily and weekday schedules are as below:
|
Schedule
|
Time
|
Date
|
Schedule
|
Time
|
| Morning meditation | 6:00 - 7:00 am | Monday | Meditation / Dharma Study | 7:00 - 9:00 pm |
| Simple yoga and cleaning | 7:00 - 7:45 am | Tuesday | x | 10:00 - Noon |
| Breakfast | 7:45 - 9:00 am | Wednesday |
x
|
x
|
| Work | 9:00 - 11:00 am | Thursday | Moving and Sitting Meditation | 7:00 - 9:00 pm |
| Meditation | 11:00 - Noon | Friday |
x
|
x
|
| Lunch | Noon - 1:00 pm | Saturday | Dharma service | 10:00 - Noon |
| Work / Dharma Study | 1:30 - 5:00 pm | Sunday |
x
|
x
|
| Dinner | 5:30 - 6:30 pm | |||
| Meditation | 7:00 - 8:00 pm | |||
| Self practice or free time | 8:00 - |
Just a week’s residency, living and practicing in a quiet, spiritual community with a common purpose, can be a powerful way for people to energize their minds and revitalize their lives. This deeply internalized experience will help to sustain a meditative state of mind and wakefulness during the time spent in the outside world.
During Your Stay
The minimum participation period in the residential program is one week. During that period, one should join all the daily programs and regular weekly services. Work times can often be adjusted to suit either one’s individual needs or the Won Dharma Center’s needs at the time. If a retreat is held during your stay, you can freely join that retreat. During your stay you will be assigned a three-hour work practice, except on Sunday. Sunday is a day off to be used for personal study, physical practice, hiking, relaxation, and personal chores like laundry.
Work Practice is an important part of the Won Dharma Center. Work Practice not only supports the community and assures the smooth running of the center, it is also a great way to create blessings and strengthen our minds and bodhisattva vows. Residents may be given or can select a work assignment in the areas of kitchen or housekeeping, simple office work, or gardening. Through work meditation we learn how to bring mindfulness to the real activities of life.
While at the Won Dharma Center, all residents should observe the Five Precepts. This is essential for the cultivation of our mindfulness as well as for creating a safe, meditative environment.
Program Rates
This program is offered for FREE if one chooses to do work practice for 6 hours a day.
If you choose to work for 3 hours a day, the rate will be $200 for one week, or $700 for one month.
This rate includes all meals and lodging (including bed linens, pillows, and a blanket), classes, and retreat fees.
A very comfortable, modern, and convenient twin room is provided for a participant in the residential program. Sometimes single or dorm-style rooms are available. Camping is also available during the summer months.
Application Process
When you apply for the Residential Program, a non-refundable processing fee of $30 is charged. To apply for the Residential Program, please complete the application form.
Residential Program Application (PDF)
Residential Program Application (Word)
Send your completed forms, together with a check for the $30 processing fee (payable to Won Dharma Center) to:
Won Dharma Center
Attn: Residential Program
361 Route 23 Claverack, NY 12513
You can also apply on-line or over the phone with credit/debit card info.
All applications will be acknowledged within two weeks.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel at least one week before your scheduled arrival, the $30 processing fee becomes transferable to a future program.
For more information on the Residential Program or room availability, please call 518-821-2581, or email
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Residential training can be the opening that leads to becoming a staff member or a Won Buddhist lay minister.