Dedicated Practitioner Program
Application
Thank you for your interest in Spirit Rock’s sixth Dedicated Practitioner Program (DPP6). This is a twoand-a-half year program for serious practitioners of Insight Meditation to deepen understanding of the
Dharma, strengthen practice, and integrate compassion and wisdom into our day-to-day lives. This
program is designed as an intensive lay practice period and offers a comprehensive curriculum on the
Buddha's teachings. In addition to attending all five 7-day training/residential retreats, participants
commit to maintaining meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, and contact
with a mentoring teacher.
Through this program, we study traditional texts and Buddhist suttas; and use the dharma, our
meditation practice, and our sangha to understand ways suffering and freedom is created in our hearts,
our lives, our communities, and the world. Integral to this program is an exploration of the gross and
subtle manifestations of social suffering evidenced through innocence and ignorance, and its impact on
personal and collective well-being and liberation. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant
community of practitioners who support each other in waking up and in bringing more wisdom and
compassion into the world.
Residential Retreat Schedule
April 9 – 16, 2017
November 9 – 16, 2017
April 2018
November 2018
April 2019
Presentation Center, Los Gatos, California
Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA
Off-Site Retreat Center in California
Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA
Off-Site Retreat Center in California
Timeline
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June 15 – September 15, 2016 – Applications accepted between these dates. Incomplete
applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
September 15, 2016 – Deadline to submit application.
October 18, 2016 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
December 31, 2016 – Commitment and payment of non-refundable program deposit ($500)
Program Cost*
$13,000
$11,600 - $7,400
$7,400 - $3,000
Supporter Rate – includes a guaranteed single room
Standard Sliding Scale
Scholarship Sliding Scale
*Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Refer to page 14 for specific cost brackets.
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Dedicated Practitioner Program
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Program Attributes
DPP6 tuition includes:
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Accommodations and meals at all five (5) residential retreats
Staff support (cook’s salary) for three off-site retreats
Handouts and program materials
Access to social media and online community building groups
Tuition costs do NOT include:
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Teacher and Retreat Managers support (dana) at all retreats and cook support (dana) as Spirit
Rock retreats
Texts and some supplemental books required by the teaching team
Transportation costs to/from your home to the retreat centers
Sponsor or Mentor teacher support (dana) for individual meetings with your sponsor/mentor
teacher in your area
Application Overview
When completing the application, please answer all questions. When completing narrative questions
please provide brief, thoughtful responses. We encourage you to respond truthfully, from the heart, in
a straightforward way rather than being concerned about creating a particular impression. Prior to
beginning the application we suggest you gather your basic contact information and history of retreat
practice.
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Dedicated Practitioner Program
Application
Submission Process
All applications should be completed electronically. Please type do not handwrite any portion of this
application. All information is confidential to the teaching and management teams of this program. If
you have any questions, please contact our DPP6 Administrative Coordinator at [email protected].
Please submit your application AND digital photo (headshot) electronically to [email protected] or
via US Mail to DPP6 c/o Spirit Rock Meditation Center, PO Box 169, Woodacre, CA 94973. Scholarship
requests must also be made at this same time. Please refer to “Financial Assistance” section included in
this application.
Today’s Date
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
Mobile Phone Number
Additional Phone Number
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
E-Mail Address
Name of Sponsoring Teacher**
Name of Mentoring Teacher***
Is the sponsoring teacher above willing to be your mentoring teacher? Yes ___
No ___
**A sponsoring teacher is someone who currently teaches at Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, East Bay
Meditation Center, Gaia House, or other Insight Meditation centers or sanghas, and knows you and your
meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP6. See website for more details regarding
“sponsoring teacher.”
***You do not need a mentoring teacher to apply for the program. A mentoring teacher provides approximately
6-12 interviews during the course of the program. If you do not already have a mentoring teacher, we can support
you in your process of finding one. Please be sure to get prior approval from your mentoring teacher before listing
them on this form.
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Dedicated Practitioner Program
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A) Demographic Information
The following questions are included to help ensure diversity in DPP6, and to support assigning a
mentoring teacher. If you do not wish to respond to these questions, please leave them blank.
However, it is helpful for us to have this information.
1. Do you self-identify as a person of color?
Yes ___
No ___
2. How do you self-identify your racial and ethnic heritage or background?
3. How do you self-identify your sexual orientation?
4. How do you self-identify your gender identity?
5. Do you identify as a person with a disability? Yes ___
No ___
6. If yes, please describe anything you might need to ensure your full participation, if accepted.
7. How would you identify your economic class?
8. What is your livelihood/occupation or are you retired?
B) Dharma and Practice History
1. When did you begin your
dharma/vipassana practice? (month/year)
2. Whom do you currently regard as your
primary vipassana or Buddhist teacher(s)?
3. Who have been your most important
teachers?
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4. Briefly describe your daily sitting meditation practice – since you began vipassana practice and
also how it is currently.
5. What is your past history and current relationship to other Buddhist practices and teachers?
6. What is your past history and current relationship to spiritual practices and teachers outside of
Buddhism?
7. What Dharma study and reading have you done? Please include any specific areas of interest.
8. What areas of your Dharma practice, understanding, or embodiment need attention or
maturation?
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9. What are your plans for future Dharma practice and/or service?
10. Are you currently part of any sitting group or sangha? Please describe.
C) Creating a Healthy Inclusive Sangha
A large part of DPP6 is the sangha that meets together regularly. The Sangha needs to be as diverse,
inclusive, welcoming and supportive for each member. We will explore issues of diversity within our
sangha in regard to race, gender, gender identity, age, physical ability, education, economic class, and
other forms of cultural experience, as an integral part of our dharma study and practice. We will be
actively engaged in what it means to create and maintain a healthy inclusive sangha made of many
people from many different communities and backgrounds.
1. What is your experience with diversity in your life generally?
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2. Describe a time or times in which you have been part of a diverse community, particularly along
the dimension of race and class. Please share some reflections from that experience.
3. Do you have previous experience learning about social oppression and privilege, or have you
undertaken trainings to become more aware of privileges and oppression?
4. What concerns or thoughts, if any, do you have about exploring diversity issues in the DPP
sangha?
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5. Please use this page (or attach a sheet) to list ONLY the silent, residential vipassana and metta
retreats you have attended. Keep in mind that the prerequisite for DPP6 is 50 nights of silent,
vipassana, and/or metta residential retreat practice. If you have attended many retreats, list the
most recent, applicable retreats, and the longest duration.
Month/Year Location
Teachers
6. What is the total number of retreat nights from the list above?
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Number of
Nights
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D) Personal Information – physical and mental health
Intensive retreat can be physically and psychologically challenging. To support retreatants in those rare
cases when difficulties do arise, having information regarding the following questions will help teachers
respond to the situation more effectively.
Your answers to these questions will be read only by teachers and will be destroyed after the program.
We encourage your candor in responding. If you would like to discuss any particular question with a
teacher rather than write your response, please indicate that and we'll arrange for a private meeting.
1. Do you have any condition or history of physical illness or physical limitations that may interfere
with or might be aggravated by sitting or walking practice?
2. What kinds of psychotherapy, if any, have you or are you engaged in? Have you ever had or been
treated for a psychological condition such as depression, eating disorder, drug/alcohol addiction,
anxiety disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, mania or any other psychological condition?
If yes, please specify condition(s) and date(s):
3. Are you currently seeing a therapist or psychiatrist? If so, please explain the nature of your work
with your therapist.
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4. Are you currently taking medication for any physical or psychological conditions? If yes, please
specify the condition(s) and list the medications and dosage.
5. If you are taking medications for physical conditions, do they affect your psychological
functioning? If yes, please describe the effect(s).
6. Have you experienced any significant emotional, psychological or spiritual difficulty in your life
(that affected your ability to function)? If so, please briefly describe it and when it occurred. Is it
still occurring now?
7. Have you ever seriously contemplated or attempted to take your life? Yes ____ No ____
8. If yes, please state when.
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9. Have you ever experienced any trauma that has been emotionally difficult for you (e.g. accidents,
in military service, PTSD, childhood abuse, etc.)? Yes____ No____
If yes, please describe.
10. How does the practice of meditation, silence and retreat affect all of the above conditions?
11. Are there present conditions in your life which may be placing you under stress, or which might
make meditation difficult for you at this time (e.g. fasting, recent loss of a loved one, substance
abuse/withdrawal, relationship ending)?
12. What other forms of personal growth have you engaged in?
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13. What is your current family and personal relationship situation? Include any other details about
your current life situation that would be helpful for us to know.
14. Please describe why you would like to be in the Dedicated Practitioner Program. What motivates
you to participate at this time?
15. Please note any other information you would like us to know.
16. Please seriously and honestly consider this question: Is there any reason you would not be able to
fulfill your commitment to participate completely in this program? Work/relationships/financial,
etc.
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E) Financial Assistance
Do you anticipate needing scholarship funds for DPP? Yes ___
Do you self-identify as a person of color? Yes ___
No ___
No ___
If you will need financial assistance, please describe your financial need and current financial
circumstances including your annual household income and the number of persons in your household.
Please provide an honest and accurate assessment of your financial situation so we can consider the
total amount of resources we need to maximize everyone’s participation. Special consideration is given
to individuals who self-identify as being a person of color.
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Dedicated Practitioner Program
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F) Program Cost Structure
We offer a sliding scale tuition. Carefully consider the amount you would be able to afford in order to
participate in DPP6. We ask you to select the highest possible level of tuition that meets your needs, as
your generosity allows for those with lesser means to attend. Please note that the scholarship funds are
limited. Regrettably, we cannot guarantee the full amount of scholarship support you may have
requested.
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$13,000
Supporter Rate – with Single Room Guarantee
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$11,600
Sliding Scale 1
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$10,200
Sliding Scale 2
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$8,800
Sliding Scale 3
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$7,400
Sliding Scale 4 - Base Rate
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$5,920
Scholarship Rate 1
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$4,460
Scholarship Rate 2
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$3,000
Scholarship Rate 3
 Please enter the amount you will be able to afford in the box below.
Upon acceptance to the program, you will be asked to pay a minimum $500 non-refundable deposit.
You may pay in full the entire program fee or set up an installment plan for the remainder of the
balance. The balance may be divided into four (4) credit card payments over twelve months or into 15
monthly direct debit payments from a US Checking account starting on January 15, 2017.
G) Cancellation Fees
Participating in DPP6 will require your commitment of both time and financial resources. If you need to
withdraw from the program, the following fee structure will apply.
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$500
$1000
$1500
No Refunds
Prior to February 1, 2017
February 2 – March 1, 2017
March 2 – April 12, 2017
After April 12, 2017 (start of the program)
I have read and understand the applicable cancellation fees for DPP6. (please initial) ___
Please note that scholarship recipients will pay cancellation fees based on their payment rate and
cancellation timing.
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Dedicated Practitioner Program
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H) Final Agreement
By typing my name in the space below, I agree, to the best of my ability, to participate and commit
fully in the Dedicated Practitioner Program, if I am accepted. This includes:
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Name
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Attending all five 7-day residential retreats of the program
Completing all monthly readings, practices and reflections
Attending one 2/4-hour monthly or bi-monthly small group meeting with a teacher either in my
area, or via telephone
Being available for six or more individual interviews/meetings with my mentoring teacher per
year
Meeting monthly with my “dharma buddy”
Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
Today’s Date