California Vipassana Center

Dhamma Mahāvana

California Vipassana Center, North Fork, California, United States
One of over 120 international centers where the technique of Vipassana meditation is taught and practiced, Dhamma Mahavana is situated on 109 acres of forested property in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Groves of oak, pine, cedar, and manzanita reinforce the California Vipassana Center's name of Dhamma Mahavana, Great Forest of Dhamma.
Additional information
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California Vipassana Meditation Center
P.O. Box 1167, North Fork, CA 93643, USA
http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org
General Course Registration
Voice Mail: [1] (559) 876-8760 ext.1
Fax: [1] (559) 876-8761
[email protected]
Children / Teenager's Course Registration
Voice Mail: [1] (408) 471-7642
Fax: [1] (800) 734-1558
[email protected]
Children's Course Registration
Dhamma Service Registration
Voice Mail: [1] (559) 876-8760
[email protected]

 

 

Students may apply to sit only ONE 10 Day course at a time, even if the other course is in another state, Canada, or is a waitlisted enrollment.

 

CHECK SPAM/JUNK MAIL, or you may miss important time-sensitive email communication.

 

Health and Safety Guidelines

https://mahavana.dhamma.org/health-safety-requirements/

 

Local meditators who wish to come to the center should contact the Office beforehand.

Filters

39 courses
Popular courses
Other courses
New students can only apply to 10 day courses

Ten Day & Other Adult Courses

39 courses

All ten-day courses begin on the evening of the first day and end on the early morning of the last day.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.

 

Registration opens for all courses around 7:05 a.m. Pacific Time

Students may apply to sit only ONE 10 Day course at a time, even if the other course is in another state, Canada, or is a waitlisted enrollment.

CHECK SPAM/JUNK MAIL to ensure you do not miss important time-sensitive email communications.

 

Dates
Course Type
Location
Comments
Status
Nov 11 - Nov 22
10-Day
North Fork
10-Day
In Progress
Nov 22 - Nov 25
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Nov 25 - Dec 6
Special 10-Day
North Fork
Special 10-Day
New Women- Closed
Old Women- Open
New Men- Closed
Old Men- Open
Servers - Women- Wait List
Servers - Men- Open
Dec 6 - Dec 9
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Dec 9 - Dec 13
3-Day
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Registration for the waiting list will open three weeks before the start of the course at 7:05 a.m.

3-Day
Women- Closed
New Men- Closed
Old Men- Open
Servers- Open
Dec 13 - Dec 16
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Dec 16 - Dec 27
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

Registration for the waiting list will open three weeks before the start of the course at 7:05 a.m.

10-Day
Women- Closed
Men- Closed
Servers- Open
Dec 27 - Dec 30
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Dec 30, 2026 - Jan 10, 2027
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Women- Closed
Men- Closed
Servers- Open
2027
Jan 10 - Jan 13
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Jan 13 - Jan 24
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Women- Closed
Men- Closed
Servers- Open
Jan 24 - Jan 27
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Jan 27 - Feb 7
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Open
Feb 7 - Feb 10
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Servers- Open
Feb 10 - Feb 21
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Open
Feb 21 - Feb 24
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Applications accepted starting 21 Nov
Feb 24 - Mar 7
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 24 Nov
Mar 7 - Mar 11
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Applications accepted starting 07 Dec
Mar 11 - Mar 20
Satipatthana Sutta
North Fork
Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

Servers Needed

This course starts on a Thursday and ends on a Saturday

Satipatthana Sutta
Applications accepted starting 11 Dec
Mar 20 - Apr 7
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Applications accepted starting 20 Dec
Apr 7 - May 8
30-Day
North Fork
30-Day
Applications accepted starting 07 Jan
Apr 7 - May 23
45-Day
North Fork
45-Day
Applications accepted starting 07 Jan
May 23 - Jun 2
Service Period
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

Service Period
Applications accepted starting 23 Feb
May 26 - May 31

Annual Assistant Teacher's Workshop


North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

  • Servers: Please apply for the 5/23 - 6/2 service period. 
  • Part-time service is welcome. 
Old Student Program
Applications accepted starting 26 Feb
Jun 2 - Jun 13
English, Vietnamese
10-Day
English, Vietnamese
North Fork

Servers Needed

Priority is given to Vietnamese-speaking students.

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 02 Mar
Jun 16 - Jun 27
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 16 Mar
Jul 1 - Jul 5
3-Day
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

This course starts on a Thursday and ends on a Monday.

3-Day
Applications accepted starting 01 Apr
Jul 7 - Jul 18
English, Khmer
10-Day
English, Khmer
North Fork

Servers Needed

Priority is given to Khmer-speaking students.

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 03 Apr
Jul 21 - Aug 1
English, Persian
10-Day
English, Persian
North Fork

Servers Needed

Priority is given to Farsi-speaking students.

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 21 Apr
Aug 4 - Aug 15
English, Burmese
10-Day
English, Burmese
North Fork

Servers Needed

Priority is given to Burmese-speaking students.

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 04 May
Aug 26 - Sep 6
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 26 May
Sep 10 - Sep 19
Satipatthana Sutta
North Fork
Satipatthana Sutta
Applications accepted starting 10 Jun
Sep 26 - Oct 17
20-Day
North Fork
20-Day
Applications accepted starting 26 Jun
Oct 20 - Oct 24
3-Day
North Fork
For old students

Servers Needed

3-Day
Applications accepted starting 20 Jul
Oct 27 - Nov 7
Mandarin, English
10-Day
Mandarin, English
North Fork

Servers Needed

Priority is given to Mandarin-speaking students.

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 27 Jul
Nov 10 - Nov 21
Special 10-Day
North Fork
Special 10-Day
Applications accepted starting 10 Aug
Nov 24 - Dec 5
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 24 Aug
Dec 8 - Dec 19
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 08 Sep
Dec 22, 2027 - Jan 2, 2028
10-Day
North Fork

Servers Needed

10-Day
Applications accepted starting 22 Sep

Course types

All courses are run solely on a donation basis. All expenses are met by donations from those who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the same opportunity. Neither the Teacher nor the assistant teachers receive remuneration; they and those who serve the courses volunteer their time. Thus Vipassana is offered free from commercialisation.

Old students are those who have completed a 10-day Vipassana Meditation course with S.N. Goenka or his Assistant Teachers. Old students have the opportunity to provide Dhamma Service at the courses listed.

3-Day
Old Student Short Courses (1-3 days) are for any student who has completed the 10-day course with S.N. Goenka and his assistant teachers. All old students are welcome to apply to attend these courses, including those where it has been some time since their last course.
10-Day

10-day Courses are an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. The courses begin after a 2 - 4 pm registration period and orientation, followed by 10 full days of meditation, and end the morning of the 11th day by 7:30 am.

20-Day

20-day Courses are open only to serious Old Students committed to this technique who have completed a minimum of five 10-day courses , one Satipatthana Sutta course, given Dhamma Service at least one 10-day course, and have been practicing regularly for at least two years.

30-Day

30-day Courses are open only to serious Old Students committed to this technique who have completed a minimum of six 10-day courses (one since their first 20-day course), one 20-day course, one Satipatthana Sutta course, and have been practicing regularly for at least two years.

45-Day

45-day Courses are open only to persons involved in Dhamma Service and Assistant Teachers who have completed a minimum of seven 10-day courses (one since their first 30-day course), two 30-day courses, one Satipatthana Sutta course, and have been practicing regularly for at least three years.

Annual Assistant Teacher's Workshop

Old Student Programs are similar to Service Periods where there is time to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects, but have a more full and structured program, an opportunity to meet with assistant teachers, and possibly committee and trust meetings. All Old Students are welcome to participate. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods and in the evening there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.

Satipatthana Sutta

Satipatthana Sutta Courses have the same timetable and discipline as 10-day courses. The difference is that in the taped evening discourses the Satipatthana Sutta is carefully examined. This is the principal text in which the technique of Vipassana is systematically explained. These courses are open to serious old students who have sat (not including courses served) at least three 10-day courses, have not been practising any other meditation techniques since last 10-day course, have been practising this technique of Vipassana for at least one year, and who are trying to maintain their meditation practice and the five precepts in their daily lives, at the very minimum from the time of applying to the course.

Service Period

Service Periods have been set aside to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects. All Old Students are welcome to apply. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods. On selected evenings, there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.

Special 10-Day

Special 10-day Courses are open only to serious Old Students committed to this technique who have completed a minimum of five 10-day courses, one Satipatthana Sutta course, given Dhamma Service at least one 10-day course, and have been practicing regularly for at least two years.

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