DPP7 Application

Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP7) Application
Today's Date *

Month Day Year
Thank you for your interest in Spirit Rock’s seventh Dedicated Practitioner Program (DPP7). This is a two 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 6-night 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 and its impact on personal and collective well-being. 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 (Scheduled to be in-person)

- April 30 – May 6, 2022 Spirit Rock Meditation Center
- November 11 – 17, 2022 Spirit Rock Meditation Center
- April 15 – 21, 2023 Spirit Rock Meditation Center
- November 11 – 17, 2023 Spirit Rock Meditation Center
- April 28 – May 4, 2024 Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Application Timeline & Process

June 1 – September 1, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates. Incomplete applications cannot be processed.
September 1, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

When completing this 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.

Program Tuition*

Sliding scale:
$13,700 - Benefactor
$10,700 - Sustainer
$7,700 - Base

Scholarship sliding scale:
$5,700 - Scholarship Rate 1
$3,700 - Scholarship Rate 2

*Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale.

Tuition includes:

- Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
- Handouts and program materials
- Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

- Teacher support (dana) at all retreats
- Texts and some supplemental books required by the teaching team
- Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
- Mentor and monthly group teacher support (dana) for meetings with a mentoring teacher

Please complete by September 1, 2021. This is an online application only. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
- Allow yourself at least 30 minutes to complete this entire application.
- Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
- Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
- All information is confidential to the teaching and management teams of this program.
- If you have any questions, please contact our DPP7 Administrative Coordinator at DPP7@spiritrock.org.

Full Name *
Pronouns *
primary Email address (that you check) *
confirm primary Email address (that you check) *
Date of birth (Month-day-year) *
Cell phone number *
Additional phone number
MAILING ADDRESS *
Name of sponsoring teacher* *
Name of mentoring teacher** *
Is the sponsoring teacher above willing to be your mentoring teacher? *

Yes No
*SPONSORING TEACHER -- 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. They should know you and your meditation practice, and be supportive of your application to DPP7. They should submit a brief statement of endorsement for you as a student for your application to be complete. IMPORTANT: please send this link to your sponsoring teacher for them to complete. Otherwise, your application will be incomplete and cannot be considered.

Link: https://form.jotform.com/211461736818156
**MENTORING 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.

Demographic Information

The following questions are included to help ensure diversity in DPP7, and to support assigning a mentoring teacher if needed. Please indicate a reason for not responding to a question.
Do you self-identify as black, indigenous, and/or a person of color (Bipoc)? *

Yes No
How do you self-identify your racial and ethnic heritages or backgrounds? *
How do you self-identify your gender identity? *
How do you self-identify your sexual orientation? *
What is/are the first language(s) you spoke? What languages do you fluently speak currently? *
Do you identify as a person with a disability? *

Yes No
If yes, please describe anything you might need to ensure your full participation, if accepted.
How would you identify your family's social economic position when you were a child? *
What is your livelihood/occupation or are you retired? If retired, please say from what. *
Please upload a photo of yourself (headshot/selfie) *

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Dharma and Practice History
When did you begin your dharma/vipassana practice? (month/year only) *
Were you raised in a Buddhist household, or did you take interest in Buddhism after your childhood? *
Whom do you currently regard as your primary vipassana or Buddhist teacher(s)? *
Who have been your most important teachers? *
Briefly describe your daily sitting meditation practice in the past and present. *
What is your past history and current relationship to other Buddhist traditions and teachers? *
What is your past history and current relationship to spiritual practices and teachers outside of Buddhism? *
What Dharma study and reading have you done? Please include any specific areas of interest. *
WHAT AREAS OF YOUR DHARMA PRACTICE, UNDERSTANDING, OR EMBODIMENT DO YOU WANT STRENGTHENED IN DPP7? *
What are your plans for future Dharma practice and service? *
Are you currently part of any sitting group or sangha? Please describe. *

Creating a Healthy Inclusive Sangha

A large part of DPP7 are the regional sanghas regularly meeting together. The sanghas need to be diverse, inclusive, welcoming and supportive for each member. 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.
What has been your experience with social diversity in your life? *
Describe times in which you have been part of diverse communities, particularly along the dimension of race and class. Please share some reflections from that experience. *
Do you have previous experience learning about social oppression and privilege, or have you undertaken trainings to become more aware of privilege and oppression? *
What concerns or thoughts, if any, do you have about exploring diversity issues in the DPP sangha? *
Please list ONLY the silent, residential vipassana and metta retreats you have attended in the format below. Keep in mind that the prerequisite for DPP7 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. FORMAT: Month/Year | Location | Teachers | Number of nights *
What is the total number of retreat nights from the list above? (not including all other retreats you have done) *

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.
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? *
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? *

Yes No
If yes, please specify condition(s) and date(s):
ARE YOU CURRENTLY SEEING A THERAPIST OR PSYCHIATRIST? IF SO, PLEASE EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF YOUR WORK WITH YOUR THERAPIST. *
ARE YOU CURRENTLY TAKING MEDICATION FOR ANY PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS? IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY THE CONDITION(S) AND LIST THE MEDICATIONS AND DOSAGE. *
If you are taking medications for physical conditions, do they affect your psychological functioning? If yes, please describe the effect(s). *
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? *
Have you ever seriously contemplated or attempted to take your life? *

Yes No
If yes, please state when.
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.
How does the practice of meditation, silence and retreat affect the above conditions? *
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)? *
What other forms of personal growth have you engaged in? *
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. *
Please describe why you would like to be in the Dedicated Practitioner Program. What motivates you to participate at this time? *
Please note any other information you would like us to know.
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. *

Financial Assistance & Program Tuition
Do you anticipate needing scholarship funds for DPP? *

Yes 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 bipoc. *
We offer a sliding scale tuition. Carefully consider the amount you would be able to afford in order to participate in DPP7. 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.

Sliding scale:
$13,700 - Benefactor
$10,700 - Sustainer
$7,700 - Base

Scholarship sliding scale:
$5,700 - Scholarship Rate 1
$3,700 - Scholarship Rate 2
Please enter the estimated amount you will be able to offer for dpp. *
Upon acceptance into DPP and to secure your spot, all participants will be asked to pay a minimum deposit of 25% (based on the rate you select). Should you need to cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022, all of the deposit is refunded except for $100 non-refundable fee.

You may pay the entire program fee in full or set up an installment plan for the remainder of the balance (after the initial 25% deposit). The payment plan will start Jan 15, 2022; and debit over 12 monthly installments during the first year of the program. Installments can only be set up on credit cards. We can no longer set up debits on checking accounts. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Cancellation Fees

Participating in DPP7 will require your commitment of both time and financial resources. If you need to withdraw from the program, the following fee structure will apply.

$100 non-refundable, flat fee for all applicants on or before Jan 1, 2022
10% fee* = Jan 2 - Feb 28, 2022
15% fee* = Mar 1 - Apr 28, 2022
20% fee* = Apr 29 - Nov 9, 2022
40% fee* = Nov 10, 2022 - Apr 13, 2023
60% fee* = Apr 14 - Nov 9, 2023
80% fee* = Nov 10, 2023 - Apr 26, 2024
No refunds = On or after April 27, 2024
*Fee deducted from refund; fee is a percentage of the total amount.
I have read and understand the applicable cancellation fees for DPP7. (please initial) *

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:

-Attending all five 6-night residential retreats of the program
-Attend all five retreats with the same degree of integrity and undivided attention as a silent retreat. This means coming and staying for the full retreat, and not scheduling family or work related responsibilities during retreat time.
-Completing all monthly readings, practices and reflections
-Attending all monthly group meetings with a teacher either in my area or online
-Being available for six or more individual meetings with my mentoring teacher per year
-Meeting monthly with my dharma buddies
-Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
Name and TOday's Date *
Thank you for applying to DPP7! Filling out this application does not guarantee acceptance. You will be notified no later than October 1, 2021. We are looking forward to sharing this experience with you! Any additional thoughts or comments?
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Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP7) Application

Demographic Information

Dharma and Practice History

Creating a Healthy Inclusive Sangha

Personal Information – Physical and Mental Health

Financial Assistance & Program Tuition

Cancellation Fees

Final Agreement