Name of Center: Dhamma Dharā

Address: 386 Colrain-Shelburne Road, Shelburne, Massachusetts 01370

Phone Number: (413) 625-2160

Website: www.dhara.dhamma.org

Contact Email: registration@dhara.dhamma.org

Tradition(s): This is an S.N. Goenka Center

Accommodations: Women are housed in either an old farmhouse with shared bedrooms and bathrooms, or a new "hospital-style" wing with double and triple rooms and private bathrooms.

Facilities: Meditation hall, pagoda building with individual cells,covered walkways.

Physical Setting: A beautiful part of rural Western Massachusetts. There is a lot of snow here in the winter time.

Food (Vegetarian/Vegan/etc.): Moosewood style vegetarian. Actually, the cookbook they use is called The Passionate Vegetarian. They accomodate different dietary needs by offering many simple choices at breakfast and lunch. Not fancy, but good. Some items are consistently undersalted.

Retreat Length(s): This center has almost the full range -- 1 day to 45 days.

Typical Schedule: It's the same as all Goenka centers.

Issues of Taboos around attainment, real practice, disclosing insights, etc.: A suprising number (4) of long-time practitioners at this center have told me in comforting or optimistic tones that enlightenment is impossible in this lifetime, and you will never know how far you are on the path, because it's impossible to tell how many mental impurities (sankaras) you have inside of you. No taboo around working hard, though!

Issues of Rites/Rituals: Only the standard chanting cassette.

Issues of Proper Dress: It is best to have one pair of shoes that slip on and off easily, and one pair that can go in the snow or the mud. The walking track is not paved or shoveled.

Issues of Etiquette: Standard.

Issues of Language: This center offers bilingual courses in several languages.

Health Issues: Standard.

Logistical Issues:You have to catch a ride in a taxi or car to get to the nearest bus stop.

Strengths: Very beautiful setting, close to Boston and New York. Lots of young lesbians come here for some reason. The staff members who work in the office are very nice.

Weaknesses: The people in charge at this center intend to build a giant new pagoda building with a traditional Burmese brass bell on top. Many people who use the center and donate money are against it, but the controversy is hushed up and smoothed over (or maybe just ignored) by Dhamma Dhara leadership. The building is presented to new students as a universally supported project. This sort of thing can do serious damage to one's sense of belonging to a vipassana community.

Other Comments: This was the first Vipassana Meditation Center in the S.N. Goenka tradition to be set up in the USA.

Overall Impression: Positive.

Worthy of recommendation on the Dharma Overground? Yes. It's a nice place, and the food is good.