LONG TERM SERVICE IN DHAMMA NANDANAVANA

Long-term service is for those who wish to develop their paramis by serving for long periods of time. It enables students to deepen and mature in their meditation by integrating what they have learned during the courses and applying it while serving. Students will learn to serve properly with an attitude of humility and renunciation.

To stay in the center for long periods of time it is necessary to be a mature old student, to be practicing this technique exclusively, and to maintain the five precepts in daily life. The assistant teachers will approve the applications. The long-term service is aimed at students who are able to work intensively in a committed and cooperative way, and who want to learn the best way to serve in this unique Dhamma environment. Applicants should be fully and exclusively committed to the Vipassana technique as taught by S.N. Goenka.

Long-term servers will serve at the center. Sometimes they will serve in the same courses, other times in other tasks of the center, collaborating so that everything is developed correctly. As long as they serve a course, they will stay with the other course servers, in the area reserved for them. The rest of the time, they will be housed in the long-term server area. Long-term servers must follow the rules of the Code of Conduct for Dhamma Servers. Furthermore, they are expected to observe the following points as well:

• The five precepts - Long-term servers must observe the five precepts during their stay, not only when they are residing in the center, but also during rest periods outside the center. During their period of service if they have a partner they should be in a committed relationship, if they do not have a partner they should observe celibacy.

• Daily Practice - When you are part of a Course Servers team: You should sit all three group meditations in the hall and attend the Server's Metta session. When not directly serving a course, the three group meditations you should sit. It is not necessary to be present for discussions after Server's Metta, although they should be present during the Server's Metta session on days 0, 3, 9, and 10 to stay informed and help with the organization of days 1, 4 (Vipassana day), 10 (Metta day), and 11, for the final Metta. Attending the chanting at 6 am is optional. At 10pm the lights go out.

• The facilities - The goal, which is most often achieved, is to offer individual rooms for long-term servers. However, in busy periods or if there are many long-term servers, they should be prepared in case they have to share rooms with other long-term servers or course servers.

• Interviews with assistant teachers - Long-term servers have regular interviews with teachers at the center. In addition, they can have an interview with the assistant teachers who lead the course, or ask the center manager to organize an interview with an assistant teacher when there is no course and there is no teacher residing at the center.

• Sitting courses - Long-term servers sit a course at least every three months. Possibly more can be sat, if there are enough servers for each course and servers in the center. The goal of your long stay at the center is to grow in Dhamma serving and sitting.

• Serving courses - When serving a course, long-term servers must put aside their daily routines, focus full attention on the course, and stay in the center. Personal issues that are not urgent should be handled when the course ends.

• Between courses - In addition to serving courses, there is a lot of work to do to make the center function properly. Center managers will delegate work so long-term servers may have to take on some responsibilities and supervise work in different areas. Long-term servers are invited and encouraged to participate in one of the committees that manage the center.

• Free days - Long-term servers should arrange free time in consensus with the center manager. Normally the break is 1.5 to 2 days a week under normal service conditions. But of course servers can have more time off center if they need it. We only ask for it to be organized in advance and consulting the calendar with the center manager, who must ensure that there are always enough long-term servers in service. If possible, the days off should be taken alternately with the rest periods of other long-stay servers, to avoid that there is no one serving at the center. Long-term servers can leave the center between courses or during a course if they do not serve the course, but they must inform the center manager in advance, as well as let him or her know when they will return.

• Time off - During their days off, long-term servers can stay in the center, or, if they wish, they can leave the center during the day or in the afternoon. When you are out of the inside, you must remember that you will return to the land of Dhamma later, and therefore try to do activities compatible with it. It is inappropriate to do activities that actively lead to breaking the sila, such as going to bars. With regard to films, films of an explicitly sexual nature or with gratuitous violence should be avoided. Movies with adult-only content should not be seen on free afternoons outside the center. Activities related to studies or work are not allowed inside the Center, but if necessary they can be carried out outside the center on days off. Before doing such studies, the teachers of the center should be consulted.

• Segregation of sexes - To protect and preserve the strong Dhamma atmosphere of the center, strict segregation of sexes must be maintained at all times, during and also between courses. There are separate accommodation for men and women, as well as separate eating areas. Dhamma servers must be very careful to treat servers of the opposite sex as brothers or sisters. Although dhammic relationships are not discouraged, the center is not the place to develop them. Therefore, if two people are attracted and decide to start a relationship, they should not continue to reside in the center.

• Reading material - Dhamma servers can use the library with Dhamma books and listen to talks given by Goenkaji. Newspapers can be read only in the server break area or in the bedrooms. Other reading materials are not appropriate at the center.

• Use of material from the center - As a Dhamma server, one lives a life of renunciation. The center will provide the basic needs of food and accommodation; the other expenses must be borne by the servers themselves. Dhamma servers should be careful not to use anything from the center for personal use without permission.
The center is a special place where residents try to do their best to preserve the unique meditative atmosphere. It is not a place to go to escape worldly responsibilities or because one has nowhere to go. It is a place of renunciation and celibacy where the Vipassana student finds the wonderful opportunity to grow in Dhamma. Dhamma service brings enormous benefits to those who give it, as well as to those who receive it. May more and more people share the benefits and come out of their suffering.
May all beings be happy!