Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in Exploring the Heart of Freedom II, a 16-month program jointly offered by the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) and the Insight Meditation Society (IMS).

This course is designed to cultivate our understanding of the core teachings of the Buddha as they appear in the Pali suttas, deepen our meditation practice, and help us to embody the dharma in spiritual friendship and community.  (It is not intended to be a teacher training program or to provide a stepping stone to becoming a dharma teacher.)

While this is not a social justice training, we will, at times, explore how the dharma may support us in addressing oppressive social structures.

The small group meetings will be an important part of the program, helping to strengthen our connections as a sangha. While processing in groups may be necessary at times to maintain kind and clear communication, exploring the dharma in our lives will be the primary focus of our meetings.

The curriculum is structured to gradually deepen an embodied understanding and practice of the foundational teachings in the Pāli Canon in a way that is relevant and responsive to the diverse and, at times, challenging conditions of contemporary life.

Thank you for your interest in this program.  We look forward to receiving your application.  

Jeanne, Nic, Roxanne, William, Yong

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in Touching the Earth: A Homestead Retreat for Young Adults in Marlboro, VT (July 25 - August 16, 2025). To apply, please submit the application below by March 15. Applications received after March 15 will be considered only if spaces are still available in the fourteen-member cohort. 

The faculty looks forward to reviewing your submission and will contact you by April 1 regarding the status of your application. At that time, the faculty may schedule an interview with you. Interviewees will be notified by April 15 whether or not we are able to welcome them into the program.

If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please also fill out the Scholarship Application at the bottom of this form. We will make need-based scholarship awards by April 15.

Please know that if you are accepted, you will need to register and pay a $700 non-refundable deposit (25% of the total course fee) by May 1 to hold your space in the program. 

Feel free to email Kirstin Edelglass at touchingearth@buddhistinquiry.org if you have any questions.

We look forward to getting to know you through the application process.

Warm regards,

Kirstin, Dawn, Rupert, Zev, Ruby, Jiamin, and Andrew

Faculty for “Touching the Earth”