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Application Process
- When can I expect to be notified of my acceptance or rejection to the program?
We hope to have the first application review completed by mid January so that participants can be notified by the first week in February.
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- Is it true that Europeans will be given preference in attending Vajrayana Seminary?
No. We’ve become aware that this rumor is spreading in North America that the Vajrayana Seminary will only be accepting (or will be giving preference to) European applicants. This rumor is totally unfounded. As always, the application review committee looks at students' readiness to attend Seminary, and this includes taking into account life circumstances that may not allow them to participate in future Seminaries. However, the Sakyong has made it clear that Vajrayana Seminary is an international program, and aside from this pragmatic consideration, no particular bias will be shown toward the nationality or proximity of any applicant.
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Price and Payment
- How much will Vajrayana Seminary cost?
Pricing for the program is as follows:
| Tuition |
2100€ |
| Materials Fee |
300€ |
| Recommended teaching gift |
375€ |
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- How can I pay my application fee?
We understand that sending checks or money orders to Canada is both costly and troublesome for members of the European sangha, and have worked out some more realistic options with the help of Shambhala Europe. If paying by check or money order, feel free to send the amount in Euros to one of the following:
- the DCL account in the Netherlands
- the DCL account in Germany
- Dechen Choling directly
You can also send your Visa/Mastercard information in your application packet to Shambhala International, and we will charge you from here. When paying, be sure to include your name as you entered it in on your application, so that we are able to match your payment with your application.
North Americans can send their check, money order, or Visa/Mastercard number to Shambhala International as per the instructions on the Seminary application.
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- What is included in the Materials fee? Is there anyway I can avoid this fee by bringing my own materials?
The materials fee covers a variety liturgical and study materials you will need at Seminary. Whereas certain items (such as liturgies for the practices you will receive) are not optional, you may be able to borrow certain study materials from a spouse or friend to save on costs.
In particular, you will need a variety of Vajrayana Seminary transcripts during the program. The faculty is still working on finalizing this list, and we will post a list of the needed transcripts when we have them. You will have only a limited time to notify us which materials you will be bringing yourself since we will need to ship the required materials to Dechen Chöling well in advance of the program. Please check this site regularly in the coming weeks if you are interested in this option.
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- What do you mean by recommended teaching gift?
The issue of making an offering to one's teacher is a very personal matter. Obviously, there are two key parts to this question: what the gift is worth to you, and the fact that the teaching gift helps to finance the teacher and his teaching activities. Some of us have very little in the way of monetary assets and others have much more than "the norm." For one person, 50€ is the same as 5000€ for another. We encourage you to evaluate your personal situation and determine what is feels appropriate for your situation. The "recommended" amount we have listed is to provide a base reference point for you to start with.
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Miscellaneous
- It looks like Kalapa Assembly and Vajrayana Seminary are scheduled back to back. Will it be possible to attend both programs?
We will do what we can to make this a possibility for those who are ready and accepted to do both programs.
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