The program is intended to allow participants to deepen their acquaintance with principles of the Dharma through experiencing a living and learning Dharma community. Participants work on strengthening their ability to facilitate the Dharma by building on each individual's personal strengths, be it speaking, listening, cooking, organizing, or other everyday life skills: there are infinite ways to implement the principles of Dharma and to share our understanding with those around us. The goal of the program is to broaden, develop, and cultivate our ability to facilitate the Dharma.
The program enables participants to deepen their understanding of aspects of the Dharma that they are not usually exposed to, such as Dharma in everyday life, the personal experience of Dharma, the teaching of sutras, the methods of "facilitating Dharma", and so on. In addition, through the program participants will experience a living Dharma community that is learning and developing-- sangha.
Twice a year, there is a retreat that takes place over the course of an extended weekend (Wednesday morning until Saturday afternoon), led by Layla Kimhi and either Christopher or Steven Folder. In addition to these retreats, there are shorter day or weekend meetings, as well as group study and workshops held in the evenings or on Fridays. Between meetings, members are given assignments to complete.
In the last six years, there have been three completed cycles of the Dharma Facilitator's Program, in England, Germany, Australia, and Israel. The fourth cycle is currently in the middle of the program, and an additional group will begin in 2011.