vipassana newsletter · 2011-03-29 · vipassana meditation as taught by s.n. goenka in the...
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more than one location. There have also been long courses, children’s courses and prison courses. On the 2010 sched-
ule are 75 10-day courses, three Satipatthana Sutta courses, three 20-day courses, one 30-day course, six three-day
courses and six children’s courses.
Permanent Vipassana centers offer ongoing courses in
Mexico (Dhamma Makaranda), Brazil (Dhamma Santi) and Venezuela (Dhamma Veṇuvana). New centers are under construction in Argentina (Dhamma Sukhadā), Peru
(Dhamma Suriya) and Chile (Dhamma Pasanna).
All this activity clearly shows that the clock of Vipassana
has struck in Latin America, for the good and happiness of
many.
Statistics for 10-day Courses in Latin America
Latin America: The New World of Dhamma
Contents
Latin America: The New World of Dhamma ........... 1
The Pagoda: A Reminder of Our Past,
an Inspiration to Practice ...................................... 3
International News .................................................... 4
Grateful Commemoration........................................ 10 New Appointments and Responsibilities .................................................. 10
With well over half a billion people, today Latin America is one of the most dynamic parts of the globe. It is also a re-
gion in which the Dhamma is growing at an extraordinary pace. In only a decade and a half, almost every one of the
region’s countries has hosted courses, and the demand con-
tinues to grow.
Before the 1990s, quite a few students from Latin America took courses in India or the West, but no course was organ-ized in Latin America itself until September 1991. Panama
was the location for that first course and, as sometimes hap-pens, the start was a little shaky. Because of some confu-
sion, the police came to the site on Day 7 and took the assis-tant teacher and students to the local jail for questioning.
They were quickly released but the course came to an early
end.
Despite that, the results were significant. Some of the stu-dents returned for full 10-day courses and now help organ-
ize activities in Panama. What’s more, people in other countries were inspired when they read about the course in
the Vipassana Newsletter. They too began looking into the
possibility of organizing courses where they lived.
Those efforts bore fruit in March 1994, when the first full
10-day course took place in Venezuela. In addition to local participants, meditators from neighbouring countries came
to sit and serve on this course. From here the stream of Dhamma started flowing through many other countries of
the region. In October and November 1994, courses were given in Brazil and Argentina, and again in Venezuela. The
next year saw courses in Panama, Chile and Mexico, as well as Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. Cuba had its first Vi-
passana course in 1996, Bolivia in 1997, Colombia and Peru in 1998, Ecuador in 1999, Uruguay in 2001, Puerto
Rico and Paraguay in 2003, the Dominican Republic in 2004, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica in 2006, and
Guatemala in 2007. Many countries now offer courses at
Vipassana Newsletter
Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Vol. 37, No. 2 October 2010 www.vnl.dhamma.org Since 1974
Words of Dhamma
— Mettasuttaṃ (Sutta Nipāta 1.8.150 & Khuddakapāṭha 9)
Let one’s thoughts of boundless mettā pervade the whole world,
above, below and across,
unhindered, free of hate and of enmity.
Whether one is standing, walking, sitting or lying down, as long as one is awake,
one should develop this mindfulness [of boundless mettā].
This, they say, is a sublime way of living.
Mettañca sabbalokasmiṃ, mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ; uddhaṃ adho ca tririyañca, asambādhaṃ averamasapattaṃ.
Tiṭṭhaṃ caraṃ nisinno vā, sayāno yāvatassa vigatamiddho; etaṃ satiṃ adihiṭṭheyya, brahmametaṃ vihāramidhamāhu.
2000 2005 2009 2010
No. of courses 24 43 66 75
No. of partici-pants, incl.
servers
1,109 2,214 3,900 4,500 (est.)
2
Vipassana Centers in Latin America
Dhamma Makaranda, Mexico. “Dhamma Makaranda” means “Nectar of the flower of Dhamma.” It began offering
10-day courses in 2003. It is located near Valle de Bravo, a beautiful colonial town beside a large lake, in the highlands
of central Mexico. The center is a pleasant two-hour drive west from Mexico City. The 10-acre property is in a quiet,
secluded valley, surrounded by pine and oak forests and
small farms.
The Centre can now accommodate about 50 students, mostly in double rooms. Sleeping tents are also used dur-
ing the dry season. A small Dhamma hall can hold up to 60 meditators. Plans call for construction of a proper
teachers’ residence, a larger Dhamma hall and more single
accommodations.
For more information, visit: www.makaranda.dhamma.org
courses for old students. In 2011, Dhamma Santi will offer
22 courses.
The center was built to accommodate 70 students but it of-ten exceeds that number. Waiting lists are long. Plans call
for expanding the capacity to 120 students and 20 servers. This involves improving the water and sewage systems,
expanding the Dhamma hall, and building new dining halls, new meditation cells, more private accommodation for stu-
dents, and rooms for managers.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
Dhamma Venuvaṇa, Venezuela. The “Bamboo Grove of Dhamma,” Dhamma Venuvaṇa is located 90 minutes from Caracas. Located at an altitude of 1,400 metres (4,000 feet),
the center enjoys wonderful temperatures all year round. Goenkaji named it after one of the places where the Buddha
himself stayed; at the time, Goenkaji did not know that there were stands of bamboo on the land. More will be
planted in the future so that Dhamma Venuvaṇa truly
brings to life its ancient namesake.
The center was purchased in March 2006 and the first 10-day course was held in April of that year. The facility had
originally been built for retreat purposes but was never used. At present the center can accommodate around 50
students; the capacity will eventually be expanded to 80. For more information, contact:
Dhamma Makaranda, Mexico
Dhamma Santi, Brazil. “Dhamma Santi” means “Peace of Dhamma.” The center is surrounded by pristine, protected
rainforest, in an area reputed to have the cleanest air on the planet. Rio de Janeiro is two hours away, and São Paulo and
Belo Horizonte are four hours away. This is the most popu-lated part of Brazil and the area with the most Vipassana
meditators.
The first course at the center was held in April 2003 and
regular 10-day courses are now conducted, including
Inside the Dhamma Hall at Dhamma Santi
View from Dhamma Santi
View of Dhamma Venuvaṇa
3
solved and the course ended happily. Another course has been announced for January 2011; it filled up almost imme-
diately and now has a long waiting list. This is a common
situation in Latin America.
The Pagoda: A Reminder of Our Past,
an Inspiration to Practice
Goenkaji has said. “In an ideal Vipassana meditation center,
each student has their own room, their own cell and a Dhamma hall for joint meditation.” Usually the cells are the
last component to be built when a center has reached matur-ity. The cells are grouped in buildings or complexes that we
commonly call pagodas. Right now, pagodas are under con-struction at two US centers: Dhamma Mahāvana in North
Fork, California, and Dhamma Dharā in Shelburne Falls,
Massachusetts.
Traditionally, cell complexes are topped by a bell-shaped structure known in Myanmar as a zedi (Pali cetiya). We are using the same design for the pagodas now under con-
struction in America. This is to remind us of our connec-
Dhamma Venuvaṇa
Dhamma Sukhadā, Argentina
Goenkaji named Argentina’s first center “The Happiness of
Dhamma.” It is located in a peaceful environment about 85 kilometres from Buenos Aires. The first phase of construc-
tion has started, with the aim of accommodating 60 stu-dents. The hope is to start holding courses at the center in
2011. For more information, visit: www.sukhada.dhamma.org
Other Centers are in the planning stage in Peru (Dhamma
Suriya) and Chile (Dhamma Pasanna).
Non-center Courses
Following are only two examples of how Vipassana is
spreading to all parts of Latin America.
First Course in Northern Mexico
The first 10-day course in northern Mexico was held this
August at a rented site on the outskirts of Monterrey. A total of 51 students (42 new and nine old) completed the course.
The participants came from all over the country. The course was organized within five weeks’ time, shortly after a dev-
astating hurricane hit the city of Monterrey. The success of this course has led to the scheduling of two more 10-day courses for this December, with a capacity of 90 persons in
each course. The Monterrey Vipassana Group is holding
weekly group sittings and one-day courses each month.
Island of Chiloé, Chile. In January 2010, 185 people par-ticipated in a 10-day course on the island of Chiloé, in
Chile. The largest previous course in that country had been for 70 students. It took a massive effort to handle the dou-
bling in numbers: there were 25 servers at the January 2010 course and three assistant teachers. The students had beds
but no cushions for sitting. The servers slept on the floor. The only place large enough for a Dhamma hall was an
unroofed area between two wings of the facility. The amount of food ordered in advance was insufficient, and from Day 3 the course organizer scoured the markets in
neighboring towns. Somehow all the problems were re-
Panoramic view of Dhamma Sukhadā
Pagoda at Dhamma Giri (Igatpuri, India)
Current and future pagoda at Dhamma Mahāvana
(California, USA)
4
tion to the Buddha and the lineage of teachers, including Sayagyi U Ba Khin and S.N. Goenka in our time. By its
design, the pagoda also reminds us of the debt we owe to the land and people of Myanmar, who preserved both the
words of the Buddha and the living practice of Vipassana through the millennia. Last, the soaring shape of the pa-
goda encourages us to aspire to higher goals through the
practice of Vipassana.
For more information about the Dhamma Mahāvana pa-
goda, visit: www.mahavana.dhamma.org/cvcpagoda
For more information about the Dhamma Dharā pagoda, visit: www.dhara.dhamma.org/os/centerdev_pagoda.shtml
(username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
International News
New Website on Children’s Courses
A new international website has been launched about Ana-pana meditation courses for children and teens. The site
contains information for potential participants, as well as parents and teachers. Also posted are video clips and
course dates.
For more information, visit: www.children.dhamma.org.
Mobile Version of International Vipassana Website
Now there are more ways to explore the www.dhamma.org web s i t e . U se yo ur sm ar tp ho ne to v is i t
www.mobile.dhamma.org. You’ll find a wealth of informa-tion about Vipassana, including the worldwide schedule of
courses. A Hindi-language version of the website has also
been added at www.hindi.dhamma.org.
Africa
Mauritius Holds its First Course
In the past, people from the island of Mauritius traveled to
India or other countries to attend Vipassana courses. Now the journey is becoming shorter. Seven students success-
fully completed the first 10-day Vipassana course to be held on the island last December. The course was held in
Arsenal, in the northern part of Mauritius.
Asia/Pacific
Fiji Holds its First Course
The first 10-day course in Fiji was held at Suva in Decem-ber 2009. The course was conducted in English and was
held at a rented site near the sea. Students had separate
rooms set in quiet, pleasant gardens.
There were 23 students from various backgrounds: ethnic Fijians, Polynesians, local Indians and Asians, a few Euro-
peans and others. The seven servers included three local old students, three from New Zealand and one from Hong
Kong. They prepared a varied menu of local dishes, as well
as Indian and European food.
Weekly group sittings and a few one-day courses have been organized since the course. This year the same site will be rented for a three-day course as well as a 10-day course in
late December.
For photos of the first course, visit: www.fj.dhamma.org/
os/photos.htm (username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
India
Pilgrimage to Sites Associated With the Buddha
IRCTC, the tourism arm of Indian Railways, offers an eight-day package tour of sites associated with the Buddha:
Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Sravasti, Rajgir and Kushina-gar. A fully air-conditioned special train named the Ma-
haparinirvana Express is used for the journey. The tour is a comfortable way for Vipassana meditators to complete this pilgrimage without having to organize multiple ticketing,
local transport and hotel stays.
The Global Vipassana Foundation has negotiated a special
Current and future pagoda at Dhamma Dharā (Massachusetts, USA)
Site of first 10-day course in Fiji
5
discount of 21% with IRCTC for the benefit of Vipassana meditators. In addition, two periods of group meditation
may be worked into the schedule: the first under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, and the sec-
ond at Kushinagar. The group sittings will take place after visiting hours to the temple have ended so as to provide a
quiet environment. (Group meditations can be arranged if there are at least 10 Vipassana meditators on a tour and
there are no other engagements scheduled on the premises.) For information and registration, visit:
www.railtourismindia.com
In the United States, Pariyatti Press has recently published a guide to Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Along the Path: The Meditator's Companion to the Buddha’s Land was written by two Vipassana meditators. This unique guidebook pro-
vides practical and inspiring information for meditators who plan to visit sites in India and Nepal where the Buddha
lived and taught. For more information, visit Pariyatti at:
www.pariyatti.org
Second Center in Tamil Nadu
The second Vipassana center in Tamil Nadu is being built near Chettiyapatti, Gandhigram. Goenkaji has named it
Dhamma Madhurā (Sweetness of Dhamma). It will be able to comfortably accommodate 100 students. For more infor-
mation, contact: [email protected]
Indonesia
First 20-day at Dhamma Jāvā
The first 20-day course at Dhamma Jāvā, on the island of Java, was held this past June. There were 16 students, in-
cluding three foreign students, and five experienced serv-
ers.
All the new facilities built at the center in 2009 were used, including meditation cells, single rooms and a new dining/
kitchen building. The new gardens and fencing helped to
make the center attractive and welcoming.
All the students worked seriously and the atmosphere of the center was even more calm, peaceful and quiet than usual. All the students felt happy with the course and most of
them would like to attend a 30-day course next year. For
more photos of the center, visit: www.java.dhamma.org/
area.htm
Japan
New Buildings at Dhammādicca
Dhammādicca (Sun of Dhamma) is the second Vipassana
center established in Japan, to serve the eastern part of the country. Recently the center completed construction of a
new meditation hall and dormitories. It can now serve more than 60 students on a course and can better meet the in-
creasing demand from Tokyo residents.
To mark completion of this work, Dhammādicca held its
first open house. Visitors were very interested by a video of Goenkaji and an introduction to the activities of the Japan
Vipassana Association.
Philippines
New Temporary Center
A new temporary course center is being planned in the Philippines, until land for a permanent center becomes
available in about five years.
The center is being designed so that the buildings can be
dismantled and re-assembled at the eventual permanent
site. Tents will be used for the dining area.
For more information, contact: [email protected] or
Sri Lanka
New Center in Anuradhapura
Dhamma Anurādha is being built in Anuradhapura, the
capital city of Sri Lanka’s North-Central Province. The center is located on 10.5 acres of land near one of the lakes
built in the fifth century BC. The site is easily accessible by
road and rail.
Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for 1,400 years. From here the Buddha’s teachings spread to the entire is-
land. To this day it is revered by followers of the teachings.
The first stage of construction will provide facilities for 60
meditators, and the number will eventually rise to 150.
Plans also include building a pagoda with 75 cells.
Old students are welcome to help complete the painting and landscaping at the center. For more information, contact:
[email protected] Path from new accommodation blocks to
meditation hall at Dhamma Jāvā
The new meditation hall and dormitories at Dhammādicca
6
Thailand
New Center in Eastern Thailand
Land has been donated for a new center in eastern Thailand.
The 20-acre site is situated among orchards and rubber plantations, and surrounded by the verdant mountains of
Chanthaburi. It is located near a wildlife sanctuary and a natural hot spring, not far from the border with Cambodia.
Goenkaji has named the center Dhamma Candapabha (The Light of Dhamma). Plans for development are being pre-
pared, and the land is being leveled for future construction. For more information, contact:
Vietnam
Construction of Dhamma Viññu
Goenkaji has named Vietnam’s first Vipassana meditation center Dhamma Viññu (Learned in Dhamma). The center is
located in a quiet area near Bao Loc City, in Lam Dong province. The 7.5 acres of land border a small stream at the
bottom of a hill. The climate is moderate, with a year-round
average temperature of about 26°C (77°F).
Construction started in early 2010 and the center can now accommodate 24 students. The first three-day course was
held in September, attended by 23 old students. Building will continue as funds become available, with the aim of
eventually serving 120 students.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
Europe
European Long-Course Center (ELCC)
Dhamma Padhāna (Foremost in Dhamma) is Europe’s first
meditation center dedicated to long courses. It is situated next to the UK center, Dhamma Dīpa. In 2002 a one-day
course with Goenkaji was held on the site.
Last April, the center started operating, beginning with
shorter courses and then a 20-day course in July, followed by a 30-day course over August. The two long courses pro-
ceeded very smoothly and were full, with 52 students and six servers on site. The Dhamma Dīpa kitchen provided
lunches for both centers, cooking for a total of about 220 students and servers. The kitchen at Dhamma Padhāna pre-
pared breakfast, salads and tea.
Students greatly appreciated the chance to practice
Dhamma in such ideal facilities. Participants in the 30-day course came from nine European countries as well as Israel,
Canada, South Africa and Japan.
Next year the first concurrent 30-/45-day course will be held starting in late July. Shorter courses for old students
are also offered. Find out more by consulting the course
schedule.
Individual residences for bhikkhus at Dhamma Anurādha
Future site of Dhamma Candapabha
View of Dhamma Padhāna. Female accommodation in the fore-
ground. In the background, from left: the meditation hall, boiler
house and dining rooms
The dining rooms for Phase 1
7
A new coach (bus) service picks up students from Gloucester on the afternoon of Day 0 and brings them to
the center. International visitors can take a coach from Heathrow Airport directly to Gloucester, and coaches
run from all other London airports to Heathrow. Gloucester also has direct train connections from Cardiff,
Bristol and Birmingham airports. For further information,
follow this link to travel details.
To apply to sit or serve, visit: www.padhana.dhamma.org (username: oldstudent, password: behappy) or contact:
France
Center Development at Dhamma Mahī
Every year, approximately 2,200 students attend Vipassana courses in France. However, there are an average of two
requests for each available place. To meet the growing de-mand, Dhamma Mahī (Ground of Dhamma) has launched a
project to expand accommodations.
The aim is to be able to accommodate 120 students plus 30 servers per course, for a total of 3,000 students every year.
The new accommodations will feature individual rooms with attached bathrooms. The first new rooms should be
ready in 2011.
For more information, visit: www.mahi.dhamma.org/os/
developpement (username: oldstudent, password: behappy
Germany
Pali Workshop
A 14-day Pali workshop is being planned in southern Ger-
many in August 2011. This intensive seminar will be held in English and is open to all serious and dedicated old stu-
dents of Vipassana. The workshop is designed to convey a basic knowledge of Pali, and will provide students with
ample material to enable them to continue with individual
studies.
The focus is on pariyatti—academic study—as a means to
paṭipatti—the practice of Dhamma. Certain days of the workshop will be dedicated to topics of special interest to
meditators, such as the Noble Eightfold Path, suttas dealing with dāna and mettā, the morning chantings, and a selection
of Goenkaji’s sutta discourses.
The workshop will be held at a rented site regularly used for non-center courses. It will be preceded by a 10-day
course. There will be a charge for room and board. For more information about the site and photos, visit:
www.berghof-agatharied.de For further details and registration, contact: paliwork-
Latvia
First Course in Latvia
In July 2010, the first Vipassana course was held in Latvia.
A total of 68 students took part, including only nine old students. Most participants were from Latvia (both Rus-
sians and Latvians), with 10 students from Lithuania, Esto-
nia and Russia. The students ranged in age from 17 to 78.
For many of the Latvian students, the course was a unique opportunity: they would not have traveled outside their country to learn Vipassana. For the servers, the experience
of serving the first course in their home country was an in-
spiration.
Latvia's second course is now scheduled for July 20 to 31, 2011. For more information, contact: [email protected].
Spain
Ten Years of Dhamma Neru and Search for a
Second Center
Dhamma Neru (Celestial Mountain of Dhamma) was able to pay off its mortgage in 2009, its 10th anniversary year.
To meet the strong demand, several non-center courses are held at various sites throughout Spain every year. The Trust
is working on finding a suitable location for a second center in Spain. For more information, contact:
Middle East
Israel
Land for a New Center
In March 2010, after many years of searching, the Israel
Vipassana Trust acquired a beautiful property for the coun-try's first Vipassana center. It is located close to the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, and flanked by date planta-
Plan showing new residences at Dhamma Mahī
Location of first 10-day course in Latvia
8
tions and a nature reserve. Goenkaji has given the new cen-ter the Pali name Dhamma Pamoda (Joy of Dhamma). The
next step is to develop the property.
For more information on Dhamma Pamoda and to see a
video newsletter, visit: www.il.dhamma.org/os/Vipassana-centre-eng.asp
(username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
Prison Research
In 2005 and 2006, two courses were conducted in Hermon Prison, a minimum-security facility in northern Israel (see
previous VNL article). At the request of the prison au-thorities, highly respected criminologists conducted a
study of the value of the courses for rehabilitation. A first article on the study appeared last March in Issue 13 of
Glimpse into Prison, Crimes and Penalties in Israel —
Theory and Application.
A total of 22 inmate-meditators participated in the study on
a voluntary basis. Each participant was interviewed three times: before the course, immediately after its completion,
and three to four months later.
Two main themes emerged from the findings:
The researchers found a positive transformation in the prisoners’ perception of the prison staff, the creation of a
new social network among participants with a positive social atmosphere, and the creation of a mutual moral
commitment. However, the return to regular prison life after the course was accompanied by a sense of confusion
and frustration. The authors therefore suggest an after-course program and a separate ward for the students after
the course.
The researchers found that participants self-reflected on their inner world, were willing to face their emotional,
cognitive and behavioral difficulties, attempted to im-prove their family relationships, and experienced a
sense of achievement and self-worth as a result of com-
pletion of the course tasks.
The researchers concluded that Vipassana has a high reha-bilitative value and can meet various therapeutic needs of
inmates.
This was only preliminary research. The number of students
and the duration of the study were limited. However, it is one of the first academic articles about Vipassana in prisons
in a recognized journal in the Western world.
North America
Alberta
A New Center for Western Canada
After many years of searching, the Alberta Vipassana Foun-
dation Trust is happy to announce that it has purchased a parcel of land for a center. Goenkaji strongly encouraged
establishment of a center in this area when he visited in 2002. He has named the center Dhamma Karunā
(Compassion of Dhamma).
The 108-acre property has a large open field with slight
rises, two gullies and a number of small wooded areas that contain creeks and springs. There are several good potential
building sites and the local authorities have been supportive
of the Trust’s proposals.
The site is two hours from Edmonton, an hour and a half from Calgary, and not too far from southern and northern communities. Two towns in the area have many amenities.
In early September 2010, the Trust participated in a design workshop: it reviewed the work of other centers and de-
cided on its own path for development. Sufficient funds are available for initial work and to repay student loans and a
mortgage in a fairly short time.
For more information, visit: www.karuna.dhamma.org/os
(username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
California
Dhamma Vaddhana Takes Shape
Construction is moving forward at Dhamma Vaddhana
(Growth of Dhamma) in southern California. Seven struc-tures are almost completely finished: six residences for 60
students (two thirds of them with private rooms and bath) and a Dhamma hall that can hold 84 students. Construction
of the kitchen/dining building began in September; it is ex-pected to be ready within about six months. Work on a
servers’ residence is also underway and a building permit application for an AT residence complex will soon be filed.
The hope is that the center will become operational by the end of March 2011. Phase 1 will provide accommodation
for 60 students, 10 servers and two to four teachers.
View of the Dhamma Pamoda land
Future site of Dhamma Karunā
9
For more information, visit: www.vaddhana.dhamma.org/os (username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
Georgia
Expansion of Dhamma Patāpa
Located in a forested, rural area of the coastal plains of
Georgia, Dhamma Patāpa (Majesty of Dhamma) offered its
first 10-day course to 30 students in March 2008.
This year, the center has begun construction to double its capacity from the current 30 students. The largest structure
will be the Dhamma hall, seating 60 to 70 students. There
will also be 10 to 12 meditation cells for old students.
A new male residence will be built with a connected bath block, which can also be used by male students staying in cottages or tents. The existing student accommodations will
be converted to house 30 women. A pair of temporary an-nexes will provide the necessary dining seating for men and
women.
Current accommodations for assistant teachers are next door
to the kitchen, which can be a noisy and hectic environ-ment. Another priority for this year is the construction of a
teachers’ cottage next to the new Dhamma hall. The vacated space in the kitchen building will permit the expansion of
the kitchen to prepare meals for larger numbers of students.
This latest construction phase began in July and is expected
to be finished in spring 2011.
For more information, visit: www.patapa.dhamma.org/os
(username: oldstudent, password: behappy)
Washington State
Center Development Reaches Milestone at Dhamma Kuñja
Construction of the new women’s residence at the North-west Vipassana Center, Dhamma Kuñja (Grove of
Dhamma), is nearly complete and it is expected to be in use
by late fall of this year. The residence will house 47 stu-dents. It has one unit for persons with disabilities and a
room to accommodate the course manager. Each double-occupancy room in the new residence has a full bathroom,
skylight and windows for natural light, and an exterior en-
trance to a common, covered pathway around the building.
With the completion of the female residence this fall (following the male residence in 2008), the center will have
comfortable, semi-private accommodations for 80 students. The new dorms will provide a better atmosphere for all stu-
dents. The higher standard of comfort and quality will fi-nally make it possible to hold an executive course in the Pacific Northwest. A 10-day course for business execu-
tives, government officials and other influential community
leaders is scheduled for August 31 to September 11, 2011.
The final step in this phase of the center’s development will be to remodel the existing house. This involves expanding
the kitchen and dining halls to serve the larger number of students, and improving accommodations for female serv-
ers. The work will be completed in 2011.
Established in August 1991, Dhamma Kuñja is situated on 50 acres of rural land near the town of Onalaska, Washing-
ton, between Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
For more information, visit: www.kunja.dhamma.org/os
(username: oldstudent, password: behappy).
Dhamma Vaddhana
New female residence at Dhamma Kuñja
Interior of new residence at Dhamma Kuñja
10
Grateful Commemoration
John Leach, senior assistant teacher from Australia, passed away peacefully on February 16, 2010. He was suffer-ing from cancer but faced the illness with courage and equanimity. John gave valuable Dhamma service for many
years in various areas, including information technology. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, who is also a senior
assistant teacher.
Mr. Bhaktidas Shrestha, Vipassana teacher from Nepal, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2010. He was 88 years old. During the early days of Vipassana in Nepal, Mr. Shrestha served as a trustee for several years. Later, he
served as an assistant teacher and finally as a teacher for the spread of Vipassana in Nepal.
Mr. Ravjibhai Barot, senior assistant teacher from Himmatnagar, Gujarat, breathed his last peacefully on March
15, 2010. He was 72 years old. He served many courses throughout India.
Mr. Jaya Ram Ranjitkar, senior assistant teacher from Nepal, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2010. He was
68 years old and had been unwell for quite some time. Mr. Ranjitkar devoted all his time after retirement to Vipas-
sana and conducted many courses in Nepal. His family is also involved in Dhamma service.
Mr. Sureshchandra Kathane, Vipassana teacher, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2010, in Mumbai. He
conducted many courses throughout India and served Dhamma Ketu, the Vipassana center near Raipur, since its inception. Mr. Kathane had been suffering from cancer for many years and endured this illness with great
equanimity.
Daw Win Kyi, Vipassana teacher from Mandalay, Myanmar, passed away peacefully on May 18, 2010, while con-
ducting a 30-day course at Dhamma Makuṭa. She conducted many courses in Myanmar and served as the center
teacher of Dhamma Maṇdala, Dhamma Maṇḍapa and Dhamma Mahimā since 2007.
May they all be happy, peaceful and liberated.
Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapuñño ubhayattha nandati;
puññaṃ me katanti nandati, bhiyyo nandati suggatiṃ gato. — Dhammapada 18
Here one is happy, here after one is happy, The doer of good deeds is happy in both existences.
"Good have I done"--thinking thus he is happy, He is happier still when he goes to a blissful state.
6. Mr. Suresh Khanna, India (Jaipur), to serve
Dhamma Pubbaja, Churu
Senior Assistant Teachers
1. Mr. Ping-San Wang, Taiwan, to assist the area
teachers in serving Dhammodaya
2. Mrs. Sumedha Varma, India (Pune), to assist area
teachers in Pune
New Responsibilities
Bhikkhu Ācaryas
Ven. Bhikkhu Chamroeun Chhuon, Cambodia
Ācariyas
1. Mrs. Sheeladevi Chaurasia, India (Kolkata), to serve northeastern states of India (including Sik-
kim and Siliguri) and north Bengal (Darjeeling)
2. Ms. Gayatri Balkrishnan, India (Igatpuri), to serve
Dhamma Ketana, Kerala
Africa
New Appointment
Senior Assistant Teacher
Ms. Shanti Mather, South Africa
Asia Additional Responsibilities
Ācariyas
1. Mr. George Hsiao, Taiwan, to serve Taiwan, in-
cluding Dhammodaya, and Korea, and to assist the area teachers to serve the People's Republic of
China
2. Dr. Roop & Mrs. Beena Jyoti, to serve Nepal
3. Daw Nini Shwe (Sushila), to serve Myanmar
4. Mr. Ashok & Mrs. Uma Kela, India (Bhopal), to
serve Dhamma Mālavā, Indore
5. Ms. Priti Dedhia, India (Mumba)i, to serve Dhamma Vāhinī, Titwala
Appointments and New Responsibilities
(through October 2010)
(Continued on the next two pages)
11
Senior Assistant Teachers
1. Mr. Samir Patel, Dhamma Giri / UK
2. Mr. Baburao Kasture, India (Aurangabad)
3. Mr. C. V. Mohana Krishnan, India (Chennai)
4. Mrs. Saroja Ramachandran, India (Chennai)
5. U Tin Shwe, Myanmar
6. Dr Myo Aung & Daw Khin Than Hmi, Myanmar
7. U Kyi Thein & Daw Tin Tin Yee, Myanmar
8. Mrs. Saraswati Satya, India (Mysore)
9. Mr. Himatlal Joshi, India (Gandhidham)
10. Mr. V. Santhanagopalan, India (Chennai)
11. Daw Wai Wai, Myanmar
12. Daw Myat Lay Khaines, Myanmar
13. Mrs. Nani Chhori Bajracharya, Nepal
14. Mr. Gyanu Raja Bajracharya, Nepal
15. Mr. Mahendra Muni Bajracharya, Nepal
16. Mr. Akkal Dhwaj Gurung, Nepal
17. Dr. (Mrs.) Keshari Manandhar, Nepal
18. Mrs. Laxmi Manandhar, Nepal
19. Mr. Dharma Man Newa, Nepal
20. Mrs. Sharda Ranjitkar, Nepal
21. Ms. Ratna Devi Shakya, Nepal
22. Mrs. Roshani Shakya, Nepal
23. Mrs. Urmila Shakya, Nepal
24. Anagarika Sujata, Nepal
25. Mr. Basant Kumar Tamang, Nepal
26. Mr. Bhimbar Singh Thapa, Nepal
27. Mr. Sharda Man & Mrs. Tara Shakya, Nepal
28. Mr. Haridas Meshram, India (Balaghat)
29. Mr. Ashok Kumar Khobragade, India (Balaghat)
30. Mr. Sachin Natu, India (Pune)
31. Mr. Ram Swarup Bharati, India (Guna)
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers
1. Mr. V. Aravind, India (Chennai)
2. Dr. Dilip & Mrs. Satyakala Jadhav, India
(Ambajogai)
3. Mr. Sudhakar Khaire, India (Chhattisgarh)
4. Mr. Muthuswamy, India (Erode)
5. Mrs. V. Padmini, India (Chennai)
6. Mr. Shrikant S. Patil, India (Shegaon)
Appointments and New Responsibilities
7. Mr. Ramesh Jain, India (Aurangabad)
8. Mrs. Boondee Arkkasirisathavorn, Thailand
9. Mr. Ramdeen Ahirwar, India (Bhopal)
10. Mr. Dinesh Joshi, India (Bharuch)
11. Mrs. Pramila Khante, India (Nagpur)
12. Mrs. Rema Nair, India (Thane)
13. Dr. (Ms.) Usha P. Patel, Anand, India (Gujarat)
14. Mrs. Urvashi Upendra Patel, India (Mehsana)
15. Mrs. Minaxi Manhar Shah, India (Vadodara)
16. Mr. Bik-Boen Tan, Indonesia
17. Mr. Kishor Ranwala, India (Gandhidham)
18. Mrs. Dayaben Dedhia, India (Mumbai)
19. Mrs. Hemlata Dixit, India (Mumbai)
20. Mr. Uday Sekhar, India (Bangalore)
21. Mr. G. V. Subrahmanyam, India (Hyderabad)
22. Mrs. B. Padmaja, India (Hyderabad)
23. Mrs. S. Jayalakshmi, India (Hyderabad)
24. Mr. Ramulu Pogula, India (Mahaboobnagar)
25. Mr. Sarveshwar Kondapuram, India
(Secunderabad)
26. Mr. Srinivas Charyulu, India (Hyderabad)
27. Mr James Fung, Singapore
28. Mr. Gobind & Mrs. Beena Agarwal, India
(Mumbai)
29. Mr. Dineshchandra Deshmukh, India (Nagpur)
30. Mr. Itamar Sofer & Mrs. Jung Im Jung, Korea/
Israel
31. Mr. Kang Young-uk, Korea
32. Mr. Narendra Bharwada, India (Surat)
33. Ms. Kanmanee Phoophakdee, Thailand
34. Mrs. Rama Agnihotri, India (Bangalore)
35. Mr. Kashinath Kulburgi, India (Kolhapur)
36. Mr. K. Krishna Murthy, India (Hyderabad)
Americas
Additional Responsibilities
Ācariya
Mr. Bill Hart, to serve Canada
Senior Assistant Teachers
Mr. Dennis & Mrs. Louie Austin, USA, to assist
center teachers in serving Dhamma Pakāsa
12
New Responsibilities
Ācariyas
Mr. Narayandas & Mrs. Meena Saparia, Canada, to
serve Dhamma
Senior Assistant Teachers
1. Mr. Scott Corley & Mrs. Kathleen O’Grady, USA
2. Mr. John & Mrs. Cindy Pinch, USA
3. Mr. Dennis Ferman, USA
4. Mr. Riban Ulrich, USA
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers
1. Mr. Rahul Vaid, USA
2. Mrs. Judith Alper, USA
3. Mrs. Marla Sutherland, USA
4. Mr. Jose Silvestre Garcia-Zagal & Mrs. Claire
Joysmith, Mexico
5. Mr. Rashmi & Mrs. Gita Desai, USA
6. Mr. John & Mrs. Marika Suval, USA
7. Ms. Leila Macedo, Brazil
8. Mrs. Judy Barta, USA
9. Mr. Baban Naik, USA
10. Ms. Barbara Huffsmith, USA
11. Mrs. Kulwadee (Lee) Acers, USA
12. Mrs. Cailen Richardsen, USA
13. Mrs. Rashmi Shanker, USA
Appointments and New Responsibilities
14. Mr. Tom Fantini, USA
15. Ms. Patricia Healy, USA
Australia / New Zealand
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers
1. Mrs. Sheela Mahajan, Australia
2. Mrs. Canny Kinloch, Australia
3. Ms. Anna Forsyth, New Zealand
Europe
New Responsibilities
Senior Assistant Teachers
1.Mr. Samir Patel, Dhamma Giri / UK
2.Mrs. Ann Aston, UK
3.Mr. Patrick Elder, UK
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers
1. Ms. Veerle Offerhaus, Belgium
2. Mr. David Fumadó Dubé, Spain
3. Mr. Johan Skaar, Norway
4. Mr. Sascha Jaiser, Germany
5. Mrs. Nanette Kurz, Germany
6. Mr. Philippe Fromont & Mrs. Marianne Guignard,
Switzerland
7. Dr. (Ms.) Gosia Myc, Poland
8. Mr. Eric Garcia, Spain