Category: Vipassana retreats
Haus der Besinnung, Switzerland
May 27 – June 6, 2025: Vipassana retreat with Sayadaw U Vivekananda and Sayalay Daw Vimalañani at Haus der Besinnung.
10-day Vipassana retreats Doetinchem (Netherlands)
Vipassana (Mahasi method) with Guus Went and Jerome Stoel. Dutch spoken.
Abdijhoeve, Doetinchem, Netherlands.
July 28 – August 8, 2025
Tathagata Meditation Centre – TMC (California, USA)
Tathagata Meditation Center in San José, California, established in 1991 by Vietnamese Americans. Here the Mahasi technique is being taught and practiced as it was taught by Sayadaw U Pandita. Sayadaw U Thuzana, the current head monk of this centre, is annually teaching in centre Dhammaramsi in Belgium (see above).
June 1 – 30: 30-day Special Retreat with Sayadaw U Thuzana.
August 31 – October 30: 60-day Special Retreat with Sayadaw U Thuzana.
Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha (Myanmar)
Established in 1950, in this place, Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, the Mahasi Sayadaw has been teaching until his passing away 1982, and subsequently his successor Sayadaw U Pandita until 1990.
Panditarama Forest Meditation Centre
Forest centre in Myanmar (Burma), established 1993 by Sayadaw U Pandita (1921 – 2016).
Registration for the 60-Day Special Retreat for 2024-2025 is not available at this time.
However, the Panditarama Meditation Center in Yangon and the Hse Main Gon Forest Meditation Center in Bago, Myanmar are now accepting international meditators on an individual basis if their applications are approved.
Panditarama Lumbini
Centre in the Buddha’s birthplace (Lumbini, Nepal) under the guidance of Sayadaw U Vivekananda (Germany, 1956) and Burmese nun Sayalay Bhadda Manika (1955). They were both students of Sayadaw U Pandita (1921 – 2016, Burma), Mahasi Sayadaw’s successor. Every year in April, May and June U Vivekananda uses to go to Europe, Australia or USA for teaching, and Daw Bhadda Manika uses to go to Malaysia or Indonesia. The rest of the year one can apply for a retreat in this centre with a minimum of seven days. Here I went in 2011, 2015 en 2016. See also Facebook page for up-to-date communication and events.
Sayalay Daw Virañani
The American nun Sayalay Daw Virañani was ordinated by Sayadaw U Pandita in Myanmar in 2003, and is residing at Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Centre since 2006.
November 4 – December 15, 2024:
October 31 – November 30, 2025:
Ponte dell’Olio, Piacenza, Italia
Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani at Pian dei Ciliegi.
U Vivekananda and Daw Bhaddamanika in Saint Agnan (France)
June 21 – July 5, 2025, German monk Sayadaw U Vivekananda and Burmese nun Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika will conduct a retreat at Sakyamuni, Saint Agnan (100 kilometers south-east of Paris.) French/English spoken.
Pian dei Ciliegi (Italy)
Pian dei Ciliegi (Garden of Cherries) is a retreat centre in the hilly country near Piacenza in Northern-Italy. An excellent opportunity for a first meeting with Asian-style teachers in Europe, like Sayadaw U Vivekananda.
June 13 – 28, 2025: Vipassana retreat with Bhante Gavesi.
October 31 – November 30, 2025: Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani.
Satipanya Buddhist Retreat (Wales, UK)
April 26 – May 24: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Noirin Sheahan
June 7 – 21: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Bhante Bodhidhamma
June 21 – July 19: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Noirin Sheahan
July 19 – August 2: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Bhante Bodhidhamma
August 2 – 16: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Sayalay Vajirañani
August 16 – September 13: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Noirin Sheahan
October 11 – 25: Mahasi Retreat with Guus Went