Dhamma Group Brussels (Belgium)
Vipassana-retreats in Burmese Mahasi tradition in Dhammaramsi Meditation Centre in Rivière (between Namur and Dinant, Belgium). A few times a year Myanmarese monks and nuns are teaching here who have been trained by Sayadaw U Pandita (1921-2016). Thanks to the generosity of the couple who are the owners of this centre, costs for food and lodging are about half as much as usual in the Netherlands.
See also Facebookpage.
Satipanya Buddhist Retreat (Wales, UK)
2026:
January 10 – 24: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Bhante Bodhidhamma
March 28 – August 1: Ongoing Mahasi Retreat with Noirin Sheahan (28/3 – 11/4 and 20/6 – 18/7), Bhante Bodhidhamma (11/4 – 25/4), Guus Went (25/4 – 9/5), Hui Hui Ng (9/5 – 6/6), Hannes Huber (6/6 – 20/6) and Pierre Gallaz (18/7 – 1/8)
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.
October 31 – November 30, 2025: Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani
April 20 – 30, 2026: Vipassana retreat with Sayadaw U Vivekananda
May 7 – 27, 2026: Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani
June 20 – 30, 2026: Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika
November 1 – 30, 2026: Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani
Sakyamuni, Saint Agnan (France)
July 2 – 16, 2026, 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.
August 20 – 29, 2026, Burmese monk Sayadaw U Vasettha will conduct a retreat at Sakyamuni, Saint Agnan (100 kilometers south-east of Paris.) French/English spoken.
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.
October 31 – November 30, 2025:
May 7 – 27, 2026:
November 1 – 30, 2026:
Ponte dell’Olio, Piacenza, Italia
Vipassana retreat with Sayalay Daw Virañani at Pian dei Ciliegi.
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.
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.
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.
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).
March 1 – 30, 2026: 30-day Special Retreat with Sayalay Daw Vimalañani.
June 1 – 30, 2026: 30-day Special Retreat with Sayadaw U Thuzana.
September 1 – October 30, 2026: 60-day Special Retreat with Sayadaw U Thuzana and Sayadaw U Nyanavudha Tuladhar
Haus der Besinnung, Switzerland
May 4 – 14, 2026: Vipassana retreat with Sayadaw U Vivekananda at Haus der Besinnung.
