Nālandā Dhamma- A Vipassana centre now in Nālandā

For all those who don’t know what Vipassana is: 

Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for all worldly ills. This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. (Read more about Vipassana, the tradition and course)

For the Vipassana practitioners or those who know about it, there is good news!

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (Deemed University) has transformed its sprawling 42 bedded guest house at Nava Nalanda Sanaskritik Gram into a Vipassana meditation center.  A series of 10-day seminar on Vipassana course in Nālandā has begun. The first 10-day course took place on 27^th August to 7^th August 2014. The course was conducted by Achārya Shri S S Tapariaji.   Twenty  eight participants, that include lay and monk students, faculty of NNM and local people participated in the course. The second course from 10^th October to 20^th October, 2014 also saw a good response and participants included three monks, four Vietnamese nuns, students and staff of NNM and community members from villages Ayer-Pathri and Jeṭhian (both ancient places are associated with the Buddha) successfully completed the course.

 

Next  ten-day courses,

1^st to 11th December, 2014

1st February to 12th February, 2015

10th March to 21 March 2015

1st April to 12th April 2015 

Interested seekers may register/ enquire at drdlama@gmail.com, neevda@yahoo.com

Meditation Hall

Participants of the first course

Dining hall

View of the lake by the centre

The objectives of the Nalanda Dhamma Vipassana Center are:

1. Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is a research institute that specialises in the field of Pali and Buddhist studies. It integrates and unfolds knowledge in threefold manner as per the Buddhist tradition namely: Pariyatti (Theoretical Knowledge), Patipatti(Practice) and Pativeda (Experience).  NNM since its inception has not limited itself to the classroom teachings but has reached the wider audience by designing projects, programmes and activities for a seamless convergence of the Pariyatti,Patipatti and Pativedha. The Vipassana centre is conceived to facilitate practice the teachings of the Buddha among its faculty, students, local populace and interested people worldwide. 

2. To facilitate opportunity to the Vipassana mediators worldwide to practice at Nālandā, the place where the Buddha made his sublime wandering and gave important discourses. 

3. To facilitate awareness towards the teachings of the Buddha (Vipassana) among the local community so that Magadha that was a vibrant place in the ancient times and is also synonyms with Buddhacārika (Sublime wandering of the Buddha) attains its past glory.

NNM is encouraging the community from villages like Parwati (ancient Indraśailaguhā), Ayer-pathri (Budhavana), Jeṭhian (ancient Laṭṭhivana), Silāo (Ancient Ambalatthikā) etc to take Vipassana courses. We hope in due time we will have Vipassana practitioners in these villages. Eventually it will help us in facilitating small meditation places at all these places associated with the Buddha.

Many such sacred places associated with the Buddha and his prominent disciples Sāriputta, Mahā Kassapa, Mahā Moggallāna and Ānanda are in a deplorable condition.

Vipassana/ Meditation facility at all these sacred places will allow devout followers and practitioners to practice at these sacred places. This will not only benefit the local community but also facilitate revitalization of sacred traces of the Buddha.

The place

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Sanskritik Gram (also known as Cultural Village) by the Xuanzang Memorial Museum is a sprawling campus situated 1 km away from the site of ancient Nālandā University. Apart from the Vipassana Centre, the Cultural Village also has an artisan village (workshop, haat and accomodation) and open air theatre. Primarily the campus is conceptualized to facilitate sustainable Community-Heritage interface. 

We humbly request like-minded institutions, individuals and patrons of the Dhamma all over the world to help us promote and develop this Centre.

Vipassana Centre (Nalanda Dhamma) by Historic Indra Pushkarni Lake

Nalanda Dhamma-  The Vipassana Center

Xuanzang Memorial Museum, a part of the Campus