in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Course Schedule
Center Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English
The center property, located in Claymont, Delaware, 117 miles south of New York City and 118 miles north of Washington, DC, was purchased in 2013 by the Mid-Atlantic Vipassana Association (MAVA).
MAVA is a non- profit 501(c)3 organization whose sole purpose is providing instruction in Vipassana meditation. In 1997 a group of students in this meditation tradition coordinated the first Vipassana meditation course in the region and formed the Delaware Valley Vipassana Association. In 2002 other students began supporting courses in Virginia, and in 2006 courses began in Chestertown, MD. These courses were conducted in summer camps in the off season. In 2005 the Delaware Valley Vipassana Association changed its name to Mid-Atlantic Vipassana Association with the intention of establishing a permanent center for the region. The MAVA area includes Pennsylvania, southern NJ, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the greater Washington, DC area.
Dhamma Pubbananda means Joy of the East, and is the first urban center in North America. It is situated on 13 acres in a quiet residential neighborhood with easy access to public transportation: bus and Amtrak.
At the time of purchase the property and buildings required extensive renovations. In November 2014 Building 1 was completed and the Center opened with the ability to serve 15 students for 10 Day and 3 Day courses. In December 2016 Building 2 was completed which added a kitchen and two dining halls. Student capacity increased to 60 students and 14 servers.
Currently Phase 3 of the masterplan is underway. This includes completion of Building 3 and 4 which will provide 60 single rooms with en suite bathrooms, and 60 meditation cells. The total number of students will remain at 60 using the current student spaces for administration and server accommodations. Phase 4 will add a new Dhamma Hall and Teacher residences.
Approximately 20 10-day courses are scheduled at Dhamma Pubbananda per year. The Center also offers courses for children and teens, as well as courses for students who have already taken a 10-day course.
- Access the application form by clicking Apply for the desired course. Old students will be given the option to serve.
- Please carefully read the Introduction to the Technique and Code of Discipline which you will be asked to follow during your course.
- Fully and completely fill out all the sections of application form and submit it. An application is required to register for all courses.
- Await notification. All correspondence will be through e-mail if you give an e-mail address in your application. Due to the large volume of applications, it may take up to two weeks before receiving notification.
- If your application is accepted then we require you to confirm you will be attending in order to secure your place in the course.
Dhamma Pubbananda
2901 Green Street, Claymont, DE 19703, USA
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-556-3882 (202-55-METTA)
Coronavirus (COVID-19): We are not currently accepting applications due to the coronavirus pandemic. Check this link for the latest updates on how the center is responding.
A student may apply to only one course at a time in this region regardless of the center location or waiting list status.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
The online application form encrypts your information before it is sent from your computer to our application server. However, it may not be totally secure even though encryption is used. If you are concerned about the possibility of security risks of your confidential information while it is on the Internet, do not use this form and instead download an application. Print and complete it. Then please send the form to the course organizers. By faxing or posting your application form it may delay the registration process by one to two weeks.
To access the Old Student Regional Site please click https://pubbananda.dhamma.org/os. A user name and password will be required to access these pages.
Questions may be addressed to Email: [email protected]
All courses are run solely on a donation basis. All expenses are met by donations from those who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the same opportunity. Neither the Teacher nor the assistant teachers receive remuneration; they and those who serve the courses volunteer their time. Thus Vipassana is offered free from commercialisation.
Old students are those who have completed a 10-day Vipassana Meditation course with S.N. Goenka or his Assistant Teachers. Old students have the opportunity to provide Dhamma Service at the courses listed.
Bilingual courses are courses which are taught in two languages. All students will hear daily meditation instructions in both languages. The evening discourses will be heard separately.
Meditation courses are held at both center and non-center locations. Meditation centers are dedicated facilities where courses are held regularly throughout the year. Before meditation centers were established in this tradition, all courses were held at temporary sites, such as campgrounds, religious retreat centers, churches and the like. Today, in regions where centers have not yet been established by local students of Vipassana who live in the area, 10 Day meditation courses are held at non-center course sites.
