in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Course Schedule
Centre Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English / Portuguese
Dhamma Sarana is located in Santana de Parnaíba, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from downtown São Paulo. The property covers a total of 196 hectares (484 acres). Environmental legislation protects most of this land from development, leaving around five hectares (12 acres) available for construction. The protected land helps to make the center a true refuge.
- 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.
Associação Vipassana de São Paulo
Physical Address: Rua Nhambu s/n, Fazenda Santa Helena, Rancho Tucsons, Santana de Parnaíba- São Paulo- CEP 06511-050
Postal Address: Caixa Postal, 54 - - Santana de Parnaíba - São Paulo, Brasil
e-mail: [email protected] / www.sarana.dhamma.org
Phone/whatsapp: [+55] (19) 98190-3715 ou [+55] (19) 98176-5198
| All Brazil Courses | Minas Gerais | Nordeste | Parana | Planalto Central (Brasilia) | Dhamma Santi (Rio de Janeiro) |
Students of 10-Day courses (non servers): priority granted to new students and old students who haven’t sat recently.
Opening inscriptions schedule: on the stipulated date, approximately at 5 a.m. local time (Brasília Standard Time).
Always check your SPAM folder or you could miss important e-mails.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
| Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply | 16 Nov | Children / Teens | Girls - Wait List Boys - Open Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
Anapana meditation course for young people between 8 and 12 years old |
| Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jan | Children / Teens | Applications accepted starting 19 Dec | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
Anapana course for teenagers between 13 and 17 years old |
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| 19 Jul | Children / Teens | Applications accepted starting 19 Jun | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
Anapana course for children between 8 and 12 years old |
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
| Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Oct - 19 Oct | 10-Day | Completed | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | ||
| 19 Oct | 1-Day | In Progress | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| 19 Oct - 22 Oct | Work Period | In Progress | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| Apply | 22 Oct - 02 Nov | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Wait List Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | |
| Apply | 02 Nov - 05 Nov | Work Period | Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
| Apply | 05 Nov - 16 Nov | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Wait List Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | |
| Apply | 16 Nov - 19 Nov | Work Period | Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
| Apply | 19 Nov - 30 Nov | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Open Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | |
| 30 Nov | 1-Day | Applications accepted starting 31 Oct | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 30 Nov - 03 Dec | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 31 Oct | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| Apply | 03 Dec - 14 Dec | 10-Day | Women - Closed Men - Open Servers - Open | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | |
| 14 Dec - 17 Dec | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 14 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 17 Dec - 20 Dec | 3-Day | Applications accepted starting 17 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students This course will end around 5p.m. on the last day. |
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| 21 Dec - 26 Dec | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 21 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| 26 December, 2025 - 06 January, 2026 | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting 31 Oct | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For this course we will give priority to new students and old students that have not sat any course during 2025. |
| Attend / Serve | Dates | Course Type | Status | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Jan - 07 Jan | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 07 Dec | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| 07 Jan - 18 Jan | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting 10 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | ||
| 18 Jan - 21 Jan | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 19 Dec | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 21 Jan - 01 Feb | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting 21 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | ||
| 01 Feb - 11 Feb | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 02 Jan | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 11 Feb - 22 Feb | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting 13 Dec | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | ||
| 22 Feb - 25 Feb | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 23 Jan | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 25 Feb - 08 Mar | 10-Day | Applications accepted starting 26 Dec | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo | ||
| 08 Mar - 25 Mar | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 06 Feb | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
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| 12 Mar - 15 Mar | 3-Day | Applications accepted starting 20 Jan | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students The course ends on the 3rd day around 5 p.m. |
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| 16 Mar - 21 Mar | Work Period | Applications accepted starting 14 Feb | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students |
|
| 21 Mar - 05 Apr |
14-days gratitude course. |
Applications accepted starting 21 Nov | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
Old Student Course Qualification Requirements The basic 14-Day Gratitude course requirements: Active old students providing service, have sat at least one Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and three 10-Day courses. However, those requirements do not guarantee your admission to the course. |
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| 05 Apr | Old Student Program | Applications accepted starting 06 Mar | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
For old students Open House; 10 years celebration Dhamma Sarana |
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| 08 Apr - 19 Apr | Executive Course | Applications accepted starting 09 Mar | Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo |
To access the Old Student Regional Site please click https://sarana.dhamma.org/pt-BR/old-students/. 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.
10-day Courses are an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. The courses begin after a 2 - 4 pm registration period and orientation, followed by 10 full days of meditation, and end the morning of the 11th day by 7:30 am.
10-day Executive Courses are an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation especially for business executives and government officials where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. For more information please visit the Executive course website. The courses begin after a 2-4 pm registration period and orientation, followed by 10 full days of meditation, and end the morning of the 11th day by 7:30am.
Children's Anapana Courses are open for all children aged 8-12 years old who wish to learn to meditate. Their parents/guardians do not have to be meditators.
Teenagers' Anapana Courses are open for all teenagers aged 13-18 years old who wish to learn to meditate. Their parents/guardians do not have to be meditators.
Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Old Student Short Courses (1-3 days) are for any student who has completed the 10-day course with S.N. Goenka and his assistant teachers. All old students are welcome to apply to attend these courses, including those where it has been some time since their last course.
Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Old Student Programs are similar to Service Periods where there is time to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects, but have a more full and structured program, an opportunity to meet with assistant teachers, and possibly committee and trust meetings. All Old Students are welcome to participate. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods and in the evening there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.
Work Periods have been set aside to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects. All Old Students are welcome to apply. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods. On selected evenings, there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.
Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
The 14-Day Gratitude Course was previously called the Teacher's Self Course. One of the qualities we develop as we meditate is gratitude - gratitude towards one’s teachers, Goenkaji and Mataji, and towards the long tradition of Vipassana teachers, right back to the Buddha.
The course is open to old students who are active in giving service. Requirements include 3 x 10day courses plus one Satipaṭṭhāna course, being active in Dhamma service, trying to maintain two-hour daily practice since last 10-Day course, and trying to maintain the five precepts to the best of one's ability. Local teacher’s recommendation is required. The course follows the usual format of 3x group sittings with instructions in the day, but students work more independently and the teaching materials are drawn from the 20-day course. This is a half-way step to help students mature for long courses, and serves to inspire students to work more deeply in Dhamma.
Applications must be submitted well in advance as processing may take some time. Students who speak neither English nor one of the other announced course languages may apply for the course, however acceptance into the course will depend on the availability of required course materials, suitable translators and permission of the teacher conducting the course.
