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Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center

Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center now sits on 102 acres of forest in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Dhamma Sukha means "Happy Teachings". It's very green and full of flowers here now! This is a very one-on-one training opportunity and its a specialized training style very close to the Pali suttas. You could easily feel like you have fallen back in time to the first monks with the Buddha teaching! When you learn this practice you will smile more easily in life and, in general, learn about a great tool for lifes toolbox!

So far on the 30 acres for the monastery and meditation center, there are 5 cabins here for about 15 persons max in personal retreat at one time. Each cabin can have 3-4 people or end up with less AND you can camp with a tent but it can get real hot this way. 9although fans are possible for in a tent. There are fans AND A/C in teh cabins for summertime and gas propane heaters for the winter time. There is one cabin set aside for long term stays of 1-3 months AND there is a special Disability/Elder/mobility issues cabin beside the bathroom building.

The principle meditation teacher is Most Ven. "Bhante" Vimalaramsi. He is an American Mahathera monk ( over 20 yrs) who was trained originally through the Theravadan Burmese Forest Tradition. After 12 years in Asia, having figured out a unique way of presenting the training using drills and explanations from the Pali Texts, he returned to the USA to share what he found. He didn't realize how different it was going to seem to those who were studying at the time. Today vast numbers of people from many countries in the world study with him, via the internet retreats and guidance materials, individual coaching, and various retreats around the world given each year. Then many move on to the center for personal training. there are programs to learn to teach or to lead groups using this practice. Support materials are steadily being developed.

When you study with Ven. Vimalaramsi and his senior student, Rev. Sister Khema ( she has been studying with him for over 10 years now and is a novice nun moving towards full ordination), you will find a real down home American experience to this. You are challenged to ask questions at evening dhamma talks each night and to share a daily report of whats going on in your practice each day. You really stay on track and make terrific progress by sharing new developments and getting answers on the spot. Everything is very easy to understand. DEfinitions of things do not contradict themselves and are easy to learn and remember. AND this is a really good place for foreign monastics to learn Dhamma English if they want to effectively teach Americans the Dhamma regardless of what practice they teach.

Monks often come in to assist with Pali classes and Buddhist History while they themselves study Dhamma English and test out this unique approach to Buddhist Meditaiton that offers Samatha and Vipassana, (Serenity and Insight) yoked together as directed within the texts! The results of this practice are so far remarkable and VERY useful in daily life by those who follow instructions and keep it going. most of all its fun to learn and young people find it very useful in life too.

Some Sri Lankan communities and Vietnamese peoples have now remarked on how well this practice bring understanding to how the Buddha meant for us to be happy in life and how to let go of our suffering through better understanding of how things actually work. People are finding wonderful changes in themselves, their daily lives, including relationships which, when you get right down to it, is what this is all about in this lifetime isn't it? <grin>

I hope you will come out and join us this summer between now and October as we continue expanding the center into a new Dhamma Village and get involved with this new/old approach to the Right Effort/6Rs practice of Buddhist Meditation.

Please visit www.dhammasukha.org and find the Dhamma talks and give a listen to the Beginners talks and you wil find a whole new opening to the doorway to Peaceful living through using Buddhist Meditation and taking it into your life.

Much Metta and smiles to you! Rev. Sister Khema Administrator for DSMC and Chairperson for UIBDS United International Buddha Dhamma Society email: sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org for more information.

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