Help secure the first long-course center for the Asia-Pacific region.
Dhamma Rasa: The Time is Ripening
Dhamma Rasa, “The Nectar of Dhamma”, is the name of the planned long course center in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the long-established Dhamma Rasmi.
The demand for places on long courses exceeds what centers in the region can offer. As more people want to experience long Vipassana courses, Dhamma Rasa will ensure the spread of Dhamma for generations to come.
The settlement date for the Dhamma Rasa land is the 15th of January. Thanks to the generosity of old students, the trust has received significant donations towards the AUD$2.2 million (US$1.5 million) goal. In November 2024 about 74% was raised from the sum, but you can see the up to date progress on the Dhamma Rasa website. Any contribution will help secure this remarkable opportunity and bring this invaluable long course center to life.
Inspired by Generosity
Anathapindika is a shining example of generosity from the time of the Buddha. He donated the large center called Jetavana at Shravasti to the Buddha and his students. Goenkaji tells his story in the 10-day discourses.
Inspired by his experience of Dhamma upon meeting the Buddha, the wealthy merchant Anathapindika wanted to give the Buddha and his students a site to live and meditate.
Prince Jeta’s park near Savatthi (now Shrasvasti) was an ideal location, but the Prince refused to sell. “You would have to cover the entire land with gold sovereigns”, was the price given to dismiss the merchant.
Yet Anathapindika immediately accepted, and began to cover the land with gold. Overwhelmed by Anathapindika’s generosity, Prince Jeta offered the last part of land as his own donation.
And so Jetavana was born - the center at which the Buddha taught for twenty monsoon seasons, helping countless people come out of suffering.
Donating to Dhamma Rasa
The future Dhamma Rasa encompasses 16 hectares (160,000 square metres). A donation of:
US$9 secures one square metre
US$90 secures ten square metres
US$90,000 donates one hectare
MAKE A DONATION
Australia Long course center Fund
You will receive a U.S. tax-deductible receipt upon donating.
U.S-based individuals can also donate via the PayPal Giving Fund.
Every contribution, big or small, strengthens the Paramī of generosity. Donations to the Dhamma Rasa Trust will secure a long course center for the Asia-Pacific region. For more information about the center and how to donate, visit the Dhamma Rasa website: www.dhammarasa.org
Planning the Long Course Center
The Dhamma Rasa planning committee is designing a center appropriate for long, serious courses.
A large meditation hall and pagoda, a smaller hall and interview rooms, and single, ensuite rooms for all students and servers are among the facilities included in the planning brief which has been prepared and sent to all center teachers in the Asia-Pacific region. Their suggestions are helping form the Dhamma Rasa Master Plan.
Eventually, this Master Plan will be the basis of a Development Application to the local council.
Why a Long Course Center?
A long course center enables serious old students of Vipassana to become more deeply established in Dhamma. Dhamma Rasa will conduct a range of courses for old students: 20-Day, 30-Day, 45-Day and 60-Day courses, as well as Special 10-Day and Satipatthana courses. It will also offer other courses - for example, 3-Day and 10-Day old student courses.
The new center will allow other centers to add more regular 10-Day courses to their schedule, to help meet the growing demand for Dhamma that is arising in the region and around the world.
These courses at the long course center will provide the calm, strong and protected Dhamma atmosphere necessary for students to work for extended periods on the path of purification. May all develop the joy, tranquility and loving-kindness arising from serious Dhamma practice.
Otherwise, any support provided to Dhamma Rasa via the Australia fund* is greatly appreciated. And we thank you in advance for your volition to help support the spread of dhamma globally!
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If you have any problems or questions with your donation you can reach us at donations@vcf.dhamma.org
*Note that VCF can also receive dana in the forms of: cash, check, wire transfer, crypto currency, securities, or other complex donations. Feel free to reach out to us if you would prefer to donate via one of these alternative methods. Also, VCF allocates 2% of any international donations to the admin fund to help cover any operational & legal costs related to international giving.
Aerial image of the 40 acres available to purchase in sub-tropical Queensland, Australia
“This is a historic occasion. People who give dana for building a center are actually giving service not only to those who come here for the first or second course, and not only to the people who will be coming here in a few years. They are planting a seed in this land, where Dhamma will grow; and for coming centuries this land will be a lighthouse of Dhamma.”