Help Establish Dhamma Ariya, Central America's First Vipassana Center

A seed of Dhamma has been planted in the heart of Central America. We have a wonderful opportunity to help it grow.

In 2021, with the support of old students, Asociación Vipassana Costa Rica (AVCR) purchased a piece of land of approximately 34 acres in the Orosi Valley, adjacent to a large national park that connects to several other national parks — which together create the largest protected reserve in Central America. While very pristine, the location is just a 75 minute drive from San Jose, Costa Rica's capital; and just 25 minutes away from Cartago, the old capital city of the country.

The volition of many has already brought the center, Dhamma Ariya (the Noble Dhamma), to life. In May 2023, construction began, and through the dedicated service of many old students, simple dorms, dining facilities, toilets and washrooms were completed. This remarkable effort allowed the first 3-day course to be held in December 2023 and the first 10-day course in April 2025, two significant milestones for the region.

Now, we have the opportunity to help complete the next crucial step: building a proper Dhamma hall. A small wooden building has served as a temporary meditation space, but its size and structure are no longer adequate. The planned new hall will accommodate up to 50 meditators (40 students and 10 servers), and is designed in a mindful way: once a permanent Dhamma hall is built higher up on the land, this initial structure can be converted into 14 private rooms.

This phase marks a major milestone—the completion of core infrastructure necessary for holding regular 10-day courses for both new and old students. This is a precious chance to help establish a place where many more people can receive the wonderful teachings of Dhamma. VCF is partnering with Dhamma Ariya, based on the volition of old students, to support the completion of this noble project.

How to support

Volunteer your time and skills

Much of the progress so far has been thanks to dedicated Dhamma servers. We warmly welcome volunteers to help build the Dhamma Hall, maintaining a meditative atmosphere with daily group sittings. Natural building techniques are being used, and all levels of experience are welcome.

Offer Dana

Every offering—large or small—supports this collective effort and helps bring the Dhamma closer to meditators in Central America.

Offer loan

If you’re interested in supporting the center through a loan, please contact us directly for more information.

With mettā, let us join together to help Dhamma Ariya take root and grow for the benefit of many.

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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.

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