Help Support Vipassana in Puerto Rico

Vipassana meditation is re-establishing a living presence in Puerto Rico, grounded in committed old students and growing steadily through regular practice and Dhamma service.

In recent months, old students on the island have begun meeting weekly for group sittings, hosted in private homes. This emergent community includes long-time practitioners as well as newer old students who have begun practicing Vipassana within the last year. Of the known old students currently living in Puerto Rico, a large percentage are now attending weekly sittings, with interest continuing to grow.

A few years ago, Assistant Teachers supported the offering of Vipassana courses in Puerto Rico, but for a variety of logistical reasons the local community dispersed. What is happening now feels different: smaller, steadier, and rooted in regular practice rather than one-time events.

Alongside weekly sittings, the community has:

• Created a Vipassana PR Facebook page to share information with the broader public, and help old students be in contact

• Established a WhatsApp group for old students to coordinate sittings and communication

• Worked closely with Dhamma Dharā (Massachusetts) to support Puerto Rican students interested in sitting 10-day courses

15 new students who live in Puerto Rico came for their first courses in 2025!

Recent Momentum

In 2025, dana was offered specifically to support Vipassana in Puerto Rico. These funds were used to sponsor 15 new students, covering transportation so they could attend a 10-day course at Dhamma Dharā in Massachusetts. Nearly all completed the course and reported strong benefit. Many of these students are now practicing together regularly on the island.

Old students currently sit weekly in San Juan, with plans to expand sittings as additional hosts and locations become available.

Weekly Group Sitting – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Contact: Juan Carlos Rivera-Ramos

Phone: 787-300-1152

Email: juancarlosriveraramos24@gmail.com

Looking Ahead

The Puerto Rico community has recently identified a potential site to host 1-day, 3-day and eventually 10-day courses, as well as outreach events for new students. This location will require some work before it is ready for a course. The local team plans to have a few “Dhamma Service Days” in February, 2026.

Most excitingly, a 3-day course for old students is scheduled for March 23–27, 2026. This course will serve as a test run for a possible longer-term facility on the island. If conditions are supportive, the community is optimistic about offering a full 10-day course for new students in Puerto Rico later in 2026.

The local team will also host an outreach event at a local University in San Juan in late March, 2026 for new students where they will learn about courses, and the basics of the technique of anapana meditation.

As always, the success of these efforts depends on committed servers and careful, step-by-step growth.

How Dana Will Be Used

Dana offered to support Vipassana in Puerto Rico will be used for:

• Modest facility upkeep and preparation for group sittings and short courses

• Transportation support for students and servers

• Course-related costs for 1-day, 3-day, and future 10-day courses

• Outreach and coordination to support a stable, long-term presence on the island

Your generosity helps ensure that Vipassana can take root in Puerto Rico in a way that is sustainable, grounded, and accessible to those who sincerely wish to practice.

MAKE A DONATION

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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.