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Dhamma PatākāVipassana Meditation

Worcester · Western Cape · South Africa

Dhamma Patākā

To see things as they really are.

Ten-day residential courses in Vipassana meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Courses are open to anyone willing to follow the discipline, and run entirely on donations.

Apply for a course View course dates
About Vipassana

An ancient technique, taught without ritual or belief

Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is one of India's oldest meditation techniques, rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago and taught as a remedy for the suffering everyone shares.

The practice is self-purification through self-observation. Students begin by calming the mind with attention on natural breath, then use that sharpened awareness to observe the changing nature of body and mind. Over ten days this develops into a practical, non-sectarian skill for daily life.

The technique is taught in a structured ten-day residential course, where students follow a code of discipline, keep noble silence and work steadily from early morning to evening.

Read more about Vipassana

Sīla
Moral conduct. Students keep five precepts for the course, which quiets the mind enough to observe it.The foundation
Samādhi
Concentration, developed through Ānāpāna: attention on the breath as it comes and goes.Days one to three
Paññā
Wisdom that arises from direct experience, as Vipassana itself is practised.Day four onward
The ten-day course

What a day at the centre looks like

The timetable is the same at every centre in the tradition. It is demanding, and it is designed that way so the practice can go deep.

Daily timetable

  1. Morning wake-up bell
  2. Meditate in the hall or your room
  3. Breakfast and rest
  4. Group sitting in the hall
  5. Meditate as instructed
  6. Lunch
  7. Rest and time with the teacher
  8. Meditate in the hall or your room
  9. Group sitting in the hall
  10. Meditate as instructed
  11. Tea break
  12. Group sitting in the hall
  13. Evening discourse
  14. Group sitting in the hall
  15. Questions in the hall
  16. Retire to your room

How to apply

  1. Read the Code of Discipline

    It explains the precepts, noble silence and the commitment to stay all ten days. Read it here.

  2. Choose your dates

    Pick a course from the schedule. Ten-day courses fill quickly, so apply early. See the schedule.

  3. Submit the online form

    Complete the application honestly and in full. The centre reviews every form before confirming a place.

  4. Prepare for arrival

    Check what to bring, arrange transport and plan to arrive on day zero in the afternoon. What to bring.

Admission is at the centre's discretion and a place is confirmed only once your application is accepted. If you have questions about mental or physical readiness, read the readiness guidance before applying.

Explore

Everything you need before, during and after a course

Students and servers at Dhamma Patākā with the mountains behind
Below the Audenberg, Breede Valley
About the centre

Africa's first Vipassana centre

Dhamma Patākā sits at the end of a quiet road outside Worcester, held in a half-circle of mountains above the Breede Valley. The property was once a holiday resort called Rustig, Afrikaans for "peaceful". It has trees, water and fruit orchards, with space for walking between sittings.

Most students stay in renovated single rooms with their own bathroom. The meditation hall occupies the original farmhouse. The centre is owned and run by the Vipassana Association of South Africa Trust, a registered public benefit organisation.

2005Opened in February, one of over 200 centres worldwide
~90Students per course, with 14 volunteer servers
7.5 haOf grounds, supplied by deep boreholes
1,700 mThe Audenberg peak rising behind the property
Dāna · Course finances

Given freely, sustained by gratitude

R3,900Average cost per student, per course

There is no charge for courses. Food, lodging and running costs are covered by donations from students who have completed a course and wish to give others the same opportunity. Teachers and volunteers receive no payment. If you are a new student, you are welcome to give on the last day or after, whatever amount feels right.

Make a donation
Travel

Getting here

The centre is near Worcester in the Western Cape, about 130 km from Cape Town and roughly 7 km off the N1. You can arrive by car, bus or train. Independent shuttle operators run from Cape Town, the airport and Worcester town.

Contact

Get in touch

For questions about applications, courses or volunteering, message the centre on WhatsApp or use the contact form.