From March 1-30, 2025

   - 15 nights – From February 28 (5 pm-9 pm) to March 15 (before Noon)

    - 15 nights – From March 15 (1 pm-8 pm) to March 30

   - 30 nights – From February 28 (5 pm-9 pm) to March 30 

Thư Mời   Registration (English - Viet)

Dhamma talk English, Vietnamese,

Dhamma talk Handout  Retreat Manual 

Food Donation (English - Viet)

Retreat Coordinator: Naing Aay, Tel: (650) 296-2378; Ha Traong, Tel: (510) 579-3951  

Email: tmc.long.retreat@tathagata.org

Meditation Instructions     Retreat Information & Rules

TD Airport Shuttle: (669) 226-2222 thanhducairport@gmail.com

Zoom daily dhamma talk: Meeting ID : 824 5282 3818 (passcode : 491098)

Dear Yogis,

We would like to invite you to participate in a special 30-day Vipassanā intensive retreat under the guidance of Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani at Tathāgata Meditation Center (TMC) from 5 AM March 1 to 12 Noon March 30, 2025.

Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani is one of the great nun-disciples of the late Venerable Sayadawgyi U Pandita of Panditarama Meditation Center in Burma.  She was born as Ramita Shakya in 1972 in Patan, Nepal.  From the age of eleven, she began to study Buddhism and Vipassanā meditation with Venerable Sayagyi Daw Uppalavanna, Chini Guruma. Subsequently, Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani passed the Pariyatti Saddhamma Palaka examination, organized by the All Nepal Bhikkhu Association. In her scholastic education, she also completed the Intermediate of Science, from Tri Chandra College, Kathmandu. In 1990, she first practiced Vipassanā meditation under the guidance of Venerable Sayadawgyi U Pandita when he conducted a one-month retreat at International Buddhist Meditation Center (IBMC) in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Inspired by her teacher Chini Guruma and Nepal Sayadaw U Nyanapunnika, she went to Burma in 1991 and ordained as a nun under Sayadawgyi U Pandita. It was under his tutelage that she learned the Buddhist scriptures and developed further her meditation practice.

Exceptionally intelligent, Sayagyi Daw Vimalanyani passed the first, second and fourth level of the government Pali examinations with the highest marks, earning first place in the entire nation of Burma among the nuns. She also sat for the examinations held by the Sasana Hitakari Nuns Association, gaining first place in almost every level. She achieved the Sasana-Hitakari Dhammacariya degree in 1998 and earned the Sasanadhaja Dhammacariya degree.

      After having concluded her own study and practice, she stayed at Panditarama Meditation Center for seventeen years where she taught Buddhist Pāli scriptures at all levels to her fellow nuns, assisted Sayadawgyi U Pandita as a translator in interviewing foreign yogis and carried out various administrative tasks.  Beginning in 2001, Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani began accompanying Sayadawgyi U Pandita as a translator on his various Dhamma missions around the world. Her first trip was to Nepal when he conducted retreats in Kathmandu and Lumbini. Subsequently she accompanied Sayadawgyi to America when he conducted retreats at Tathāgata Meditation Center (TMC) and the Forest Refuge. From that time on she traveled with Sayadawgyi to various countries.

In 2006, Sayadawgyi U Pandita appointed her as a meditation teacher during the 60-Day International Special Retreat for Foreign Yogis at Panditarama Forest Center. Since then, she has been teaching Vipassanā meditationin Myanmar and other countries such as America, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Slovakia and Nepal. She has also made pilgrimage to historical Buddhist sites in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Her translations include the Pali texts Cula-niddesa, Yamaka, 6th book of the Abhidhamma, Itivuttaka and Satipatthana by Sayadawgyi U Pandita. She is currently translating the Pāli text Mahavagga, the third book of Samyutta Nikāya, (kindred sayings) to the Nepali language.

Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani currently resides at International Buddhist Meditation Center (IBMC) in Kathmandu, Nepal where she continues to spread the light of the sasana.

The retreat program consists of Vipassanā meditation practice, Dhamma talks, and interviews.  The daily practice during the retreat starts at 5 A.M. and ends at 10 P.M.    Interested yogis should fill out the enclosed registration form and mail it back with full retreat fees to TMC as soon as possible.  The center will inform yogis about their status within two weeks after receiving their applications or by February 15, 2025.

Once accepted, please bring sleeping bag or blanket, a bottle, and other daily necessities with you when coming to the retreat.  For full-time yogis, please check in between 5 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. on February 28, 2025.   Room assignment and orientation packet will be handed out upon checking in with the TMC’s retreat coordinator or registrar at the office.

Should you have any questions regarding the retreat, please contact Naing Aay at 650-296-2378, Ha Troung at 510-579-3951 or email to: tmc.long.retreat@tathagata.org

May you all be well, happy, and peaceful!

        In Metta,

        Tathāgata Meditation Center