Dhammodaya in Taichung is the first Vipassana meditation center in Taiwan. Goenkaji and Mataji visited Dhammodaya in August 1998, and led a 3-day course for old students. The importance of establishing a new center was certainly not lost on the Teacher, who has said to the effect that the establishment of a center ushers in a new stage in the dissemination of Dhamma. It is essential to keep focusing on Dhamma while we pursue further development of Dhammodaya, one of the many centers around the world dedicated to the practice of Vipassana as taught by S. N. Goenka, so as to preserve Dhamma in its pristine purity.
Dhammodaya has offered Vipassana courses continuously for over two decades, ever since its inception. Each year there are about 25 to 30 ten-day and other courses, with about 60 students for each course. In total, some 30,000 students have attended Vipassana courses in Dhammodaya. Whether people come here to sit or serve a course, they all endeavor to purify themselves by meditating and keeping perfect precepts.
The facilities of Dhammodaya have become weather-beaten and run-down, having encountered earthquakes, fires, floods and typhoons in all these years. For the past decade, old students have been pushing for the reconstruction of the center, in order to provide meditators with a better and safer environment conducive to tranquil meditation.
To everyone’s delight, the reconstruction plan of Dhammodaya was finally approved by the Taichung City Government in Dec 2018. The construction work which is expected to last for 12 to 15 months is beginnig from May, 2024.
Outlines of the Reconstruction Plan:
The new center will continue to focus on providing 10-day courses.
Capacity is about 100 students for each course, with about 60 female students and 36 male students, in addition to about 20 servers.
There will be a total of eight buildings, including main Dhamma hall, mini Dhamma hall, one male student dormitory, two female student dormitories, kitchen and dining hall, office, etc.
The buildings will be in reinforced concrete, with simple and practical design plans. Most buildings will come with all-weather corridors. The trees in the campus will be preserved as much as possible.
First phase reconstruction work including dismantling existing buildings and ground leveling is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter 2019.
The estimated cost of completing the new center is about NT 156 million dollars.
To donate or make a personal loan, please go to the Old Student page.