Dhamma Pamoda, near Kibbutz Deganya Bet · 2019
Vipassana, February 2019
If you’re interested in meditation, you’ve probably already heard of S.N. Goenka’s Vipassana courses. In Israel there’s one permanent center that hosts these courses — Dhamma Pamoda, located near Kibbutz Deganya Bet, close to the Sea of Galilee.
I took a ten-day Vipassana course there, and the point of this post is simply to give a clear picture of what the course actually looks like. How you get there, what you do during the day, what you eat, what surprised me, and who I think this experience could be a good fit for.
Why Dhamma Pamoda specifically?
This is the only permanent Vipassana center in Israel that operates according to S.N. Goenka’s method and regularly runs ten-day Vipassana courses. The center has been operating since 2014 and hosts courses year-round.
How do you get there?
The center is located near Kibbutz Deganya Bet, close to the Sea of Galilee, about a two-hour drive from central Israel. The official site has detailed directions and information about course dates.
How much does it cost?
Taking the course is free.
As with all Vipassana courses run in Goenka’s method, all expenses are funded by donations from students who’ve completed at least one course and want to make it possible for others to attend too. At the end of the course you can donate according to your own means and willingness, but there’s no obligation to do so at all.
What does the daily schedule look like?
Most of the day is devoted to meditation.
Between sittings there are short breaks for meals and rest, and the day starts very early and ends in the evening. The schedule barely changes across all ten days.
The food
The food is vegetarian and simple.
At the start you get two meals a day, while returning students make do with one meal a day, following the tradition observed in the courses.
What do you do when you’re not sitting?
Mostly rest.
There’s no physical work like at monasteries, and most of the time between sittings goes toward resting and preparing for the next sitting.
What’s worth bringing?
I’d recommend bringing comfortable clothes for meditation.
Beyond that, you don’t need much.
What surprised me?
How beautiful the place is.
The center is surrounded by greenery, very green, quiet, and pleasant. I didn’t expect the environment itself to be such a meaningful part of the experience.
What was hardest for me?
The long meditation sittings, without a doubt.
What’s worth knowing before you arrive?
This was the strictest retreat I’ve attended in terms of rules.
Throughout the course you maintain complete silence. No talking, no writing, no eye contact with other participants, and no use of phones or any communication devices. For ten days you’re left mainly with yourself and the practice.
For some people this can be one of the most significant experiences of the course, and for others, one of the most challenging.
Would I recommend going?
Absolutely.
I think the course can suit almost anyone, even without much meditation experience. That said, a bit of prior experience can help, and above all it’s worth arriving with a lot of motivation and a willingness to sit for long hours in meditation.
For all the current information on courses, registration, and how to get there, I’d recommend visiting Dhamma Pamoda’s official site: