VIPASSANA - Executive Course

5th European Executive Course, 12th to 23rd November 2008, Dhamma Pajjota

For a number of years now Vipassana Meditation courses aimed at business executives have been held in India. Since 2002 such courses have also been offered in the USA, Australia and Europe. In Europe the executive courses are held in the Belgian Vipassana Centre, Dhamma Pajjota. However, in the future, it is expected that these Executive courses will be held at the European Long Course Centre next to Dhamma Dipa in the UK. This site is currently under construction, expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Executive courses are organised especially for professionals who may hold positions of influence in society. The courses encourage and assist them to take their first steps on the path of Dhamma, whether they are business executives, government officials or other professionals with numerous responsibilities. Having benefited from the course themselves, such executives and professionals may be inspired to use their influence to encourage or assist others to practice Vipassana.

Are courses for executives different from other 10-day courses?
The technique of Vipassana taught in the Executive courses is the same as that taught in the regular 10-day courses. The only difference is that in an Executive course there are a few additional talks and sets of questions and answers by Mr. Goenka. Also, each participant for the Executive courses will be provided with single en-suite accommodation. It is hoped that providing single accommodation would lower the threshold for those whose decision may be based on such criteria. During the regular 10-day courses the organisers also try to provide such facilities to those who are in need, perhaps with a medical condition.

Mr. S.N. Goenka - from businessman to meditation teacher
Born into a business family, Mr S.N. Goenka was already one of the most influential businessmen in Burma at the age of 30. He had built sugar mills, weaving mills and blanket factories, establishing an import/ export business with offices all over the world. Despite such success Mr Goenka failed to find inner peace. He suffered regular intense migraine attacks and describes himself at that time as resentful, egotistic and as someone who made himself and others around him miserable. Practising Vipassana meditation not only freed Mr Goenka from the pains of his migraines but also made him a much happier and well balanced man. It was from this experience that he developed a deep wish to share this inner peace with others. So from a business executive Mr Goenka became a meditation teacher. Bringing the technique of Vipassana with him out of Burma made it possible that today the same Vipassana can be learned almost anywhere in the world.

Economy - Politics - Meditation
Mr. Goenka was a keynote speaker on the subject of Spirituality in Business at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January, 2000. He addressed the World Peace Summit held at the United Nations in August, 2000 and was the keynote speaker at the Spirit in Business Conference ("SiB") held in New York City in April 2002. These speeches, comments of former participants of the executive courses (also from the western countries), a biography of Mr S.N. Goenka and more information can be found on the international website for executives: www.executive.dhamma.org.

Course application and further information
Information and the possibility to apply online can be found on the executives page of the Dhamma Pajjota website: www.pajjota.dhamma.org/index.php?id=executive.

Executive courses are organized in cooperation with VPEE (Vipassana Public Events Europe). For more information, please contact VPEE at info-eu@events.dhamma.org or the meditation centre Dhamma Pajjota at info@pajjota.dhamma.org or tel. 00-32-(0)89-51.82.30.