Dhamma Pajjota

Dhamma Pajjota opened in June 2000 near Dilsen-Stokkem; the centre's site describes it as the first Vipassana centre in the Benelux countries. S. N. Goenka gave it its name, which means 'light' or 'torch of Dhamma'. It lies in a rural part of Belgian Limburg, close to the Dutch and German borders, surrounded by forest and farmland, with walking areas among mature trees. dhamma.org gives the site as 7 hectares, while the centre's own site describes it as 11 acres. The centre holds about 110 students, and its site says more than 2,000 people come to meditate there each year. An old chapel served as the first meditation hall; a new meditation hall and a complex of meditation cells were built in 2006. Students and servers sleep in single, double and a few triple rooms, most with an attached bathroom, and two rooms have disabled access. Courses are taught in two languages: English with Dutch, French or German. As of October 2026 the schedule includes, besides 10-day courses, a special 10-day course and a 20-day course for experienced old students. By public transport, take a train to Genk and bus X27 towards Maaseik to the Dilsen Kruispunt stop; on each course's first day the centre collects students there, and a shuttle runs from Sittard station in the Netherlands, both booked in advance. The centre is run by Vipassana vzw, a Belgian non-profit organisation.

How to apply

Apply online through the centre's page on dhamma.org (in Nepal, start from np.dhamma.org). New students must first complete a 10-day course, and there is no charge.

What is taught here

Donation-funded 10-day courses taught with S. N. Goenka's recorded instructions, in the line of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, at centres in Nepal and worldwide. Read about Goenka (U Ba Khin).