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Vipassana Nepalविपश्यना नेपाल

Teachers

The people who kept the practice alive

Monks, nuns and lay teachers across 2,500 years: the Buddha, the Burmese and Thai teachers who revived meditation for ordinary people, and those who carried it to India, Nepal and the West. Grouped by tradition, oldest first.

The Buddha

  • Stone sculpture of the Buddha seated cross-legged in meditation, hands resting in his lap, from Hadda in ancient Gandhara, photographed against a dark grey background

    The Buddha (Siddhattha Gotama)

    c. 5th century BCE · Nepal / India

    The teacher whose instructions on mindfulness and insight are the source of every Vipassana tradition.

Teachers connected to Nepal

Centres in Nepal

Monks, nuns and lay teachers who revived Theravāda practice in Nepal and brought insight meditation to it.

  • Black-and-white studio portrait of Bhikkhu Dhammalok, a shaven-headed monk in a pale robe worn over one shoulder, in front of a painted landscape backdrop

    Bhikkhu Dhammalok

    1890 · Nepal

    Kathmandu trader turned monk who taught at Kindo Baha, was exiled in 1944 and founded Ananda Kuti Vihara.

  • Dharmachari Guruma

    1898–1978 · Nepal

    Widow who taught Buddhism to Kathmandu women under the Ranas and founded Nepal's first Theravāda nunnery.

  • Grainy black-and-white photograph of the elderly monk Pragyananda, with close-cropped grey hair and a pale robe, seated

    Bhikkhu Pragyananda

    1900–1993 · Nepal

    First Theravāda monk in robes seen in modern Kathmandu (1930), and later the first Sangha Nayaka of Nepal.

  • Black-and-white photograph of the young monk Mahapragya, shaven-headed with eyes lowered, wearing a robe over both shoulders, outdoors

    Bhikkhu Mahapragya

    1901–1979 · Nepal

    Hindu-born Newar monk expelled by the Ranas in 1926 and one of the first Theravāda monks of modern Nepal.

  • Grainy black-and-white photograph of the young monk Amritananda, shaven-headed and wearing a robe, seated among other monks

    Bhikkhu Amritananda

    1918–1990 · Nepal

    Organiser and diplomat of Nepal's Theravāda revival, head of Ananda Kuti Vihara for some forty years.

  • Bhikkhu Sumangala

    1929–1999 · Nepal

    Kathmandu monk who ran one of Nepal's first regular Vipassana classes, from 1975, and helped fund IBMC.

  • Dhammawati Guruma

    1934 · Nepal

    Nepali nun who founded Dharmakirti Vihara, led the nuns' order and taught Vipassana to nuns and lay women.

  • Bhikkhu Gyanapurnik

    1939–2020 · Nepal

    Nepali Pali scholar-monk who interpreted for Mahasi Sayadaw and U Paṇḍita and taught at IBMC, Kathmandu.

S. N. Goenka's Vipassana (Sayagyi U Ba Khin tradition)

About this tradition
  • Historic black-and-white photograph of Ledi Sayadaw standing in dark robes and holding a staff

    Ledi Sayadaw

    1846–1923 · Myanmar

    Burmese monk-scholar who wrote Dhamma for ordinary readers and opened Vipassana practice to lay people.

  • Saya Thetgyi

    1873–1945 · Myanmar

    Rice farmer who became one of Burma's first lay Vipassana teachers and taught Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

  • Sayagyi U Ba Khin

    1899–1971 · Myanmar

    Accountant General of Burma and lay teacher who designed the ten-day Vipassana course and taught S. N. Goenka.

  • S. N. Goenka seated indoors, wearing glasses, a cream knitted cap, a white scarf and a dark coat, with a news microphone in front of him

    S. N. Goenka

    1924–2013 · Myanmar / India

    Burmese-born Indian teacher who took U Ba Khin's Vipassana to India in 1969 and spread free ten-day courses.

International Meditation Centres (Sayagyi U Ba Khin tradition)

About this tradition

  • Webu Sayadaw

    1896–1977 · Myanmar

    Burmese forest monk, known for his diligence in meditation, who urged Sayagyi U Ba Khin to teach.

  • Mother Sayamagyi (Sayamagyi Daw Mya Thwin)

    1925–2017 · Myanmar

    U Ba Khin's foremost disciple, who with her husband U Chit Tin carried his teaching to the West from 1978.

Mahasi Sayadaw's noting method

About this tradition
  • Nyanaponika Thera, an elderly monk in orange robes, seated in a wooden armchair beside a window

    Nyanaponika Thera

    1901–1994 · Sri Lanka

    German-born monk and scholar in Sri Lanka who co-founded the Buddhist Publication Society

  • Hand-tinted portrait photograph of Mahasi Sayadaw seated in maroon robes, holding a round palm-leaf fan

    Mahasi Sayadaw

    1904–1982 · Myanmar

    Burmese scholar-monk whose method of mental noting spread insight meditation across Asia and the West.

  • Dipa Ma

    1911–1989 · India

    Bengali householder who became a respected Mahasi-lineage teacher and taught the founders of IMS

  • Anagarika Munindra

    1914–2003 · India

    Bengali Buddhist teacher trained by Mahasi Sayadaw who taught early Western insight students at Bodh Gaya

  • Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of a young Sayadaw U Pandita wearing round glasses, in a circular frame

    Sayadaw U Pandita

    1921–2016 · Myanmar

    Mahasi-lineage master known for exacting retreats, who founded Panditarama and its centre at Lumbini, Nepal.

  • Chanmyay Sayadaw, a Burmese monk wearing glasses and a dark orange robe, seated outdoors with one hand at his chest

    Chanmyay Sayadaw

    1928–2026 · Myanmar

    Mahasi-trained meditation master and head of Chanmyay Yeiktha, Yangon, who taught in many countries.

  • Bhikkhu Sumangala

    1929–1999 · Nepal

    Kathmandu monk who ran one of Nepal's first regular Vipassana classes, from 1975, and helped fund IBMC.

  • Dhammawati Guruma

    1934 · Nepal

    Nepali nun who founded Dharmakirti Vihara, led the nuns' order and taught Vipassana to nuns and lay women.

  • Bhikkhu Gyanapurnik

    1939–2020 · Nepal

    Nepali Pali scholar-monk who interpreted for Mahasi Sayadaw and U Paṇḍita and taught at IBMC, Kathmandu.

Pa-Auk: concentration first, then insight

About this tradition
  • Pa-Auk Sayadaw, an elderly Burmese monk in maroon robes, seated in an armchair and looking to one side

    Pa-Auk Sayadaw

    1934 · Myanmar

    Burmese forest monk and scholar whose training develops deep concentration (jhāna) before insight.

The Sunlun method

About this tradition

  • Sunlun Sayadaw

    1878–1952 · Myanmar

    Burmese farmer and former office messenger who became a monk and founded the vigorous Sunlun method.

The Mogok method: insight through dependent origination

About this tradition
  • Black-and-white portrait of Mogok Sayadaw seated cross-legged on a patterned mat in front of a tree, one shoulder bare

    Mogok Sayadaw

    1899–1962 · Myanmar

    Burmese Abhidhamma teacher whose insight method centres on dependent origination, feeling and mind.

Sayadaw U Tejaniya: relaxed, continuous awareness

About this tradition
  • Sayadaw U Tejaniya, a Burmese monk in glasses and maroon robes, standing with his hands behind his back in front of a wooden door

    Sayadaw U Tejaniya

    1962 · Myanmar

    Burmese monk and former businessman who teaches relaxed, continuous awareness of the mind in daily life

The Thai Forest tradition

About this tradition
  • Sepia portrait of Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta, an elderly Thai forest monk seated cross-legged with hands folded in his lap

    Ajahn Mun

    1870–1949 · Thailand

    Wandering Thai monk who, with his teacher Ajahn Sao, established the Thai Forest (Kammatthana) tradition

  • Ajahn Chah

    1918–1992 · Thailand

    Thai forest master whose plain teaching and Western disciples carried the Forest tradition abroad

  • Ajahn Sumedho, an elderly Western monk in ochre robes and glasses, laughing

    Ajahn Sumedho

    b. 1934 · United Kingdom

    American-born disciple of Ajahn Chah and founding abbot of Cittaviveka and Amaravati monasteries in England

Buddhadasa and Suan Mokkh: ānāpānasati retreats

About this tradition

  • Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

    1906–1993 · Thailand

    Reforming Thai monk who founded Suan Mokkh and taught mindfulness with breathing (ānāpānasati)

Insight Meditation in the West (IMS, Spirit Rock, Gaia House)

About this tradition
  • Ruth Denison smiling outdoors, wearing a crown of daisies and a pink top

    Ruth Denison

    1922–2015 · United States

    German-born American teacher authorised by U Ba Khin, founder of Dhamma Dena and a pioneer of women's retreats

  • Joseph Goldstein

    b. 1944 · United States

    American insight meditation teacher, co-founder and guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society

  • Jack Kornfield, grey-haired with a moustache, in a white shirt and tan waistcoat, looking down while seated on a conference stage

    Jack Kornfield

    b. 1945 · United States

    American teacher and psychologist, once a monk under Ajahn Chah, co-founder of IMS and founder of Spirit Rock

  • Sharon Salzberg, smiling, with shoulder-length hair and glasses

    Sharon Salzberg

    b. 1952 · United States

    American teacher of lovingkindness (mettā) and insight meditation, and co-founder of IMS

Other teachers and scholars

  • Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, an elderly Sri Lankan monk in red robes, seated in an armchair and smiling

    Bhante Gunaratana

    b. 1927 · United States

    Sri Lankan monk, author of Mindfulness in Plain English and abbot of the Bhavana Society in West Virginia