The Brahmavihāras in Early Buddhism
Theory and Practice
Sunday, November 30th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CET – Central European Time)
Bhikkhuni Dhammadinna
Bhikkhuni Dhammadinna was born in Italy in 1980 and has been practicing meditation since 1996. She went forth as a monastic in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition of Sri Lanka in 2012 and started and teaching internationally since 2017.
She is the co-founder (with Bhikkhu Anālayo) and director of the Āgama Research Group (established in 2012) and serves as an associate research professor in the Department of Buddhist Studies of the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts in Taiwan. Her main research interests are the early Buddhist discourses and Vinaya texts, as well as the development of the theories, practices, and ideologies of Buddhist meditative traditions.
Having lived and worked in the UK, Nepal, Burma/Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka, Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā has now been based in Italy for a few years. In 2024 she was appointed as a registered Buddhist minister with the Italian government through the Italian Buddhist Union.
Helena Pauptit
When Helena came into contact with Buddhism, she felt like coming home. She finds meditation and study to complement each other in a valuable way. The resultant joy and inner peace, motivates her, among other things, to share the Dhamma. She is grateful for the guidance on teaching she has received from Nynke Humalda and Jotika Hermsen.
Helena started out with studying Theravadan texts. In the last five years, she finds inspiration for sharing the Dhamma mainly in early Buddhist texts. In her teaching, she uses contemporary life situations and examples, to support applying the Buddhist teachings in meditation and daily life in a practical way.
She has taken courses and retreats with Dutch and international teachers. For her studies on the early Buddhist teachings, she has contact with Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā.
Since 2017, Helena has been teaching introductory courses vipassana meditation and occasionally an ongoing meditation group. Now, she mainly teaches study groups and various courses, and occasionally online retreats.
The Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10:00–10:10 | 👋 Welcome |
| 10:10–11:00 | 💬 Talk & short discussion |
| 11:00–11:10 | ☕️ Break |
| 11:10–12:00 | 🧘 Guided meditation |
| 12:00–13:00 | 🍽️ Lunch break |
| 13:00–13:50 | 💬 Talk & short discussion |
| 13:50–14:00 | ☕️ Break |
| 14:00–14:50 | 🧘 Guided meditation |
| 14:50–15:00 | ☕️ Break |
| 15:00–15:50 | ❓ Group discussion & Q&A |
| 15:50–16:00 | 🙏 Closing |
The brahmavihāras are not merely lofty ideals; they are modes of conduct to be developed and practiced in daily life.
– Bhikkhu Bodhi
Participation costs & Dāna
To support the technical setup, communication and hosting of this retreat, 30NOW asks for a base fee of €15 to be paid upon registration. This amount covers the organizational and technical aspects of the retreat. The teachings themselves are offered freely, in the spirit of dāna (generosity).
The teachings of the Buddha are passed on and offered as a free and priceless gift of the Dhamma. Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā, Helena Pauptit and 30NOW offer this daylong retreat free of charge as a gift of the Dhamma.
If you feel inspired, you are warmly invited to support Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā’s livelihood through a voluntary donation. As a traditional Theravāda monastic, she lives by alms and does not earn income.
Sign up
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After logging in, you can sign up here.
- Registration is open until Sunday, November 29, 2025.
- The retreat costs €15 to organize. Guidance is based on dana (generosity).
- After payment, you will receive immediate access to the retreat’s homepage.
- Live sessions are not recorded.
