Wheel of Dhamma

Bodhi Leaf

 
Sobhana
Dhamma Sobhana, Ödeshög, Östergötlands län [SE-05], Sweden
Centre Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English / Swedish

Dhamma Sobhana means "Beauty of Dhamma" in Pali language and is the first Vipassana centre to be established in the Nordic area. It's located in central Sweden, near Ödeshög, Vadstena and Linköping. By car it's about two and a half hours from Stockholm and Gothenburg (Göteborg), and about three and a half hours from Malmö. The centre was established in 2007 mainly to serve the Nordic area but students come from all over the world. Dhamma Sobhana offers 20-25 courses a year, with about 2 000 students.
Registration procedure for students on courses in English/Swedish at Dhamma Sobhana:
- Three months before the start of the course, registration will open at 6 am (7 am when daylight saving time). Registration will stay open until midnight. 
- An electronic random selection will then be made to allocate available places for the course and to establish a waiting list. 
- Within two weeks, students who were not allocated a place on the course or on the waiting list will be notified. 
- Please note that it’s essential to send only one registration form per person and per course. Otherwise none of the applications will be taken into account. 
 
This procedure has been adopted since courses otherwise would fill up within minutes after registration opens.
 

Norway

Denmark

Finland

 
Teenagers' and Children's Courses
2025 Teenagers' and Children's Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 21 Mar - 23 Mar Children 8-12 years
Swedish
Girls - Open Boys - Filling Up Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Open Ödeshög
The course is held in Swedish only.  
Apply* 02 May - 04 May Teenage boys 12-18 years
Swedish
Girls - Closed Boys - Open Servers - Open Ödeshög
The course is held in Swedish only.
Apply* 07 Jun Children
Danish
Open Copenhagen
05 Sep - 07 Sep Children 8-12 years
Swedish
Applications accepted starting 07 Jun Ödeshög
The course is held in Swedish only.
31 Oct - 02 Nov Teenage girls 12-18 years
Swedish
Applications accepted starting 02 Aug Ödeshög
The course is held in Swedish only.
 
Ten Day & Other Adult Courses
All ten day courses begin on the evening of the first day and end on the early morning of the last day.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
2025 Ten Day & Other Adult Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 05 Mar - 16 Mar 10-Day In Progress Ödeshög
Apply* 16 Mar - 26 Mar Service Period Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 26 Mar - 30 Mar 3 Day Course for Old Students Women - Wait List Men - Filling Up Servers - Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 30 Mar - 01 Apr Service Period Servers - Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 01 Apr - 12 Apr 10-Day New Women - Closed Old Women - Wait List Men - Wait List Servers - Open Ödeshög
Apply* 12 Apr - 13 Apr Trust Meeting Weekend Open Ödeshög For old students
Saturday: Committee meetings
Sunday 7.30-12.30: Trust meeting
All old students welcome!
Apply* 12 Apr - 16 Apr Service Period Servers - Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 16 Apr - 27 Apr 10-Day New Women - Closed Old Women - Wait List Men - Wait List Servers - Open Ödeshög
Apply* 27 Apr - 07 May Service Period Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 07 May - 18 May 10-Day New Women - Wait List Old Women - Open New Men - Filling Up Old Men - Open Servers - Open Ödeshög
Apply* 18 May - 21 May Service Period Servers - Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 21 May - 01 Jun 10-Day New Women - Wait List Old Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Open Ödeshög
Apply* 01 Jun - 03 Jun Service Period Servers - Open Ödeshög For old students
Apply* 03 Jun - 14 Jun 10-Day
English / Finnish
Open Ödeshög
Students with Finnish as their first language are given priority until 19 March.
14 Jun - 15 Jun Trust Meeting Weekend Applications accepted starting 16 Mar Ödeshög For old students
Saturday: Committee meetings
Sunday 7.30-12.30: Trust meeting
All old students welcome!
14 Jun - 18 Jun Service Period Applications accepted starting 16 Mar Ödeshög For old students
18 Jun - 22 Jun 3 Day Course for Old Students Applications accepted starting 20 Mar Ödeshög For old students
22 Jun - 25 Jun Service Period Applications accepted starting 24 Mar Ödeshög For old students
25 Jun - 06 Jul 10-Day Applications accepted starting 27 Mar Ödeshög
06 Jul - 09 Jul Service Period Applications accepted starting 07 Apr Ödeshög For old students
09 Jul - 20 Jul 10-Day Applications accepted starting 10 Apr Ödeshög
20 Jul - 23 Jul Service Period Applications accepted starting 21 Apr Ödeshög For old students
23 Jul - 03 Aug 10-Day Applications accepted starting 24 Apr Ödeshög
03 Aug - 06 Aug Service Period Applications accepted starting 05 May Ödeshög For old students
06 Aug - 17 Aug 10-Day Applications accepted starting 08 May Ödeshög
17 Aug - 19 Aug Service Period Applications accepted starting 19 May Ödeshög For old students
19 Aug - 30 Aug 10-Day Applications accepted starting 21 May Ödeshög
30 Aug - 31 Aug Trust Meeting Weekend Applications accepted starting 01 Jun Ödeshög For old students
Saturday: Committee meetings
Sunday 7.30-12.30: Trust meeting
All old students welcome!
30 Aug - 10 Sep Service Period Applications accepted starting 01 Jun Ödeshög For old students
10 Sep - 14 Sep 3 Day Course for Old Students Applications accepted starting 12 Jun Ödeshög For old students
14 Sep - 19 Sep Service Period Applications accepted starting 16 Jun Ödeshög For old students
19 Sep - 28 Sep Satipatthana Sutta Applications accepted starting 21 Jun Ödeshög Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
28 Sep - 01 Oct Service Period Applications accepted starting 30 Jun Ödeshög For old students
01 Oct - 12 Oct 10-Day
English / Norwegian
Applications accepted starting 03 Jul Ödeshög
Students with Norwegian as their first language are given priority until 17 July.
12 Oct - 14 Oct Service Period Applications accepted starting 14 Jul Ödeshög For old students
14 Oct - 25 Oct 10-Day
English / Danish
Applications accepted starting 16 Jul Ödeshög
Students with Danish as their first language are given priority until 30 July.
25 Oct - 26 Oct Trust Meeting Weekend Applications accepted starting 27 Jul Ödeshög For old students
Saturday: Committee meetings
Sunday 7.30-12.30: Trust meeting
All old students welcome!
25 Oct - 05 Nov Service Period Applications accepted starting 27 Jul Ödeshög For old students
05 Nov - 16 Nov 10-Day Applications accepted starting 07 Aug Ödeshög
16 Nov - 19 Nov Service Period Applications accepted starting 18 Aug Ödeshög For old students
19 Nov - 23 Nov 3 Day Course for Old Students Applications accepted starting 21 Aug Ödeshög For old students
23 Nov - 25 Nov Service Period Applications accepted starting 25 Aug Ödeshög For old students
25 Nov - 06 Dec 10-Day Applications accepted starting 27 Aug Ödeshög
06 Dec - 07 Dec Trust Meeting Weekend Applications accepted starting 07 Sep Ödeshög For old students
Saturday: Committee meetings
Sunday 7.30-12.30: Trust meeting
All old students welcome!
06 Dec - 10 Dec Service Period Applications accepted starting 07 Sep Ödeshög For old students
10 Dec - 21 Dec 10-Day Applications accepted starting 11 Sep Ödeshög
21 Dec - 25 Dec Service Period Applications accepted starting 22 Sep Ödeshög For old students
25 December, 2025 - 05 January, 2026 10-Day Applications accepted starting 26 Sep Ödeshög
 
Non-Centre Courses
Courses and Activities conducted at other locations.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
2025 Dhamma Sobhana Courses    Website | Map
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 16 Mar 1-Day Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Haga, Göteborg New Course!!For old students
2025 Denmark Courses    Website | Map
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 17 Apr - 21 Apr 3-Day
English / Danish
Women - Wait List Men - Filling Up Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Open Hvalsø, Denmark For old students
2025 Finland Courses    Website | Map
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 22 Mar 1-Day
English
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Tampere For old students
Only in English
Apply* 05 Apr 4 hour Meditation Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Tampere For old students
Apply* 05 Apr - 10 Apr Work Period Servers - Open Heimari, Ristiina For old students
Help with course set up
Apply* 10 Apr - 21 Apr 10-Day Women - Wait List New Men - Wait List Old Men - Filling Up Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Open Heimari, Ristiina
Servers needed
26 Apr 1-Day
English
Applications accepted starting 16 Apr Helsinki For old students
Only in English
03 Jun - 14 Jun 10-Day Open Ödeshög, Sweden
This course will be held at the Nordic Vipassana center in Sweden. Please apply via Dhamma Sobhana's schedule page: https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsobhana
25 Jun - 06 Jul 10-Day Applications accepted starting 27 Mar Heimari, Ristiina
09 Jul - 20 Jul 10-Day Applications accepted starting 10 Apr Heimari, Ristiina
27 December, 2025 - 07 January, 2026 10-Day Applications accepted starting 28 Sep Heimari, Ristiina
2025 Norway Courses    Website | Map
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
06 Jul - 09 Jul Work Period
English
Applications accepted starting 09 Apr Gol For old students
09 Jul - 20 Jul English/Norwegian Applications accepted starting 09 Apr Gol
Students with Norwegian as their first language are given priority until the 1st of may.
01 Oct - 12 Oct 10-Day Course English/Norwegian Applications accepted starting 03 Jul Dhamma Sobhana, Sverige
The course will be held at the Nordic Vipassana center in Sweden. Please apply through the Dhamma Sobhana schedule: https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsobhana
 
 

As a privacy measure, the online application form encrypts the information you provide us with before it is sent from your device to our application server.


To access the Old Student Regional Site please click http://sobhana.dhamma.org/os. A user name and password will be required to access these pages.

Questions may be addressed to Email: info@sobhana.dhamma.org

All courses are run solely on a donation basis. All expenses are met by donations from those who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the same opportunity. Neither the Teacher nor the assistant teachers receive remuneration; they and those who serve the courses volunteer their time. Thus Vipassana is offered free from commercialisation.

Old students are those who have completed a 10-day Vipassana Meditation course with S.N. Goenka or his Assistant Teachers. Old students have the opportunity to provide Dhamma Service at the courses listed.

Bilingual courses are courses which are taught in two languages. All students will hear daily meditation instructions in both languages. The evening discourses will be heard separately.

Meditation courses are held at both center and non-center locations. Meditation centers are dedicated facilities where courses are held regularly throughout the year. Before meditation centers were established in this tradition, all courses were held at temporary sites, such as campgrounds, religious retreat centers, churches and the like. Today, in regions where centers have not yet been established by local students of Vipassana who live in the area, 10 Day meditation courses are held at non-center course sites.


10-day Courses are an introductory course to Vipassana Meditation where the technique is taught step-by-step each day. The courses begin after a 2 - 4 pm registration period and orientation, followed by 10 full days of meditation, and end the morning of the 11th day by 7:30 am.


Children's Courses are open for all children aged 8-12 years old who wish to learn to meditate. Their parents/guardians do not have to be meditators.

Teenagers' Anapana Courses are available for teens in different age ranges from 13-18 years old. Their parents/guardians do not have to be Vipassana meditators.


Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

Old Student Short Courses (1-3 days) are for any student who has completed the 10-day course with S.N. Goenka and his assistant teachers. All old students are welcome to apply to attend these courses, including those where it has been some time since their last course.


Old Student Course Qualification Requirements

Old Student Programs are similar to Service Periods where there is time to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects, but have a more full and structured program, an opportunity to meet with assistant teachers, and possibly committee and trust meetings. All Old Students are welcome to participate. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods and in the evening there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.

Satipatthana Sutta Courses have the same timetable and discipline as 10-day courses. The difference is that in the taped evening discourses the Satipatthana Sutta is carefully examined. This is the principal text in which the technique of Vipassana is systematically explained. These courses are open to serious old students who have sat (not including courses served) at least three 10-day courses, have not been practising any other meditation techniques since last 10-day course, have been practising this technique of Vipassana for at least one year, and who are trying to maintain their meditation practice and the five precepts in their daily lives, at the very minimum from the time of applying to the course.

Work Periods have been set aside to work on a variety of Centre maintenance, construction, household and gardening projects. All Old Students are welcome to apply. The daily program will include three group sittings with morning and afternoon work periods. On selected evenings, there will be tapes played of special discourses and talks that S.N. Goenka has given to Old Students.