Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Dhamma service is a very important part of the practice of Dhamma. When you come to a course of ten days and practise Vipassana, you are purifying your mind. You are strengthening your mind, so that you can apply the practice in your daily life. If you can’t apply Dhamma in your daily life, then just coming to a course becomes another rite, ritual or religious ceremony.
Having learned Vipassana at a centre, you go out in the world where things are so unpleasant, and everything goes totally against your wishes or your dreams. You are shaken and can’t face this. It is so difficult. So one gets a very good opportunity to give Dhamma service in a ten-day course. The atmosphere in the Dhamma centre is so congenial to learn how to apply Dhamma in your daily life.
When you serve for ten days, you apply what you have learned in your ten-day course. You deal with the same things that you have to do outside: to deal with people—with the students, with the teacher, with the other Dhamma servers, with the trustees. What is your behaviour in such situations? You make mistakes, and you learn from them. Again you make a mistake, and again you rectify it. This is how you learn. This is the practical aspect of applying Dhamma in life.
Another important thing is that while you are giving service to Dhamma, Dhamma service, this is apart of dāna—dhammadāna. Sabbadānaṃ dhammadānaṃ jināti—The dāna of Dhamma excels all other dāna. You are giving the dāna of Dhamma. The teacher is teaching, this is good. Somebody has given a donation, this also is good. But then there must be people to serve at that time. So you are a part of this, you are serving. This is your donation.
The donation of your service, I would say, is much more valuable than the donation of your money. It is the intention which is most important. The Buddha said, Cetanā ahaṃ, bhikkhave, kammaṃ vadāmi—Volition, O monks, I call kamma. When you give dāna, your intention is, “With my money, so many people will benefit. I can give money to quench the thirst of someone, or give food or medicine to someone. These are very good deeds. But here I see, when I give money, so many people come out of their misery, their impurities. My money is used in a very wholesome way.” So this kind of volition in the mind goes to the credit of your kamma.
But when you are here for ten days, every moment you are giving service, and you are giving service with the volition, “May more and more people benefit.” This volition continues for ten days, so the proportion of time you spend in generating this volition is much greater than when you gave the dāna of money. I am not saying, “Don’t give dāna of money.” Otherwise how will courses run? But between the two, the donation of service, Dhamma service, is much more beneficial.
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Anapana Meditation for All: An effective tool to deal with Stress, Fear and Anxiety.
Anapana Meditation in Hindi - youtube.com/watch?v=TMfMdj7XAbk
Anapana Meditation in English - youtube.com/watch?v=aYJmFdeBfVQ
Exclusive dedicated Anapana sessions of around 60min can be arranged on request for government departments, schools, educational institutions, private companies and any other institutions. Please write to childrencourse@vridhamma.org
To get more information on Anapana or to ask any question please email us your query at:
questions@vridhamma.org
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Official Vipassana Organization Websites
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globalpagoda.org
dhamma.org
Introduction to Vipassana Meditation by S N Goenkaji
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPJVlVRVmhc7K5cRpUxOcm4wOrK6_8O9G
These videos are bought to you by Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) a non-profit-making body with the principal aim of conducting scientific research into the Vipassana Meditation Technique. The financing for running VRI comes mainly from donations. If you wish to make a contribution to this effort (100% tax exemption for Indians), please visit vridhamma.org/donate-online or through the mobile app mentioned above.
May all be benefited. May all beings be happy.
© Vipassana Research Institute
Dhamma service is a very important part of the practice of Dhamma. When you come to a course of ten days and practise Vipassana, you are purifying your mind. You are strengthening your mind, so that you can apply the practice in your daily life. If you can’t apply Dhamma in your daily life, then just coming to a course becomes another rite, ritual or religious ceremony.
Having learned Vipassana at a centre, you go out in the world where things are so unpleasant, and everything goes totally against your wishes or your dreams. You are shaken and can’t face this. It is so difficult. So one gets a very good opportunity to give Dhamma service in a ten-day course. The atmosphere in the Dhamma centre is so congenial to learn how to apply Dhamma in your daily life.
When you serve for ten days, you apply what you have learned in your ten-day course. You deal with the same things that you have to do outside: to deal with people—with the students, with the teacher, with the other Dhamma servers, with the trustees. What is your behaviour in such situations? You make mistakes, and you learn from them. Again you make a mistake, and again you rectify it. This is how you learn. This is the practical aspect of applying Dhamma in life.
Another important thing is that while you are giving service to Dhamma, Dhamma service, this is apart of dāna—dhammadāna. Sabbadānaṃ dhammadānaṃ jināti—The dāna of Dhamma excels all other dāna. You are giving the dāna of Dhamma. The teacher is teaching, this is good. Somebody has given a donation, this also is good. But then there must be people to serve at that time. So you are a part of this, you are serving. This is your donation.
The donation of your service, I would say, is much more valuable than the donation of your money. It is the intention which is most important. The Buddha said, Cetanā ahaṃ, bhikkhave, kammaṃ vadāmi—Volition, O monks, I call kamma. When you give dāna, your intention is, “With my money, so many people will benefit. I can give money to quench the thirst of someone, or give food or medicine to someone. These are very good deeds. But here I see, when I give money, so many people come out of their misery, their impurities. My money is used in a very wholesome way.” So this kind of volition in the mind goes to the credit of your kamma.
But when you are here for ten days, every moment you are giving service, and you are giving service with the volition, “May more and more people benefit.” This volition continues for ten days, so the proportion of time you spend in generating this volition is much greater than when you gave the dāna of money. I am not saying, “Don’t give dāna of money.” Otherwise how will courses run? But between the two, the donation of service, Dhamma service, is much more beneficial.
Download Vipassana Meditation App
Google App - play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vipassanameditation
Apple iOS - apps.apple.com/in/app/vipassanameditation-vri/id1491766806
Subscribe to Vipassana Meditation YouTube Channel Here:
youtube.com/user/VipassanaOrg
Anapana Meditation for All: An effective tool to deal with Stress, Fear and Anxiety.
Anapana Meditation in Hindi - youtube.com/watch?v=TMfMdj7XAbk
Anapana Meditation in English - youtube.com/watch?v=aYJmFdeBfVQ
Exclusive dedicated Anapana sessions of around 60min can be arranged on request for government departments, schools, educational institutions, private companies and any other institutions. Please write to childrencourse@vridhamma.org
To get more information on Anapana or to ask any question please email us your query at:
questions@vridhamma.org
Join Telegram Channel: https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAExY2poP-74GPqFClg
Also you can connect with us on:
Official Social Profiles of Vipassana Meditation
facebook.com/Vipassanaorganisation
instagram.com/vipassanaorg
twitter.com/VipassanaOrg
Official Vipassana Organization Websites
vridhamma.org
globalpagoda.org
dhamma.org
Introduction to Vipassana Meditation by S N Goenkaji
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPJVlVRVmhc7K5cRpUxOcm4wOrK6_8O9G
These videos are bought to you by Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) a non-profit-making body with the principal aim of conducting scientific research into the Vipassana Meditation Technique. The financing for running VRI comes mainly from donations. If you wish to make a contribution to this effort (100% tax exemption for Indians), please visit vridhamma.org/donate-online or through the mobile app mentioned above.
May all be benefited. May all beings be happy.
© Vipassana Research Institute
