Shanta Vana – a Place of Tranquility, Meditation, and Dharma
Shanta Vana literally means “Peaceful Forest”, and here people can find stillness, understanding, compassion, and liberation through the study and practice of Dharma as well as other related spiritual paths. Buddhism provides the main inspiration for living a good and meaningful life, but other spiritual traditions are also welcomed, along with all who are seeking a path to understanding and inner peace.
The forest retreat Shanta Vana is located in a foothill region, deep in the middle of the forest, in a picturesque and protected area of the Maloskalsko Nature Park in the Bohemian Paradise region.
How You Can Stay at Shanta Vana
Dharma Retreat with Dhammadipa and Moni – communal meditation, meals, and work; a communal daily rhythm; consultations for studying Dharma; and access to the library. More information
Meditation Retreat – a solo stay for inner stillness and focus in a protected environment.
Possibility to join the communal morning recitation and meditation, and the possibility of a short consultation with Tomáš Dhammadipa regarding meditation practice.
Volunteer Stay – accommodation without a fee in exchange for helping at the center, for example in the garden, with herbs, construction, cleaning, or event organization.
Own Program – space for individual or group activities that are in harmony with the spirit of Shanta Vana.
Founder and Spiritual Father Thomas Gutmann Dhammadipa
Respected meditation teacher, a scholar of Buddhist philosophy spent nearly forty years of his life as a Buddhist monk under various traditions. More about his life and an extensive archive of his teachings can be found on www.dhammadipa.cz
Bhante (as some people still refer to him) is fluent in Czech, French, German, English, Hindi, Russian and also in Chinese. He studies Buddhism in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese. His passion for languages leads him to study other languages, at present he is learning Spanish.
Thomas Dhammadipa about Shanta Vana:
“My motivation for starting this center was to create a place which shall bring happiness and calmness to myself and others. I have some experience with calming, having been involved in it for more than half of my life. I have done it not only for myself, but for others as well. This is a good place to be for calming and it is important to take advantage of that and continue to deepen it. I have spent many years in other civilizations and have made many friends and met highly skilled teachers, who are involved in various disciplines related to calming, such as martial arts, Tai Chi, natural medicine and arts inspired by the spiritual life. I hope that such persons will also find here a space for creativity and self-assertion.
What makes a place alive is us, the beings. We give life to our surroundings and we can adapt them so that we feel comfortable there and can realize our creative potential. As social beings, we want to be in a group of people with whom we interact not on the basis of necessity, but on the basis of mutual understanding and friendship.
Sangha is a circle of friends, noble friends, who have the same motivation and are dedicated to the same cause, have a similar way of life, similar inspiration, similar lifestyle and similar idea of how to make life fulfilled. Thus harmony arises from this, and the basis of harmony is friendship.”
Next Steps on the Path
Read more about the plans and ongoing projects at Shanta Vana that are shaping the future of our forest retreat.
Or learn how you can support the noble work of Tomáš Dhammadipa and get involved in the spiritual and community project of Shanta Vana. Help build a place where tranquility, peace, wisdom, and shared awakening are born.
Also, check out the events and gatherings that you can join at our center.
