This conference is organized by the “Theravada” Foundation. We are under the patronage of the BSWA (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) and the monastic community (monks and nuns) associated with Ajahn Brahm’s Australian Sangha.
Fundacja “Theravada”
The statutory goals of the “Theravada” Foundation are primarily to promote knowledge of Theravada Buddhism, but also to protect health and promote a healthy lifestyle by popularizing meditation and relaxation techniques that reduce stress and improve physical and mental well-being. The Foundation promotes original meditation methods derived from the Pali Canon, which guarantees a comprehensive and proven methodology. This also ensures the reliability and authenticity of the Buddha’s teachings. The Foundation pursues its goals through:
- Running a YouTube channel called SasanaPL, where various videos about the Dhamma (the Buddha’s teachings) and Buddhist meditation from the Theravada tradition are published. Most of these videos are teachings by Buddhist monks translated into Polish with Polish voice-over. The channel has approximately 150,000 subscribers, over 750 published videos, and well over 37 million views. https://www.youtube.com/sasanapl
- Thanks to the support of donors, the Foundation prints and sends paper books free of charge to anyone who orders them online (the total number of copies published is approximately 100,000). Most of the titles are translations of well-known and respected authors writing about the Dhamma and Buddhist meditation from the Theravada tradition. They are also distributed at events related to the Theravada Foundation and in local groups. Books can also be downloaded in digital form and free paper versions can be ordered at: Dhamma.pl.
- Establishing and supporting local meditation groups that practice in accordance with the Theravada Buddhist tradition in various locations throughout Poland. Theravada groups exist in, among other cities: Bielsko-Biała, Olsztyn, Łódź, Gdańsk, Gliwice, Kraków, Poznań, Szczecin, Toruń, Warszawa, Wrocław. More at: Sangha.pl.
- Organizing and supporting stationary and online events where Buddhist monks, nuns, or advanced lay practitioners teach. These are both so-called meditation retreats, which usually last several days, and several-hour meetings in urban centers. More about events at: Sangha.pl.
- Publishing knowledge in the form of articles, dictionary entries, and other texts, including those concerning practical advice on meditation within the Theravada tradition on the website: Sasana.pl.
- Currently, work is underway on a project to build the first Theravada tradition meditation center in Poland.
BSWA (Buddhist Society of Western Australia)
Ajahn Brahm’s popularity in Poland, most likely initiated by translations and voice-overs on the SasanaPL YouTube channel, eventually led to increasingly close cooperation with the Australian Sangha of monks and nuns, which resulted in a project to establish a monastery in Poland. In 2024, a proposal was made for Poland to host the thirteenth global Buddhist conference. This will be the first time a European country, namely Poland, has been selected as the conference location.
Ajahn Brahm (full Pali name Brahmavamso, born Peter Betts) born on August 7, 1951, in London – Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia. Ordained as a monk in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three by the abbot of Wat Saket Temple, he studied and practiced in the Forest Tradition for nine years under Ajahn Chah.
The Buddhist Society of Western Australia (BSWA) invited Ajahn Brahm to come to Perth. In the hills of Serpentine, south of Perth, Bodhinyana Monastery was established (since 1983), which became the first strictly Buddhist monastery in the Southern Hemisphere and where the largest community of Buddhist monks in Australia resides today.
Ajahn Brahm also played a significant role in the creation of the Dhammasara Nuns’ Monastery in Gidgegannup. On October 22, 2009, Ajahn Brahm conducted an ordination ceremony at his Bodhinyana Monastery, in which he helped ordain four women. Currently, Dhammasara, a nuns’ monastery, situated several dozen kilometers from the men’s monastery Bodhinyana, is home to many nuns, with even more aspiring to ordination.
Thanks to cooperation with the Australian Sangha, we want to replicate the success of the monasteries, both Bodhinyana and Dhammasara, as well as the Jhana Grove Meditation Centre, which is located near the men’s monastery. More information about the BSWA can be found on their website: https://bswa.org/
