Wheel of Dhamma

Bodhi Leaf

 
Sumeru
Dhamma Sumeru, Mont Soleil, Switzerland
Centre Location: Website | Map
** Unless noted otherwise, course instructions are given in the following language(s): English / German / French / Italian

The Swiss Vipassana Centre, also called in Pali, Dhamma Sumeru, meaning “the heavenly mountain of the Dhamma” is located on the Mont-Soleil ("Mount Sun") in a village of the Swiss Jura mountains on an altitude of 3600 feet surrounded by pastures and forests. Mont-Soleil means in English "Mount Sun" as it is one of the sunniest places in Switzerland and is situated near St.Imier, between Biel and La Chaux-de-Fonds. It was founded in November 1999.

Course registration opens on Sundays at 10am (9am during winter time).
Please refresh your web browser from time to time (use F5) while waiting for registration to open so that the apply link will appear.

Notes for new students:
When sitting a course for the first time, it is important that it is in your native language. Courses are offered in English, French, German and Italian.
If you have already successfully applied for another course. please understand that we won't accept multiple applications.
If you're just waitlisted for other courses so far, please feel free to apply again. 

There must also be a gap of 3 months between two 10-days courses you sit.

At Dhamma Sumeru    1-day-courses (and other) non-center courses    Teenagers' and children courses

 
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* 01 Jan - 31 Dec Other
English
In Progress Mont Soleil

Only for service in-between courses. Please provide exact dates for your arrival and departure. Do NOT apply here if you are coming to serve on a course or if you are attending a sit&serve/work period.

16 Apr - 27 Apr 10-Day
English / French
In Progress Mont Soleil
Apply* 27 Apr - 02 May Sit & Serve Garden
English / French / German
Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Open Mont Soleil For old students
Apply* 07 May - 11 May 3-Day
English / French
Women - Short Wait List Men - Short Wait List Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Short Wait List Mont Soleil For old students
Apply* 13 May - 24 May 10-Day
English / German
New Women - Closed Old Women - Short Wait List Men - Long Wait List Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Short Wait List Mont Soleil
24 May - 25 May meeting of the association
English / French / German
Open Mont Soleil For old students
All old students are warmly welcome to attend the meeting of the association. Please inform the centre about your attendance by calling 032 941 16 70
Apply* 29 May - 09 Jun 10-Day
English / Italian
New Women - Short Wait List Old Women - Filling Up Men - Filling Up Servers - Filling Up Mont Soleil

This course gives priority to Italian native speaking students. One week before the beginning of the course, participants on the waiting list will be admitted, as long as there are places available.

SERVERS NEEDED

Apply* 16 Jun - 25 Jun Satipatthana Sutta
English / French
Short Wait List Mont Soleil Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
Apply* 26 Jun - 30 Jun EDSM
English / French / German
Servers - Wait List Mont Soleil For old students
who are actively involved in Dhamma Service, EDSM.
02 Jul - 06 Jul 3-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 04 May Mont Soleil For old students
09 Jul - 20 Jul 10-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 11 May Mont Soleil
23 Jul - 03 Aug 10-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 25 May Mont Soleil
05 Aug - 16 Aug 10-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 08 Jun Mont Soleil
16 Aug - 17 Aug meeting of the association
English / French / German
Open Mont Soleil For old students
All old students are warmly welcome to attend the meeting of the association. Please inform the centre about your attendance by calling 032 941 16 70
18 Aug - 22 Aug Sit & Serve Garden
English / French / German
Applications accepted starting 20 Jun Mont Soleil For old students
26 Aug - 06 Sep 10-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 29 Jun Mont Soleil
06 Sep - 08 Sep Sit & Serve Applications accepted starting 06 Jun Mont Soleil For old students
Service for Open Door Day
07 Sep Open Door Day Open Mont Soleil
10 Sep - 21 Sep 10-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 13 Jul Mont Soleil
24 Sep - 05 Oct 10-Day
English / Italian
Applications accepted starting 27 Jul Mont Soleil

This course gives priority to Italian native speaking students. One week before the beginning of the course, participants on the waiting list will be admitted, as long as there are places available.

08 Oct - 19 Oct 10-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 10 Aug Mont Soleil
22 Oct - 26 Oct 3-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 24 Aug Mont Soleil For old students
28 Oct - 08 Nov 10-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 31 Aug Mont Soleil
08 Nov - 09 Nov meeting of the association
English
Open Mont Soleil For old students
All old students are warmly welcome to attend the meeting of the association. Please inform the centre about your attendance by calling 032 941 16 70
14 Nov - 23 Nov Satipatthana Sutta
English / German
Applications accepted starting 14 Sep Mont Soleil Old Student Course Qualification Requirements
23 Nov - 28 Nov Sit & Serve Garden CANCELLED Mont Soleil For old students
26 Nov - 07 Dec 10-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 14 Sep Mont Soleil
03 Dec - 07 Dec 3-Day
English / German
CANCELLED Mont Soleil For old students
10 Dec - 21 Dec 10-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 12 Oct Mont Soleil
24 December, 2025 - 04 January, 2026 10-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 26 Oct Mont Soleil
 
1-day-courses (and other) non-center courses
Courses and Activities conducted at other locations.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
2025 1-day-courses (and other) non-center courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 27 Apr 1-Day
English / German
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Dornbirn For old students
Near Lake Constance, Austria
Apply* 03 May 1-Day
English / French
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed La Chaux-de-Fonds For old students
self-course without instructions
Apply* 11 May 1-Day self-course
English / German
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed La Heutte For old students
self-course without instruction
Apply* 18 May 1-Day
English / German
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Basel (Binningen) For old students
Only for old students
Apply* 18 May 1-Day
English / German
Open Zurich For old students
Only for old students
Apply* 18 May 1-Day
English / French
Open Geneva (Carouge) For old students
Apply* 25 May 1-Day
English / German
Women - Open Men - Open Servers - Closed Dornbirn For old students
Near Lake Constance, Austria
07 Jun 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 07 May Berne For old students
08 Jun 1-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 11 May La Chaux-de-Fonds For old students
14 Jun 1-Day self-course
English / German
Applications accepted starting 15 May La Heutte For old students
self-course without instruction
22 Jun 1-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 25 May Geneva (Carouge) For old students
29 Jun 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 30 Apr Dornbirn For old students
Near Lake Constance, Austria
20 Jul 1-Day
English / French
Applications accepted starting 15 Jun La Chaux-de-Fonds For old students
30 Aug 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 31 Jul Berne For old students
07 Sep 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 10 Aug Basel (Binningen) For old students
Only for old students
26 Oct 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 28 Sep Basel (Binningen) For old students
Only for old students
12 Nov - 16 Nov 3-Day
English / Italian
Applications accepted starting 14 Sep Primadengo (Ticino) For old students
only for old male students
07 Dec 1-Day
English / German
Applications accepted starting 09 Nov Basel (Binningen) For old students
Only for old students
 
Teenagers' and Children's Courses
Courses for young people.
See Comments for any special instructions for events in this section.
2025 Teenagers' and Children's Courses
Attend / Serve Dates Course Type Status Location Comments
Apply* 02 May - 04 May Children
French
Girls - Open New Boys - Open Old Boys - Filling Up Female Server - Filling Up Male Server - Open Mont Soleil
Girls from 8 to 18 years. Boys from 8 to 13 years.
Apply* 13 Jun - 15 Jun Children
German
Open Mont Soleil
Girls from 8 to 18 years. Boys from 8 to 13 years.
22 Aug - 24 Aug Children
French
Applications accepted starting 24 Jun Mont Soleil
Girls from 8 to 13 years. Boys from 8 to 18 years.
28 Nov - 30 Nov Children
German
CANCELLED Mont Soleil
Girls from 8 to 13 years. Boys from 8 to 18 years.
 
 

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


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

Questions may be addressed to Email: info@sumeru.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.

Open Days are held between meditation courses. All are welcome to attend and learn about Vipassana Meditation and the Centre.


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.


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.