These reflections were elaborated collaboratively by old students in different regions. If you like, please be welcome to express interest in sitting or serving inclusive courses through **this link** — contact information is used solely for follow-up within the student community.
In the spirit of Dhamma, and with deep respect for the invaluable service that Vipassana centers have offered to countless beings, this note arises from a shared wish to preserve the essence of the teaching while allowing its forms to evolve with the times.
The world today moves with unprecedented speed, diversity, and interconnection. Many sincere practitioners — across generations, identities, and cultures — now approach the practice within realities quite different from those in which our course structures were first shaped. This does not diminish the value of discipline; rather, it invites reflection on how certain forms — segregation, communication, and organization — might be attuned to better serve the same liberating purpose for which they were originally designed.
Our intention is not to alter the technique, but to seek ways to strengthen its accessibility, coherence, and transparency, so that Vipassana may continue fostering inner liberation in a changing world. In this way we honour impermanence not only in meditation, but also in the natural evolution of the Saṅgha itself. May this clarity nurture confidence in the path, deepen gratitude for the opportunity to serve and to learn, and help ensure that the light of Dhamma continues to shine — pure, free, and accessible to all.
A central inspiration for these reflections lies in recognizing the distinction between the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, which must always be safeguarded, and the cultural or contextual forms through which those teachings have been expressed. As some of our teachers have noted, the balance among the interrelated dimensions of rules, reality, and relativity calls for both reverence and discernment — preserving what is timeless while allowing form to adapt naturally to context.
These proposals have been shaped by conversations among old students in different regions and are offered with humility. In writing these lines, we also made ethical use of contemporary AI tools, relying on them for clarity of expression in English — which is not our primary language — while remaining grounded in lived experience and guided by the values of transparency, coherence, and awareness of impermanence (anicca).
We have observed that an overly rigid adherence to rules, especially when detached from context, can create strain and subtle forms of dishonesty — toward oneself or toward the organization — obscuring truth and giving rise to unnecessary suffering. We believe that a more attuned relationship between contemporary realities and the framework of Vipassana practice can encourage greater authenticity and balance, supporting both individuals and the wider community. Adaptation, in this view, is not a departure from Dhamma but an expression of it — an act of wisdom responding to change.
The points that follow are offered in this spirit of inquiry and care, as contributions to an ongoing conversation about ways to preserve the purity of the teachings while allowing them to remain alive, relevant, and accessible to all who seek the path.
*“Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue to exist, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole and against a wide sky.”
—* Rainer Maria Rilke
Within the Goenka meditation retreats and related U Ba Khin lineages, male–female segregation was never intended as dogma but as a practical support meant to reduce distraction and social interaction, preserving the stillness essential to deep inner work. This arrangement suited the Burmese and Indian contexts from which it arose, where gender roles and modesty codes were distinctly defined.
In contemporary Western settings, however, many sincere practitioners — queer, trans, non-binary, or simply shaped by different cultural realities — report that the binary division itself can feel distracting or alienating. The very structure designed to protect equanimity can thus, at times, unsettle it.
Recognizing this, it may be beneficial for centers to consider alternating binary-segregated courses with inclusive formats where feasible — particularly where facilities allow individual or semi-private lodging, always respecting the autonomy of each local Saṅgha. As Vipassana serves an increasingly diverse community, there is an opportunity to align the physical structuring of practice more closely with the universality of the Dhamma. In such courses, noble silence, seclusion, and mindful conduct would remain intact while space is arranged around neutral zones that welcome diversity without compromising discipline. And although such courses may naturally offer particular support to ****LGBTQI+ practitioners — especially when held at low frequency — their intention, as we understand it, is never sectarian; they remain open to all, simply inviting human beings to meditate together with sincerity and respect.
A meaningful approach is the use of non-gendered, symbolic naming for residential areas. As explored in a non-segregated course held in California some years ago, replacing “male” and “female” designations with neutral, elemental, or nature-based names — such as Mountain, River, Forest, or Ocean — can offer a simple yet profound transformation. Such balanced spatial arrangements preserve serenity while removing any suggestion of hierarchy or exclusion. The real distraction-free zone is not the separation of bodies but the stillness of mind in equanimity. The purity of the retreat can remain undisturbed in this format — perhaps even deepened through inclusion.¹
To promote coherence across regions, a small group of students in Argentina and Brazil has begun drafting a clear, inclusive gender policy, offering defined pathways for non-binary practitioners.² We offer this information in the spirit of transparency and with appreciation for those who have already been undertaking similar work. Such transparency affirms the universality of the Dhamma and can support local centers in applying these principles with wisdom and care.