Like to participate in our Retreats ?

Ven Bhante Vimalaramsi

Aug 7, 1946 - June 27, 2023

Bhante Vimalaramsi – Life and Legacy

Early Years and Spiritual Search

Bhante Vimalaramsi was born in California, USA, in 1946. As a young man, he developed a deep interest in understanding the mind and the causes of suffering. His spiritual search began in earnest in his twenties, during a time of cultural change in America when Eastern philosophies were becoming more widely known.

He explored different approaches to meditation, philosophy, and religion, but felt drawn most strongly to the teachings of the Buddha. Realizing that authentic understanding required training at the source, he left the United States and traveled through Asia, beginning a journey that would last decades.

Training Across Traditions

Bhante spent over 20 years training in Asia, ordaining as a Buddhist monk in Burma in the 1980s under the guidance of the Ven. U Silananda. He trained in the Mahāsi Sayādaw tradition, practicing intensive mindfulness of movements and noting meditation. He also practiced in the Pa Auk Sayādaw concentration/jhāna system, exploring deep absorptions.

Although he gained great skill in these methods, Bhante often felt they lacked a crucial element described in the early discourses: the balance of tranquility (samatha) and insight (vipassanā) practiced together.

This prompted him to dedicate himself to directly studying the Pāli Canon suttas, using Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translations and the Burmese Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana CD-ROM as reference. He began to see patterns in the Buddha’s teachings that had been overlooked or lost in later commentaries.

Rediscovery of the “Relax Step”

A pivotal realization came when Bhante noticed the Buddha’s repeated instruction:

After letting go of distraction, one must relax the bodily and mental tension (sankhāra) caused by craving.

This “relax step” had been missing in many modern meditation systems. When he applied it in practice, everything shifted: meditation became lighter, joyful, and naturally progressive.

From this, Bhante developed what he called Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation (TWIM) — a direct, sutta-based method that integrates loving-kindness (mettā), the 6R’s practice (Recognize, Release, Relax, Re-smile, Return, Repeat), and the natural unfolding of the jhānas with insight.

Teaching and Founding of Dhamma Sukha

Returning to the United States, Bhante began teaching his rediscovered approach. In 2003, together with senior students, he founded the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center (DSMC) in Missouri. DSMC became the central hub for TWIM practice and residential retreats, drawing students from across the globe.

Bhante was known for his accessible, friendly style, often encouraging students to keep their meditation “smiling and light” rather than striving or forcing. His phrase “Don’t push, don’t control — relax and smile” became a hallmark of his teaching.

Return to India and Founding of SVT

Later in life, Bhante traveled to India, deeply inspired to teach in the land where the Buddha himself had walked. He spent time at the sacred sites — Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Rajgir, and Kusinara — and offered teachings to both monastics and laypeople.

In collaboration with Indian students, Bhante helped establish the Samatha-Vipassanā Trust (SVT), an organization dedicated to supporting the practice and spread of TWIM in India. Through SVT, he conducted retreats, trained teachers, and made TWIM accessible to practitioners across the subcontinent.

Achievements and Contributions

Rediscovery of the Relax Step in meditation practice, clarifying the Buddha’s original instructions.
Development of TWIM, a complete path of practice directly based on the suttas.
Founder of Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center (USA) and Samatha-Vipassanā Trust (India).
Author of several influential books, including:
- The Ānāpānasati Sutta: A Practical Guide to Mindfulness of Breathing and Tranquil Wisdom Meditation
- Moving Dhamma
- Life is Meditation – Meditation is Life
Guided hundreds of retreats worldwide, in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Taught thousands of students through in-person retreats, Zoom interviews, and writings.
Legacy of Interviews & Teachings – His 2020–2023 Zoom interviews remain an invaluable record of his direct guidance.

Later Life and Passing

Bhante continued to teach actively into his seventies, offering retreats, writing, and mentoring students worldwide. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he adapted to technology, giving online interviews and Dhamma talks to keep guiding his students.

In 2023, Bhante Vimalaramsi peacefully passed away, leaving behind a global community of practitioners carrying forward his rediscovered method. His teachings continue through DSMC, SVT, his books, and the many students and teachers he trained.

Legacy in One Sentence

Bhante Vimalaramsi’s life was devoted to bringing back the smiling, relaxed, sutta-based path to Nibbāna — making the Buddha’s original teaching clear, simple, and attainable for everyone.