Đại Niệm Xứ Thiền Viện. Satipatthana Meditation Center - Leesburg, Florida

M RS

What a beautiful and serene place to take a load off, roam the statues, snap some pics, and possibly even glean a glance into the simplest tenets of Buddhism.

The statues were abundant in quantity and stature. Each represented its own pose of Buddha and the meaning of such. Many included a description and quote from the families that donated the statue.

I feel fortunate that the Vietnamese community shares these gardens with the public and thoroughly enjoyed my walk through. I had more knowledge when I left than I did when I arrived, and that's always the sign of a great day. Great visit overall.

Marnette Severance

We live near Leesburg, Florida and have passed the Vietnamese American Buddhist Association Meditation Center on Route 27 numerous times on our way to the Florida Turnpike. We always wondered what lay behind the salmon-pink walls which did not appear be closed to the public. We had been told it was a 'retreat center', noticed a foreign language at the entrance and always commented that we should venture in one day.

We did. And entered the 21-acre shady “Holy Garden“ with 10 stations of Buddha's in poses representing different stages in his life and those from "Buddha time." A double-sided map of the Holy Garden and Meditation Center Island is available to guide visitors and explain the meaning behind each monument which came from Viet Nam. Benches are scattered throughout the park to rest and reflect. I have been to Thailand so the Center had a familiar look and feel.

Punna, a resident monk dressed in a burgundy-colored robe, welcomed us and explained that plans for the site were started in 2014 and construction of the main site began in 2017. The non-profit organization was formed for the purposes of providing Vipassana meditation for the Vietnamese and international community. Development of the actual Meditation Center Island is ongoing with single/double cabins, modular units, and yogi quarters to accommodate those who come for various retreats including yogi, meditation and mindfulness training. While there is not a large Vietnamese population in the immediate area, most 10-day retreat members come from the Orlando area and from around the country.

Retreats are tentatively scheduled for May, August and November 2024. In addition to meditation retreats, yogis can register with the Center to practice meditation year-round by downloading the registration form and emailing it.

Visitors from all faiths are welcomed to visit the Center. Ample parking is available. We were invited to attend the 9:00-10:00 a.m. Sunday morning meditation class and for breakfast following. The Center is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.

If you are interested not only in learning more about Buddha but want to experience a peaceful, park-like setting among lotus ponds, visit the Vietnamese American Buddhist Association in Leesburg, FL.

Kay Kings

I am only giving it 4 stars because it is not finished yet!
We stopped by and asked if we can look around and we ended up being there for a quiet a while!
It is so peaceful! And there are many gorgeous statutes! Nice oak trees and benches! The water splash structure is not finished yet but You can tell it will add more to the entire park! I can not wait for it to be finished so I can start going there!
We drive to the back where the actual meditation center was and it is big! It also had like 4 small buildings brand new wh I I hope they will be for retreats!

Leonar Franco

Such a beautiful place ♥️ so peaceful.. one of the monks came out to say hi and welcome us. I’ll be back for sure. Just seating there and admire so much beauty is absolutely worth it!

S Miller

Absolutely worth the visit! Random find driving by and HAD to turn around. Immediately felt at peace. Beautiful grounds and attention to detail. Very friendly and welcoming monk took a break from working to welcome us. I am eager to see this interesting and spiritual place grow with beauty over time. Thank you for keeping this place open to the public! Exceptional cultural stop with children.

JAMES WILSON

Namo Buddhaya...I was very blessed to be able to undertake The Triple Gem and The Five Precepts, becoming a 5 Precepts Lay Theravada Buddhist Yogīn Ratanaguna, under the direction of our MOST VENERABLE SAYADAW KIM TRĪEU KHAPPAPANÑÑO, on 8/12/2018 Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu ?☸️?☸️?

Heynow Nunayabidnez

Went there the other day and walked around. The statues sculpted in marble and granite (? I think ?) are incredible! They are bigger than life and whoever carved this is a real artist!
The grounds are nice to walk around in with quite a few trees and aside from the fact it is right off the 27 highway it is very peaceful there. The lotus flowers in the "lake"/pond were almost in bloom but not quite as of this date (11-15-22).
Anyway a very nice place to visit if you appreciate the Buddha or just like to see good sculptures.
We just drove in on a Wednesday afternoon and parked in a parking area and walked around. No one was there. We saw one monk walking over by one of the statues but didn't engage with him because I figured he might be in meditative mode.

Ted M

The empty stone statue pedestals, all in a row waiting for the next buddah to appear. You can be next?Namaste.