Santikaram: A Long Journey to the Heart of Europe

Special Event: Dinner & dhamma fundraiser for Santikaram Forest Temple founded by Venerable Santikaro (www.santikaram.com)

A Christmas Eve miracle: an old black and white photo of a baby in a blanket under the Christmas tree. Meet that special gift to the world, who is now a Buddhist monastic Venerable Santikaro, the only Theravada Buddhist monk from Slovakia, as he shares his extraordinary journey from communist shadows during childhood to spiritual refuge and radiance. Hear how he defied the odds, embracing the Dhamma's transformative power through hardships, resilience, and joy. Join a panel of inspiring speakers - Ven Sujato, Dr Nadine Levy, and Ven Phap Hai - as they reveal the lessons of their own awakening journeys. Be moved, be inspired, and discover the jewel of wisdom that shines brightest in adversity.

Concord

Sat 10 January 2026

5.30 - 9.00 pm

Program:

5.30 - 6.30 pm: vegetarian dinner (including special Slovakian recipes)

6.30 - 7.00 pm: intro to Santikaram by Bhante Santikaro

7.00 - 8.00 pm: Stories from the Path - panel with Bhante Sujato, Dr. Nadine Levy, and Ven Phap Hai

8.00 - 8.45 pm: auction, activities, & raffle prize draw

8.45 - 9.00 pm: meditation and closing message

In support of:

Santikaram Forest Temple founded by Venerable Santikaro in Slovakia, a partially renovated cottage which serves as a place for recreation, relaxation and as an open meditation retreat centre. It also provides a shelter for Buddhist monks and meditation teachers. https://www.santikaram.com/santikaram-forest-temple

About the speakers:

Venerable Sati Santikaro was born on Christmas Eve in Slovakia. He studied various subjects, including philosophy, religions, and psychology, at Comenius University, earning a Master's degree in 2000. After meeting a Malaysian Buddhist monk, Bhante Sujiva, he became interested in Buddhism and ordained as a samanera (novice monk) in 2004. He received higher ordination (upasampada) in the Burmese monastic order - Mahasi Sayadaw tradition in 2007 with Burmese teachers Sayadaw U Candima and Sayadaw Dr. Sunanda. He practiced meditation under Sayadaw U Pandita and later continued his monastic training in Thailand, receiving higher ordination in the Thai Theravada monastic order - forest tradition Dhammayutt. He has now been a Buddhist monk for nearly 20 years.

In 2022, Venerable Sati Santikaro established Santikaram Association Slovakia and Santikaram Forest Temple, where he teaches and conducts meditation retreats.Venerable Sati Santikaro is not only a respected Buddhist monk but also a talented poet. His poetry journey began with publications in the literary magazine "Dotyky" in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. He received honorable mentions in the national literary competition "Cena Albína Vrteľa" in 2001 and the Premium award in 2002.

After his ordination as a Buddhist monk, Venerable Sati Santikaro continued writing poetry, focusing on the traditional Japanese style of haiku. His poems are shared on his blog, "The memoirs of a wandering monk," as well as on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Venerable Phap Hai (Dharma Ocean) is a senior monastic student of Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh who was ordained in 1997 and formally authorised to teach by Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh in January 2003. Originally from Australia, he is an active meditation teacher who leads retreats, days of mindfulness, workshops and talks throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South America and Asia. Brother Phap Hai has the ability to offer a charming blend of ancient wisdom, Dharma scholarship, and contemporary applications, sharing deep teachings in a warm, accessible and humorous manner. He currently resides at Mountain Spring Monastery in the Blue Mountains. In addition to numerous online teachings and classes, his books, “Nothing To It: Ten Ways to Be at Home with Yourself” and “The Eight Realizations of Great Being” are published by Parallax Press and are available everywhere.

Venerable Sujato is a former musician who became a monk in the ascetic Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah in 1994. After years of living in Thailand he returned to Australia and stayed at Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia before going on to found Santi Forest Monastery in 2003. Following Bhante Sujato’s wishes, Santi became a Bhikkhunī (Buddhist nuns’) monastery Vihara in 2012, and he returned to live in Bodhinyana.

Bhante Sujato co-founded the Buddhist website SuttaCentral in 2005 to provide access to early Buddhist texts in their original languages and make translations available in modern languages. From 2015-2018, he lived on the island of Chime, off the coast of Taiwan, undertaking the task of creating English translations of the four Nikāyas. These translations have since been published on SuttaCentral, and as free edition books. In 2019, he established Lokanta Vihara in Sydney to explore what it means to follow the Buddha's teachings in an era of climate change, globalised consumerism, and political turmoil. Bhante Sujato along with his teacher Ajahn Brahm were involved with Re-establishing Bhikkhuni Ordination in the Forest sangha. More info can be found here and on Wikipedia.

Dr. Nadine Levy, PhD, is an Insight Meditation Teacher. She has been practicing Buddhism for 20 years across the Zen and Insight traditions, and she has undertaken dharma teacher training with James Baraz, co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Institute and with the Insight Meditation Institute (Sydney). By day, Nadine works as an academic at a Buddhist higher education institute in Wollongong, Australia, where she teaches mindfulness and compassion science to teachers, health professionals, and post-graduate students. Nadine has led multiple meditation groups, retreats, Buddhist study groups, and compassion courses over the last decade and is passionate about the wisdom of the body and other ways of knowing. Her teaching style is intuitive, organic, participant-centered, and inquisitive. She enjoys adventures with her baby and seven-year-old son and partner and taking in the mountains she is lucky enough to live close to, as well as taking time out for silent retreat practice.