About us
Open-Hearted Insight. Everyday Awakening.
MettaInsight Foundation was established in 2025 as a Section 8 not-for-profit company to help individuals overcome suffering (dukkha) through simple, effective meditation practices rooted in loving-kindness (mettā) and wisdom (paññā).
We evolved from the Samatha Vipassana Trust (SVT), founded in 2021 with the blessings of the Late Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahāthero & Late Ven. Khanti Khema (Mataji).
Our Heritage
For over five years, Samatha Vipassana Trust has been sharing the Dhamma (Buddha’s teachings) throughout India. Our foundation rests on Late Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi’s discovery of TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation)—a technique that has transformed countless lives by making the path to liberation more accessible and effective.
Our Practice: TWIM
Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation draws directly from the earliest Buddhist teachings (suttas) in the Majjhima Nikāya. TWIM uses the Brahmavihāras—four divine qualities:
- Mettā (Loving-kindness)
- Karuṇā (Compassion)
- Muditā (Sympathetic Joy)
- Upekkhā (Equanimity)
The Buddha discussed Mindfulness of Mettā over a hundred times in the suttas—far more than breath meditation. TWIM combines these wholesome feelings with Right Effort, which we call the 6Rs: Recognize, Release, Relax, Re-smile, Return, and Repeat.
The Relax step is what makes TWIM different. It allows meditators to experience relief from suffering immediately, making practice both effective and enjoyable.
Our Mission
MettaInsight Foundation continues the work begun by SVT:
Organizing Retreats: Physical and online meditation retreats accessible to practitioners everywhere
Teaching Authentic Dhamma: Sharing the Buddha’s original teachings with emphasis on daily life application
Supporting Dhamma Teachers: Providing support to Buddhist monks and qualified teachers
Building Community: Creating spaces—physical and virtual—where practitioners can learn and grow together
Our teachers
Our team of teachers is led by dedicated students of Late Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi, who has practiced TWIM extensively. They include Ven. Dhammagavesi Thero, who began his spiritual journey in 2013 at Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand, learned TWIM under Late Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi, and was ordained under him; and Hugh Poulton, who practiced Mahasi meditation for over 20 years before discovering TWIM in 2008.
Ven. Dhammagavesi Thero
Hugh Poulton
What Makes TWIM Different
Building Community: Creating spaces—physical and virtual—where practitioners can learn and grow together
Integrates samatha and vipassanā from the beginning — following the suttas directly, not later commentaries
Simple yet profound — the 6Rs technique works for both beginners and experienced meditators
Emphasizes openness and ease — unlike absorption-based jhāna systems, TWIM integrates naturally with daily life
Not confined to retreats — supports life as meditation, making transformation sustainable
The Buddha said this practice is “immediately effective.” Practitioners have experienced initial stages of awakening in as little as seven days on retreat.
Who We Serve
Beginners seeking a clear, kind entry into meditation
Spiritual seekers looking for practice rooted in the Buddha’s original teachings
Modern lay practitioners with jobs, families, and responsibilities who wish to practice sincerely
People seeking tools to manage stress, addiction, trauma, and emotional suffering through awareness and loving-kindness
Spiritual seekers who feel that they have hit a wall and plateaued, and want to try something fresh.
The Buddha said this practice is “immediately effective.” Practitioners have experienced initial stages of awakening in as little as seven days on retreat.
