Bodhi Sangha Vienna was founded in 2025 by Nicholas Hauser as a weekly Zen group at the Schmida Institute in Vienna.
We meet on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings for Zen meditation. We practice in the tradition of the Bodhi Sangha, the Zen school founded by the Indian Zen master Ama Samy.
Bodhi Sangha is a worldwide network of Zen Buddhist practitioners. This global community now includes students of Samy's followers in Asia, Australia, Europe, and America.
The members of Bodhi Sangha come from diverse cultures and countries and are united by their shared practice of Zen Buddhism. They cultivate a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood and welcome people of all backgrounds who are interested in meditation and spiritual growth. The Sangha also supports the work of Little Flower, a social project for marginalized communities in India.
The term "Sangha" traditionally refers to a community of Buddhist followers. Historically, it was associated with ordained monks and nuns. In today's Western context, the term "Sangha" has expanded to include lay Buddhist or Zen practitioners. The word "Bodhi" means awakening and refers to the Buddha's enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. It embodies the realization of emptiness as the true nature of existence and the non-dualistic understanding of the world and oneself.
The Schmida Institute was founded in 1934 by Prof. Dr. Susanne Schmida as a place for meditation. It is likely the oldest existing institute in Austria, having strived to impart skills that contribute to human wholeness for over 80 years. Since Susanne Schmida's death in 1981, the institute has been continued by her students on an association basis.