The year 2025 shows that we are achieving our goals − many large retreats and events, creating arenas and teaching for practice, so that the participants get their own experiences and their own wisdom. And it is these experiences that provide the motivation for further personal development. We have also become significantly better at publishing teaching digitally through podcasts and articles.

To a greater and greater extent, we are becoming an international society, with participants from Europe, but mostly from the Nordic countries. And we are working consciously towards building and joining a European network of organisations − so much of our activities are not easy to show in an annual report and in the financial statements.

2025 is also the year where we are represented for the first time in national media such as NRK – Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, DNT – The Norwegian Trekking Association and Podimo (an international producer of podcasts). 650,000 people got to see our society in prime time TV on NRK Daily Review. The largest trekking association in Norway DNT wrote a long and beautiful article in the magazine they send to their 250,000 members, and we were invited to podcast production with Podimo which have many thousands of listeners. These are large numbers for a still small soceity like DNBF.

Here are some statistics for 2025 (with 2024 figures and 2023 figures in parentheses):

• We have arranged in 2025:
  • December: Weekend retreat in Łódź, Poland
  • October: 7 days silent retreat at Venabu for beginners
  • September: Visit of Empty Cloud, Italy
  • June: workshop − right mindfulness
  • June: 7 days retreat in Lammi, Finland
  • May: Visit and teaching at Anukampa, Oxford
  • May: 7 Day Silent Retreat Venabu
  • April: Weekend retreat Stavanger
  • April: Weekend retreat Arendal
  • February: 7 days retreat Troset, Trondheim
  • February: Weekend retreat Stockholm, Sweden
  • January: Weekend retreat Kruusila, Finland
  • In addition, Ajahn Nitho has taught to several high schools during the year
  • Ajahn Nitho has completed a private three-month retreat in the mountains alone
• We plan for 2026:
  • 7 day retreat at Venabu April, Norway
  • 7 days retreat at Venabu October, Norway
  • 7 dagers retreat på Finnhamn, Sverige
  • 7 days retreat outside Warsaw, Poland
  • Monthly day event in Oslo
  • Lecture at ‘The XIII Global Conference on Buddhism’ in Poland.
  • Plus several shorter events throughout the year in different places
• 7491 podcast downloads (1041, 0)
• 1500 followers on Facebook (1400, 1100)
• 52 followers on newly established Instagram (0, 0)
• 624 receive our newsletter (474, 328)
• The society has 135 members (116 in the faith community) (99, 90)
• The websites had 66,800 page views (64,400, 28,000)

According to the constitution, DNBF shall promote the Buddhist teachings in theory and practice, with a special focus on ethics, meditation and wisdom – and to establish a city center and a combined retreat center/hermitage.

• In the future, the society will have to deprioritize some events for a period of time, and instead prioritize the work with property and buildings.
• We will continue to implement the intention of gender equality, an intention we have had from day one. We want to be able to live up to a 2500-year-old tradition that has had equality of men and women at its core. This is especially true for those who practice full-time − bhikkhunis and bhikkhus.
• In the coming year, we will also work with video production and publishing of teaching on video.
• We will also upgrade our systems for finance, accounting and reporting. The state financial support we will receive in 2026 will be so much that we will be subject to new regulations of bookkeeping under the law, and we will comply with these new requirements.

The year 2025 has been a very active year for the Buddhist Society of Norway. We are seeing steady and strong growth, and the level of activity has been formidable. Our retreats are incredibly popular and fill up quickly, which clearly confirms that there is a deep longing for the practice and framework we offer. Although the core activity is strongly rooted here at home, we have also arranged successful retreats in Finland, Sweden and Poland. We have also forged new ties with Italy and Belgium, while maintaining the close and important relationships with Anukampa and Venerable Canda in England.

In line with the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Chah, we know how crucial it is to build a solid community and a lasting foundation for practice. Building this foundation has been defined as one of the board’s most important tasks. We have placed great emphasis on offering events that are financially accessible to as many people as possible, and our events and retreats are almost non-profit. At the same time, we see a nice profit in 2025 thanks to generous donations and grants. In addition to covering the society’s absolutely necessary expenses for ongoing operation and teaching, all this surplus is saved up towards our big, long-term vision: To acquire a property for a future retreat center.

The autumn of 2025 marked another key milestone when the society began with regular monthly events in premises at St. Hanshaugen in Oslo. Here we have joint meditation for members, followed by teaching in the afternoon. The society has acquired technical equipment to spread this teaching also to those who do not have the opportunity to participate physically. Many have stopped by, and these events have proven to be a very good arena for getting to know others who share the same commitment to the Buddha’s teachings. The community feeling is strengthened when we can sit in meditation together and share experiences across backgrounds.

Another crucial highlight last year was that even though the state increased the required number of members in order to receive state financial support, the society managed to meet the requirements before the end of the year. This gives the society a financial predictability that is absolutely essential for the continued operation and for us to be able to plan long-term.

This development does not come by itself. A massive thank you goes to Ajahn Nitho for his tireless and central role in the society. He is the very engine of this work. In addition to leading the retreats, he puts a formidable effort into filling our websites with solid dhamma, so that the teachings are accessible to everyone. We also see the results of this through our podcasts, which experienced enormous growth in 2025 with almost 7500 downloads. The society has also experienced valuable media exposure during the year. This has helped to make our practice known and visible to an even wider audience, far beyond our own platforms. His ability to combine deep practice with practical teachings is invaluable.

To support this growth, a well-functioning board is crucial. The board is currently functioning very well; It is a committed, skilled and dedicated group that pulls in the same direction. Thank you to each and every one of you for your efforts! Due to the increased activity, we are now also looking at the possibility of expanding the board going forward, to ensure that we can distribute the tasks among more hands and maintain progress without tiring out individuals.

Finally, I would like to extend a big and warm thank you to the volunteers who have contributed with time and effort. Their efforts are a very important contribution for the society, and to maintain the high level of activity. We will have an increasing need for volunteer hands in the future as we grow, and we hope even more people will feel the joy of contributing to the community.

Thank you very much for a wonderful and productive year. We are now in a new year where, by all accounts, many things will happen in a positive direction. It really feels like we are sailing with a good tailwind at the moment! Together, we are now building a foundation that is increasingly helping to bring freedom, happiness, and wisdom to the world.

Kind regards, Alf Christensen, Chair of the Board

As a teacher and inspirer, I really only have one goal for life: How many people can I help and inspire into deep meditation/jhana? And can I help and inspire someone to deep insights/awakening − to stream-winning or better? Both deep meditation and awakening are high-hanging fruits, but it is these experiences that truly change people’s inner world towards something very beautiful!

I think I remember my teacher Ajahn Brahm saying many years ago, when the BSWA was working on planning/building the big Jhana Grove Retreat Centre in Australia, that if just one person reaches jhana in that centre, that was enough to justify such a large investment of resources. That’s how high the fruit hangs, and that’s how good the taste is.

I think our short history has proven that we realy want to − and that we can achieve what we are going for. And I think we are ready for the next step − a larger center in a quiet area of Norway. And we want to be a little brave when it comes to size, but also find out what is possible and right. There will be a lot of work ahead, and the society will need a lot of help. But I think together we can create something great in Norway, both for members, bhikkhunis and bhikkhus − and the fruits are still hanging there, and DNBF wants to help people to climb and to reach for new heights.

I have dedicated my life to this organization full-time, and work hard to build a good, ethical and long-term foundation. It is important for me to promote equality in the spiritual life, protect the freedom and independence of those who live a full-time spiritual life, as well as show tolerance for, and teach, a wonderful teaching that is deep, but little known in Norway.

Then I would like to say thank you to everyone who has made donations and volunteers who have helped the society move forward – especially to the board, but also to my family. I can’t do this alone – and I’m looking for people who want to help the society move forward!

Kind regards, Ajahn Nitho, Spiritual Director

All amounts in Norwegian kroner NOK.