Pádraig Cotter

Pádraig is currently the manager of Sunyata retreat centre.

In 2004 he attended his first 10-day meditation retreat in the tradition of S.N. Goenka and spent 5 years practicing within that tradition. As well as sitting many retreats he spent time serving in Vipassana meditation centres in Europe and India.

While travelling in India in 2009, he came across a book of teachings of Ajahn Sumedho, entitled “The Way It Is”. This proved to be an auspicious encounter as it pointed him in the direction of the Thai Forest tradition and he subsequently explored this tradition further.

Upon his return to Ireland that year, he was delighted to see a connection between Sunyata and Amaravati Buddhist Monastery and started to attend retreats at Sunyata.

As well as the teachings of the Thai Forest masters he is influenced by the non-dual teachings of Advaita Vedanta.

Previously Pádraig has trained and worked as an electronic engineer, working in telecommunications, and later as a career guidance counsellor working with long-term unemployed.