Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

On the cultivation of insight/wisdom
Jeremie
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Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Jeremie »

Hello,

I intent to go on Vipassaná retreat. I am seeking a place with an environment suitable for meditation and with serious teachers speaking English.
In Burma, due to the fact that this country is to my knowledge the best place for it, and besides I have been learning Burmese for 3 years..
I went last year but I would like to find a better place than the one I was.

Can someone who knows about this recommend me a good meditation centre?


Thanks
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Phra Chuntawongso
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Phra Chuntawongso »

Jeremie wrote:Hello,

I intent to go on Vipassaná retreat. I am seeking a place with an environment suitable for meditation and with serious teachers speaking English.
In Burma, due to the fact that this country is to my knowledge the best place for it, and besides I have been learning Burmese for 3 years..
I went last year but I would like to find a better place than the one I was.

Can someone who knows about this recommend me a good meditation centre?


Thanks
I have heard good things about the Mahasi Meditation center,in fact this is where my Sayadaw and his Sayadaw both trained.
There is also the Chanmyay yeiktha that has a couple of centers.Google meditation centers in Myanmar for links and contact details.
With metta.
I forgot to say that there are also Goenka centers in Myanmar.I believe that Ben has been to some retreats in Myanmar and is going again soon.If this is the type of vipassana you are after then Bens your man.The ones I mentioned are both Mahasi(one being obvious by the name)and I have no first hand knowledge of them.
Can you tell us which center you were at that you didn't find particularly good and what it was that made your stay not so good.
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rowyourboat
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by rowyourboat »

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/mahasi.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think this is the website.

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Matheesha
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Phra Chuntawongso
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Phra Chuntawongso »

rowyourboat wrote:http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/mahasi.htm

I think this is the website.

With metta

Matheesha
Thanks RYB.
The other one is http://www.chanmyay.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
With metta :coffee:
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Goofaholix
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Goofaholix »

I'd recommend Shwe Oo Min http://sayadawutejaniya.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where did you go last time?

What was it about the place you went last time that makes you feel you need to find something better?
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“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
Jeremie
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Jeremie »

I know the branches you mentioned. I just ask if someone knows a precise address to go.
rowyourboat
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by rowyourboat »

Goofaholix wrote:I'd recommend Shwe Oo Min http://sayadawutejaniya.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where did you go last time?

What was it about the place you went last time that makes you feel you need to find something better?
Hi Goofaholix

Sayadaw U Tejaniya seems to teach Samatha/samadhi, according to my understanding of the term.

http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/ ... /8_tej.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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bazzaman
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by bazzaman »

.
Last edited by bazzaman on Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by rowyourboat »

bazzaman wrote:
rowyourboat wrote:
Goofaholix wrote:ote]

Hi Goofaholix

Sayadaw U Tejaniya seems to teach Samatha/samadhi, according to my understanding of the term.

http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/ ... /8_tej.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta

Matheesha
I think that U Tejaniya Sayadaw would probably not agree with your understanding of the term "samatha/samadhi".
The "method" he teaches is referred to as "cittanupassana"; and is one of the four foudations of mindfulness in the Satipatthana Vipassana "method".
Hi bazzman

I agree with you that it is cittanupassana- but satipatthana methods give rise to both samatha and vipassana. Cittanupassana is most likely to give rise to samatha.

Vipassana can be identified if the method gives rise to vipassana nana (insight knowledges) and not otherwise. Since there is no mention or even a hint of vipassana nana in Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teachings it leads me to the conclusion that he is teaching samatha/cittanupassana as you say (and his descriptions of the fruits of the practice fall squarely in the samatha camp).

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Goofaholix
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Goofaholix »

rowyourboat wrote: Vipassana can be identified if the method gives rise to vipassana nana (insight knowledges) and not otherwise. Since there is no mention or even a hint of vipassana nana in Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teachings it leads me to the conclusion that he is teaching samatha/cittanupassana as you say (and his descriptions of the fruits of the practice fall squarely in the samatha camp).
You're joking right? Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teaching are all about developing insight, where do you glean the idea there is any interest in samatha?

In fact having practised the two main other burmese vipassana techniques beforehand, compared with my experience of the approach Sayadaw U Tejaniya teaches, I'd now be more inclined to consider them samatha on changing objects rather than true insight techniques.
Last edited by Goofaholix on Sat Dec 04, 2010 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Moggalana »

Meditation in Southeast Asia from http://www.retreat-infos.de" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; with addresses (in English): http://www.retreat-infos.de/Download/RFAE2010.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by cooran »

Excellent Moggalana! Thank you!

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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Goofaholix

'Right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration come under the aggregate of concentration'.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#visakha" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"And what, monks, is right effort?

"There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[ii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.

[iii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[iv] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort."

— SN 45.8

He talks of curiosity- of mind states- but that is pretty mundane. There is no talk of vipassana nana.

I might be mistaken but I would be interested in seeing anything he has said/written about vipasana nana.

with metta

Matheesha
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Goofaholix
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by Goofaholix »

rowyourboat wrote: He talks of curiosity- of mind states- but that is pretty mundane. There is no talk of vipassana nana.

I might be mistaken but I would be interested in seeing anything he has said/written about vipasana nana.
Right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration are taught by all teachers.

Your understanding of the definition of vipassana nana might be different from mine but I've heard his teaching first hand, read his books, listen to his mp3's (most aren't available on his web site) and it's all about vipassana, I struggle to think of any time he has encouraged samatha.

So are you saying to you investigation of body sensations, breathing, rising falling etc is vipassana but investigation into feeling and mindstates is not?
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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mikenz66
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Re: Where practicing Vipassaná in Burma?

Post by mikenz66 »

I've listened to some of Sayadaw U Tejaniya's talks (though since they were given in Burmese then English I wouldn't like to do that a lot) and it seemed very vipassana oriented. Steve Armstrong (who has also trained with U Panditata) mentions him quite a lot in his talks in a vipassana context.

Mahasi-style teachers such as Armstrong, Goldstein, Kearney only occasionally mention the insight nanas, so sampling a few talks is unlikely to give a complete picture.

:anjali:
Mike
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