Mindfulness meditation is a powerful ancient technique that we are using for years, particularly to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and achieve inner peace. We are using it to relieve pain and treat certain illnesses. I have practiced Meditation for some years, and when I move from Europe to Thailand, I have continued to maintain that practice. I was fortunate to discover it was only 150 miles from my current residence is one of the most famous Meditation Retreat centers in Thailand. Of course, I have decided I have to try…
Mindfulness Meditation Retreat is taking place at the Wat Suan Mokkh Meditation Center, about two miles from the Temple. The center is designed for all religions and to encourage multi-religious tolerance. I could not find a single picture of Buddha there.
However, all lectures and talks are closely related to Buddhism, namely for teachings of Anapanasati Sutta, as understood by Ajahn Buddhadasa. (A monastery founder and almost a saint for Thai people), and a deeper introduction to Four Noble Truths and Noble Eight-Fold Path. Hosts put special attention to understanding the terms of Dukkha, Nibbana, Kanda, No-Self, transience, and Paticca Samuppada (Dependent Origination).
How to apply
For this Meditation Retreat, you cannot apply in advance, you just need to show up. The capacity of the Meditation Center is about 200 people. You can stay after an obligatory conversation and assessing your eligibility to stay on retreat.
Many, like myself, decide to come the day before and they sleep at the monastery. Suan Mokkh belongs to the “Forest” monastery tradition and is very pleasant to stay in because thick and high forests maintain temperatures and humidity quite pleasant and protect from rain, which at summer often falls in Thailand. The stay over at the monastery is free of charge, and Thai Food can be purchased right outside the Temple. Even though in Thailand, Buddhists are generally not vegetarians, you are not allowed to eat meat at the facilities. Still, all the meals are delicious, a little spicy, a real treat for the lovers of Thai Food. The price of the 10-day Retreat is about 50 US$.
The next day is registration day, and you are introduced to the terms and rules of the Meditation Retreat Center. The Center itself covers the large area of forests, meadows, three small lakes, five large meditation halls, and several small spaces for isolation or individual talks with the monks. Each object or part of the landscape was made to have a special symbolism that has origins in Buddhist teachings. On the property, there is a Bodhi tree, under which I sat. (Bodhi tree is a tree under which Buddha sat when he experienced enlightenment). Monastery Abbot is Ajahn Poh, very famous and appreciated in Thailand.
Meditation center
Monastery Suan Mokkh is located near Chai Ya (30 Miles of Surratt Thani), and about 150 miles away from where I live now. I did ride my motorbike there, and that was also an unforgettable experience…
Accommodation in Meditation Retreat Center is set in individual rooms, I would say to the cells. I never thought sleeping on a concrete bed with a wooden pillow could be comfortable, but it is. When you are mentally prepared to sleep on such a bed, everything changes, and you sleep quite normally. You get the thin straw mats (like for the beach) and the thin blanket. The toilets are western style, shared, but there are more than enough. Still, showers are few, and the pool does personal hygiene and laundry with freshwater, Thai style…
Men and women are placed in separate bedrooms, they do Yoga separately, but they eat and meditate together (on separate sides of the hall, however). Even though you have a strict 10-day no-speaking policy, we can brake it in group interviews, where you can ask questions about meditation and Buddhism. These consultations are also separate for men and women.
Participants of the Meditation Retreat are about 40% men, 60% women. They are mostly younger people, from 20 to 30 years old, but there are other age groups as well. Retreat participants are from all over the world, though there were most Americans.
Most men attending the Meditation Retreat are seeking an adventure and would like to experience something new. Women were divided into two groups, Yoga trainers and women who wanted to free themselves from suffering (bad breakup, quarrels with parents or trouble at work).
Wake up time is at 4:00 AM, and first meditation and Dhamma Talks are performed in total darkness (weak candles are there to enhance the atmosphere). Meditation Hall has a sandy floor. Yoga exercise is at sunrise. Men also had introductory lessons of Thai Chi, but the entire exercise program had a very moderate tempo, suitable for beginners.
A day in retreat
Breakfast is at 8:00 AM, and the program continues at 10:00 AM. Meditations are usually 20 to 35 minutes long, sitting and walking meditations in turn. The rules of sitting meditation are not that strict, and you can change the position, stand up, drink water, etc. of course, not by obstructing other participants and with “Mindfulness”.
One of the rare opportunities to satisfy your need for comfort, even luxury, is “Hot Springs, “kind of pools with hot water from natural wells, which you can enjoy in your spare time, which you have quite enough, about three hours every day. They were separate male and female “Hot Springs.”
You are invited to attend to small choirs, clearing tables after food, cleaning leaves, lighting candles, etc. They’ve occupied you no longer than half an hour a day.
Lunch is at 12:30 PM, as a concession to foreigners, probably. Monks are not allowed to eat afternoon. You can eat as much as you like delicious vegetarian meals that consist mainly of spicy Thai Food and different fruits. The food was so tasty that I forgot I wasn’t a vegetarian and I didn’t miss eating meat.
Then again from 2:30 PM you have lectures and sitting and walking meditations. At 6:00 PM is a break for tea or cocoa (but with soy milk).
Evening Meditations and lectures are again performed in the dark (in Thailand the sun sets at around 6:30 PM). I have experienced one unforgettable feeling. We were led to walking meditation in a group, in line, one behind the other, in the dark, into the light of the pale candle, around the lake. And barefoot. For the first five minutes, I was anxious about what I could step on. When I realized that we are were safe in the group, I became aware of an extraordinary view and a sky full of stars, silence, and peace. Incredible experience…
Bedtime is at 9:30 PM. And you sleep very well…
Mindfulness training
The basis of the entire Retreat is Anapanasati Sutta, which is all about meditation with mindful breathing and awareness. You learn how to achieve a level of awareness that will enable you to accept things as they are (Vipassana).
Different terms and techniques are studied mainly from the book Ajahn Buddhadasa, “Mindfulness With Breathing, Unveiling The Secrets Of Life, manual For Serious Beginners”, which represents a program designed for foreign tourists in Thailand. Ten days of learning about the basic principles of Buddhism and the techniques for breathing meditation.
As they say, Nibbana is possible here and now, it is not necessary to die to achieve it. Nibbana translates as “coolness,” cooling from everyday problems and suffering (Dukkha). They even claim that accepting the five or eight precepts (rules of conduct) can “reset” the old bad karma and that past life does not have to be an obstacle for Enlightenment.
Five Kanda
Kanda means body, group and is the basis for attachment, Kanda’s. They are representing a body, feelings, perception, thought, and awareness.
They repeated every day, along with improving your meditation technique and underlining the importance of proper breathing and awareness of every breath. “Life is one breath in, and one breath out, life is a move.” The basic thought that came through every lecture was “Impermanence” (inconstancy, transience). It explains the significance of the non-attachment and the whole attitude towards non-self. We have committed one whole day to the Paticca Samuppada, Dependent Origination.
Only one day (ninth) was “individual day” when you meditate all day, combining sitting and walking meditation, along with walks around the lake and “resting” as preparations for the next session of meditation. For many, this was the most challenging day, because there is nothing that occupies your mind, not even lectures. The other days we can read books about what we learned in our spare time, but on a ninth day, we can not.
There were two monks with us during the Retreat and we could have individual conversations with them.
Still, we were spending most of the time with volunteers. Very well educated and eloquent professors, Thai people who lived in the West and spoke good English. They have had very inspiring lectures and group interviews. Volunteer lady had a significantly higher religious stance, while a male volunteer had a convenient view of the world and the goals of meditative practice, as well as the Buddhist religion, especially in Thailand.
On day ten, we went for a tour of the other parts of the monastery, in fact, isolated forest loggings of both monks and unordained foreigners who live there. Anyone who has completed the Retreat can spend some time in this place, for free, but observing the rules of monastically life. The exception is permission to have their computer and the Internet. Some of the unordained foreigners, for example, use this time to write books. Electricity is available to those who live in the main building. Some chose to live in Kuti’s (small isolated houses). Kuti’s are a little further in the woods and have no electricity. Still, they are free to use “Hot Springs “…
This is the place I’m going to go back to. I can’t live all the time this way, but ten days of meditating certainly I can enjoy it. Although the Retreat activities are the same every time, from the same words, you can always draw new meaning because you are changing, developing, and mature. An unforgettable experience that’s worth experiencing again and again.
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I have written this text shortly after my visit to Wat Suan Mokkh Meditation Retreat in summer 2018. All impressions and photos are mine but feel free to share them. This text is not an endorsement of any kind, just my reflection of 10 days well spent. I will honestly recommend you to visit this Retreat if you happened to come to Thailand.
All the books cited in this post are published by Suan Mokkh International Dharma Hermitage, and some are for free distribution, so feel free to visit their web site. Buddha teachings are also public domain, but some of the talks and interpretations are not. If you feel that I an violating any Copy-write, please let me know. I would appreciate honest feedback on this post
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