Monasteries and meditation centers in Thailand...

[appicchato]

http://www.kammatthana.com/a_guide_to_buddhist_monasteries_.html/

[Ben]

Thank you for this great resource, Bhante!
I've taken the liberty of moving it to the Theravadin meditation forum and converting it to a sticky for ease of retrieval.
metta

Ben

[Cittasanto]

The links on the site don't work for me?

[bodom]

If only I lived in Thailand...maybe one day..

[appicchato]

The links on the site don't work for me?

Ditto...go to the website (kammatthana.com) and click on the links there...they work...

The PDF at: http://www.retreat-infos.de is actually more informative...(PDF too big to download here)...

[Cittasanto]

The links on the site don't work for me?

Ditto...go to the website (kammatthana.com) and click on the links there...they work...

The PDF at: http://www.retreat-infos.de is actually more informative...(PDF too big to download here)...

I did have a look on their but couldn't see any specific name relation to get to a coresponding page?

[appicchato]

It's true the links don't work in the OP...although the information about monasteries and meditation centers is there...scroll down...and it's pretty outdated ('91?)...the second link to the PDF is more current...and there's always: http://www.google.com/search?client=saf ... 8&oe=UTF-8 ...

[Moggalana]

There was a minor error in the link posted in the OP. Here is the working direct link: http://www.kammatthana.com/a_guide_to_b ... eries_.htm

[gavesako]

Here is the latest updated version of the Retreat Infos guide:
http://www.retreat-infos.de/Download/RFAE1009.pdf


I have also just submitted a description of a monastery in Thailand:


Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek and BuddhaMetta Project


Address

Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek
Moo 5 Tambol Ban Reua
Ampher Phu Wiang
Jangwat Khon Kaen
40150
Thailand
Phone: +66-4329-1820
Mobile: +66-83326-8708
Email: rightview@hotmail.com or watpah@gmail.com
Web: http://www.rightview.org


Description

Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek is a socially engaged monastery of the Thai
forest tradition located in Phu Wiang, Khon Kaen province, north-east
Thailand. It welcomes Thai and international visitors to study and
practise the Dhamma.

The BuddhaMetta project is an original and innovative idea of a
'Dhamma village' aimed at providing a unique chance to ‘live in the
Dhamma’. It will create a special kind of community in which lay
people can freely interact with the monks to learn from and support
each other in developing the Dhamma. It has been initiated to meet the
needs of people seeking to fully understand and practise the Dhamma by
living in a Buddhist community. In Thailand the temple system often
makes it difficult for visitors to meet with and learn from the monks.
This project aims to overcome this difficulty. As well as offering a
unique environment for the development of meditation practice, the
project offers a way of directly encountering the Buddhist way of life
and a chance to interact with the local village community. The project
will also sponsor community projects and international exchange for
school children and university students. It will become a place for
people from all over the world to practise meditation in a peaceful,
caring and harmonious environment. The project will provide
opportunities to work with the local community and be involved in
providing almsfood for the monastic Sangha. Environmental projects
such as organic fruit and vegetable gardens, rice paddy fields and
tree planting are an essential part of the whole concept. The location
of the 'Dhamma village' is in an area of strong, natural power in Loei
province (Tambol Pha Sam Yot, near Erawan cave, about 2 hours from Wat
Pah Kanjanabhisek) with caves, a lake and forests conducive to the
development of a peaceful mind and wisdom.

Text: http://www.rightview.org/Kanjanabhisek/buddha.htm
Photos: http://picasaweb.com/bdmetta
Videos: http://youtube.com/watpah


Accomodation

At Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek, there are huts (kuti) for the monks and male
visitors, and a kitchen building for female visitors. At BuddhaMetta
project, there will be ten wooden houses for accommodation surrounded
by a landscaped forest. Each house has two stories in a Thai style,
with two bedrooms upstairs and one bedroom, living room , bathroom,
small kitchen and dining area on the ground floor. There will also be
a main public kitchen for the preparation of food. It is hoped that
the organic fruit and vegetable gardens on the property will supply
all of the food required together with the food from the monks'
almsround (pindapata). However, people can also purchase their own
food to cook in their own kitchen and contribute to the community by
offering almsfood to the monks. The Sala (meditation hall) will be the
centre for many activities such as Dana offering, chanting, Dhamma
teaching and meditation practice.


How to get there

From Bangkok's northern bus terminal Mochit, there are overnight buses
(e.g. 999, Muang Loei Air) going directly to Phu Wiang, leaving around
8-9 pm and arriving around 4-5 am. One can also travel during the day,
or go to Khon Kaen and catch another bus to Phu Wiang from there
(about 40 mins). It is also possible to fly from Bangkok to Khon Kaen.
From the bus terminal in Phu Wiang, it takes only 30 minutes to walk
to Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek (about 2 km): turn right after the big gate
and follow the road to Ban Reua until you see the monastery sign on
the left. One can also take a three-wheel taxi (samlor) to the
monastery. Transport to the BuddhaMetta project in Loei province will
be organized from Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek as required.


Teacher

Ajahn Sudhiro or other English-speaking monks and invited teachers
will be available for meditation instruction, teachings and
discussions. Ajahn Sudhiro (Phra Chaowaphit Sudhiro) has been ordained
in the Dhammayut tradition for over 20 years. For many years he has
practised meditation in seclusion, living in caves and wandering on
tudong. Later he established Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek near his hometown
and started several projects to help the local community, especially
children and sick people. Young boys have a chance to ordain as
novices and pursue monastic education up to university level in
Bangkok. Students from Khon Kaen also come for meditation retreats. In
the last ten years, Ajahn Sudhiro has also been active
internationally, teaching at the Samatha Group in England and staying
at the monasteries of the Ajahn Chah tradition there. He also
established Sammapatipadarama monastery in Napier, New Zealand, where
he now usually spends the rainy season (Vassa).


Ordination

Several Westerners have already ordained as monks for shorter or
longer periods of time with Ajahn Sudhiro as their teacher. Ordination
can be arranged after individual consultation, depending on the
readiness of the candidate. Even older candidates are accepted, there
is more flexibility here compared with places like Wat Pah Nanachat.
One is expected to be self-reliant and to study by oneself, with the
opportunity to discuss practical matters with the teacher as
necessary. There is daily chanting in Pali and English, and one is
expected to learn most of the chanting by heart. There is also daily
group meditation and chores such as sweeping and cleaning. After the
almsround early in the morning, the monks eat one meal a day at 8 am.
In the afternoon there will also be drinks and sweets available.


Meditation technique

Individual, no specific technique is emphasised, but Ajahn Sudhiro can
teach anapanasati and meditation on the elements, as well as walking
meditation.


Monastery regulations

Visitors are usually expected to keep the 8 precepts, but in some
cases eating in the afternoon is also possible.


Languages

Thai, Lao and English.


Costs

Voluntary donation.


What to bring

Flashlight, alarm clock, mosquito repellent. Everything can be easily
bought in the town nearby.


When to visit

Best time is during the cool season, from November until February.

[Moggalana]

Thank you, Bhante. This project sounds really interesting

[Adam40]

http://www.meditationthai.org/docs/en/index.html

I have done a retreat here and can highly recommend it to anyone. Very well organized and all done in English.
It is done with the Dhammakaya meditation technique re-discovered by Luang Por Sod (Luang Pu Wat Paknam).

Sahdu, Sahdu, Sahdu.

[phalanyani]

Dear friends, after checking the links I found that the info about Wat Rampoeng where I stay and practice since long is not quite up to date, here is an update. Although living standards are european its rather tough due to the strict teaching and better for those who really want to practice than retreat tourists.

Wat Ram Poeng

Address:
Northern Insight Meditation Center
Wat Ram Poeng (Tapotaram)
Tambol Suthep, Amphur Muang
Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Mobile Prah Chaibodin: +66 (0)89 757 23 26
Tel: +66-53-27 86 20, Fax: +66-53-81 01 97
E-mail: watrampoeng@hotmail.com
www.watrampoeng.net (english website)
www.watrampoeng.com (Thai website)

pre-registration by calling Prah Chaibodin or mailing is recommended!

Location: The Insight Meditation Center is some kilometers northwest of Chiang Mai. The monastery is about 500 years old. On the grounds are a beautiful old stupa, a Tipitaka Library, Viharn, smaller clusters of buildings with individual rooms for meditators, kutis, kitchen and dining hall as well as some other buildings. Recently a new women section was completed with a wooden meditation hall. A lot of outdoor and indoor place for meditation is available.

How to get there: From Bangkok take the night train (approx. 13 hs), bus, plane (approx. 1 h) to Chiang Mai. From Chiang Mai take a tuk tuk or shared taxi (red bus) to the Wat (depending on your bargaining skills, 100 Baht). Taxi from the airport to the monastery costs about 160 Baht.

Tradition: Theravada, Vipassana meditation in the Mahasi tradition, rendered by Ajahn Tong.

Teacher and abbot: Ajahn Suphan is expert of Abidhamma, and teaches westerners exclusively in a strict but very compassionate way. Friendly atmosphere.
Meditators receive helpful and clear instructions for practice in daily interviews. In Ajahn Suphan’s absence Bhikkhuni Agganyani teaches the westerners. Thai meditators do guided meditation in groups and have 3 different teachers.

Technique and schedule of retreat: Intensive meditation practice. Meditators practice in their rooms or at a location of their choice. All meditators receive individual instructions. During the retreat, the four foundations of mindfulness (observing the body, feelings, mind and mind objects) are practiced. All arising phenomena are noted mentally. Initially, the primary object of meditation during sitting is the rising and falling of the abdomen and during walking the movement of the foot. Each period of meditation begins with a mindful prostration, followed by walking meditation and a sitting period. Walking and sitting periods are of equal duration. Beginners start with 10 minutes and gradually increase to an hour.

Language(s): Interviews in English or Thai. Translation into German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Lao or Vietnamese can be given, if necessary.

Duration of courses: For a meditator who comes for the first time to the center a retreat of 26 days is strongly recommended, 10 days is the minimum stay. After concluding the first retreat of full length (26 days) one can come for 10 day retreats at any time. Since courses are individual, there are no particular dates for arrival. Retreats start following an opening ceremony.

Accommodation: Women and men live in pleasant small single rooms in separated quarters. All rooms have a wooden bed with a thin mattress. Blankets can be borrowed.

Shopping: Items of daily use (toothpaste, laundry detergent, countdown timer, chocolate, etc.) can be bought in a small shop at the Wat. White clothing sometimes can be borrowed.

Food: Breakfast (6 a.m.) and lunch (10:30 a.m.) are varied and of good quality.
For breakfast usually a rice- or noodle soup is served (vegetarian or with meat). At lunch most times a choice of brown or white rice with 2 - 3 vegetarian and 1- 2 meat dishes are given out. There is plenty of soy sauce, brown sugar and spicy red
chillies. Deserts depend on the donator of the meal. After noon no meals should be taken, drinks such as soy milk, tea, drinking yoghurt are permitted. At five o’clock the kitchen team offers a soy-or other beans drink. Drinking water is filtered.

Medical care: Very good by Asian standards. A doctor comes to the monastery. The closest clinics are in Chiang Mai, easy to reach in 5 - 10 minutes.
The region is not considered malaria area, but in other parts of Thailand malaria is endemic. Hygienic conditions in the Wat are good.

Specials: Bhikkhunis and Bhikshunis are welcome (please bring ordination certificate). As Wat Rampoeng is meditation center and monastery the meditator has the chance to partake in some of the ceremonies which are held regularly.

Costs: Donation.

Rules: Participants commit themselves to observe the eight silas (moral precepts). Clothing should be white, comfortable, and decent (no shirts or tank tops). Wake-up call is at 4 a.m.

Climate and best time to go: November to March.

Note: A warm jacket is useful during morning meditation.
Silence should be kept at all times, except the interview with the teacher. No reading, no writing.

Good conditions, intensive practice, and expert individual instruction.

[gavesako]

Pilgrimage to forest monasteries in NE Thailand in January 2011:

http://www.rightview.org/Buddhametta/Tr ... /Front.htm

[gavesako]

Now it is all on this page:

https://wanderingdhamma.wordpress.com/b ... -thailand/

[gavesako]

Interesting Thai documentary about young people who decided for the first time to join a meditation retreat at three different places: Wat Pah Sunandavanaram in Kanjanaburi (Ajahn Mitsuo Gavesako), Dhamma Simanta in Lamphun (Goenka center), Wat Somphanas in Sakol Nakhon (LP Thien center). They follow them and record their difficulties in adjusting to a new routine and environment. Some of the scenes are quite realistic, showing how hard it is to sit or walk for hours every day, and dramatic like when the person cannot take it anymore and wants to leave.

พื้นที่ชีวิต - วิจัยชีวิต (TPBS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf5XLnH3yyk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyCOePNr6Yw

(Can be followed even without knowing Thai language)

[gavesako]

Visiting forest monasteries in Ubon: Wat Don That of Phra Ajahn Sao and Wat Nong Pah Pong of Phra Ajahn Chah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVLhAFLTr3I