FYI: Monks DO NOT get a free visa when entering Sri Lanka

[BKh]

I've seen many people say that monks entering Sri Lanka do not have to pay for a visa. This is no longer true. They must either get the visa on line in advance or have someone traveling with them pay for it at the airport. Although possible, it is not easy to have a supporter enter the airport and meet you at immigration to pay for the visa. If all else fails, it seems that they will give you a 48hr visa that forces you to immediately go to the main immigration office and have someone pay for your 30 day visa there.

This may be due to the fact that there is now a fully computerized system handling immigration so the individual officers have less flexibility.

[fornoxe]

A western monks told me also : if you move monastery to monastery (very usual in Sri Lanka), westerner monks will must have a kind of introduction letter.

[viriya424]

When you return, please clarify those things for me:
- is there electricity in the monastery?
- are there many foreigners? I read in a pdf by a monk whose name I don't remember that at the time there were, but I don't know the current state of things there
- about visa, again... Please tell me the informations you know about them. Will you need to leave the country or is there a breach in the law that allows someone with tourist visa to get an entry visa?
- is learning Sinhala any necessary? That question has to do with the other one about foreigners. More foreigners = more English speakers, I suppose.
- I know this monastery has a great focus on Samatha, which is a wonderful thing. How many hours do you meditate a day? Is there a standard schedule?
- about studies: do you have time and opportunity to study the scriptures? This question has to do with the first one about electricity. I only own digital books, so it would be nice if there is electricity.
- I read there is a library. Tell me about it.


I saw your last access was on June 5. Restraint or limited internet access?

Thanks.

Hello,

I am sorry for my late reply.

1. Yes, in every kuti. The place is not at all lacking in facilities.
2. Yes. Westerners there are about 15 to 20. However they are spread about over the different sections. There are also many Indians and Chinese, totalling about 30 foreigners.
3. It is ideal to come with an entry visa. If you come with a tourist visa you will have to go to a nearby country like India, do some paperwork for a few days and come back. Being exempted from this is probably even harder now than before.
4. I would not recommend learning Sinhala in this monastery if you want to be left alone and minimize unnecessary conversation with others. English is spoken more than sufficiently for everyday needs.
5. There is a "focus on Samatha" because officially the Pa Auk method is followed. However, you will be disappointed if you expect that to mean that most monks actually practice intensely. But if you want to do so, certainly you will have ample opportunity.

Normally there is no schedule, but recently they have implemented monthly 10-day retreats, where the schedule is from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., with breaks for meals, duties, etc. You will be expected to come to group sittings if you're a monk, especially a newer one.
6. You do get time for study. Outside of the retreat periods you could do it all day if you please. I do so quite a lot using my Kindle and phone.
7. The library is very large and varied, including books that don't necessarily accord with the system taught here. There is everything from Tipitaka to modern Yoga and alternative medicine.

About internet access: if you ordain you will be asked to give in your phone, but if you use it for study you can ask permission to keep it without internet access, i.e. by turning in your SIM card only. As of now, you can use your phone/SIM card only on Uposatha days; that's every 2 weeks.

I should also add that if you don't fully agree with the views officially endorsed here (Pa Auk, Abhidhamma/commentaries, Sinhalese Buddhist tradition) you should better keep that to yourself. There is a recent trend toward trying to make sure everyone conforms to these.

Due to this, I know some foreign monks are considering to leave after their higher ordination. The higher ordination and the training you receive in preparation for it is probably the most attractive feature of this monastery, as the Galduwa tradition is highly regarded in Sri Lanka, which opens doors in your monk life.

Regards

[Suranga]

I should also add that if you don't fully agree with the views officially endorsed here (Pa Auk, Abhidhamma/commentaries, Sinhalese Buddhist tradition) you should better keep that to yourself. There is a recent trend toward trying to make sure everyone conforms to these.


Regards

I think this is not anything special to this monestary. its the way that happens every where. Can you go to Mahasi center and practice Pa Auk? Can you go to Pa Auk myanmar and practice Mahasi.? Can you go to Goenka center and practice some thing else..? I think it makes sense..However If you keep your views to your self then this place will be a good place to practice what ever method you wish to practice.


with metta

[rhinoceroshorn]

I should also add that if you don't fully agree with the views officially endorsed here (Pa Auk, Abhidhamma/commentaries, Sinhalese Buddhist tradition) you should better keep that to yourself. There is a recent trend toward trying to make sure everyone conforms to these.


Regards

I think this is not anything special to this monestary. its the way that happens every where. Can you go to Mahasi center and practice Pa Auk? Can you go to Pa Auk myanmar and practice Mahasi.? Can you go to Goenka center and practice some thing else..? I think it makes sense..However If you keep your views to your self then this place will be a good place to practice what ever method you wish to practice.


with metta

What if the person simply follows the steps taught by the Buddha like in here, and not Pa Auk, Buddhaghosa, Mahasi, Goenka?

Sometimes I get very disappointed about concentration practice in Buddhism. There is so much disagreement.

[Suranga]

[/quote]

What if the person simply follows the steps taught by the Buddha like in here, and not Pa Auk, Buddhaghosa, Mahasi, Goenka?

Sometimes I get very disappointed about concentration practice in Buddhism. There is so much disagreement.
[/quote]


The abbot is very kind and discuss with him that you cannot practice concentration ( but only after some time).Then he will guide you to vipassana. In PA Auk method there is a way arround the concentration practice and directly go to vipassana. What ever the case dont go arround and critizise PA Auk method.Just keep your thoughts to your self. You may find lot of monks who practicing some thing else.if you want to practice the way you want to ..then abbot will help you. But be careful not to criticize the method teaching there..

[rhinoceroshorn]

You may find lot of monks who are practicing some thing else.

Great!

[Suranga]

You may find lot of monks who are practicing some thing else.

Great!

Just take it easy. one step forward. this is a life time journey. And in another note, the Buddhism you see in scriptures is different from the ones we may come across nowadays. Today is more than 2500 years after the Lord Buddha know? everything is anichcha..So get what ever the good you can get and leave the rest.

hope you will achieve you goals

[rhinoceroshorn]

You may find lot of monks who are practicing some thing else.

Great!

Just take it easy. one step forward. this is a life time journey. And in another note, the Buddhism you see in scriptures is different from the ones we may come across nowadays. Today is more than 2500 years after the Lord Buddha know? everything is anichcha..So get what ever the good you can get and leave the rest.

hope you will achieve you goals

Thank you my friend!

I already tested a bunch of those different methods and found the simple steps taught in the suttas to be the right path for concentration practice. It's ridiculously simple. So simple that the Buddha could do it at the age of six!!!

[Suranga]

....

Thank you my friend!

I already tested a bunch of those different methods and found the simple steps taught in the suttas to be the right path for concentration practice. It's ridiculously simple. So simple that the Buddha could do it at the age of six!!!
[/quote]



May be you should check out sumathipala nahimi meditation center while you in Sri Lanka as well.

[rhinoceroshorn]

May be you should check out sumathipala nahimi meditation center while you in Sri Lanka as well.

The head of the new centre is Ven. Pemasiri, a popular and experienced teacher in the Mahāsi
tradition who is helpful and friendly to foreigners. He used to stay in Kanduboda VMC and
then in Lanka Vipassana Centre. (See next entry.) Besides the Mahāsi method he also teaches
other traditional methods of meditation.

Thank you very much for the suggestion!
It's a very beautiful place and the Abbot seems to be very open-minded. I'll certainly check it out.

[axelsnaxel]

May be you should check out sumathipala nahimi meditation center while you in Sri Lanka as well.

The head of the new centre is Ven. Pemasiri, a popular and experienced teacher in the Mahāsi
tradition who is helpful and friendly to foreigners. He used to stay in Kanduboda VMC and
then in Lanka Vipassana Centre. (See next entry.) Besides the Mahāsi method he also teaches
other traditional methods of meditation.

Thank you very much for the suggestion!
It's a very beautiful place and the Abbot seems to be very open-minded. I'll certainly check it out.

There's some very sketchy reports about Pemasiri Thero.
https://archive.org/details/kanduboda/page/n3/mode/2up
I find it hard to imagine that the people who wrote the comments on this site would dare to make this stuff up.

[rhinoceroshorn]

May be you should check out sumathipala nahimi meditation center while you in Sri Lanka as well.

The head of the new centre is Ven. Pemasiri, a popular and experienced teacher in the Mahāsi
tradition who is helpful and friendly to foreigners. He used to stay in Kanduboda VMC and
then in Lanka Vipassana Centre. (See next entry.) Besides the Mahāsi method he also teaches
other traditional methods of meditation.

Thank you very much for the suggestion!
It's a very beautiful place and the Abbot seems to be very open-minded. I'll certainly check it out.

There's some very sketchy reports about Pemasiri Thero.
https://archive.org/details/kanduboda/page/n3/mode/2up
I find it hard to imagine that the people who wrote the comments on this site would dare to make this stuff up.

That's sad if true.
Na Uyana also has a bad reputation, unfortunately. There are some old topics on Dhammawheel exposing some ugly things about there.

There is no perfect place, I guess.

[rhinoceroshorn]

If this really happened then who is ordained by him is not really ordained since he is no longer a monk as he committed a parajika offense?

[Suranga]

May be you should check out sumathipala nahimi meditation center while you in Sri Lanka as well.

The head of the new centre is Ven. Pemasiri, a popular and experienced teacher in the Mahāsi
tradition who is helpful and friendly to foreigners. He used to stay in Kanduboda VMC and
then in Lanka Vipassana Centre. (See next entry.) Besides the Mahāsi method he also teaches
other traditional methods of meditation.

Thank you very much for the suggestion!
It's a very beautiful place and the Abbot seems to be very open-minded. I'll certainly check it out.

There's some very sketchy reports about Pemasiri Thero.
https://archive.org/details/kanduboda/page/n3/mode/2up
I find it hard to imagine that the people who wrote the comments on this site would dare to make this stuff up.

This is about kanduboda isnit? in this article it talks about some ven. called piyananda. Pemasiri thero lives adjacent monestary. However I didnt go to the monestary so I cannot tell for sure.Furter there are many radical extremists who in sri lanka fabricatiing many things about good monks. So Best thing is to go and check your self. But about the Na Uyana case , I know about the Na Uyana and its not that bad. And it has a good atmosphere about the vinaya.And there is another thing.. As you are coming to a different country and people and everything is different..So it will be a shock. so take it easy.otherwise you will be running away blaming every body. Even in Na Uyana there may be senior monks who is not meditating. Donot go and search if they meditate or keep vinaya or not. Just mind your own work.learn the stuff. there will be many teachers who teach the stuff.At the end of the day what matters is your own liberation. learn the basics and then may be if your want to go and practice alone.then after couple of years you can go to secluded place and practice(like in Laggala or Thanna ). what ever the case keep connections with Na Uyana. You will need it.

P.S. I just now read about the whole saga.. wow..if thats true then I dont know where we can find the refuge nowadays..every one is corrupted. But I lived in Na Uyana for many months and its remotely possible (immposible) for these kind of things can happen.5000% better than this.