Vassa 2016 Pa-Auk MayMyo

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since my last posting and before I enter the annual rains retreat( Vassa) for three months I thought it might be a good idea to give you some news. As some of you already may know, since January 2016, I've been practicing at a new Pa Auk meditation center(only 1 year old) in the Northern hills of Myanmar near Pyin Oo Lwin(May Myo). Previously, for two years, I was meditating at Shwe Oo Min centers in Myanmar practicing what is often called mindfulness(insight meditation or vipassana)with the excellent meditation teacher; U Tejaniya. Here at Pa-Auk, the meditation approach(strong concentration preceding insight) and monastic culture(strong faith, strict monastic rules) are quite different from what I was used to before. At times, it has been challenging and the transition was abrupt but after a couple of months I felt progressively more at ease. The very friendly and supportive monks, teachers, sayalays and lay yogis make all the difference! ;)

The Center

The main purpose of this particular meditation center is to train international monks. So, extra effort has been made to provide conditions that are above Myanmar standards. Without to much exaggeration, one could say it is a kind of "VIP vihara" or "VIP monastery". Let me describe a few featutes for you. First of all, the center is located in a forest( a little young but growing) and therefor is very quiet. In Asia silence is truly golden because of its scarcity. Also, due to high altitude of this region, the climate is much cooler (about 10°C cooler then Mandalay) and dryer then most places in this hot-humid tropical country. For the same reason, there are also less diseases( no malaria, no dengue, less bacteria...). For lodging, almost all meditators get a private kuti(cottage) equipped with a private bathroom. The food is vegetarian buffet and relatively healthy. We get to choose from wholegrain and or white rice, fresh fruits and veggies, a few veg curries, beans, sometimes tofu, nuts, green tea, coffee for breakfast, simple desert and whatever other yogis(meditators) offer at the end of the line. 

The Community

In total, there are about 240 meditators 100 of them sayalays(nuns) and 100 monks, about 20 non-monastic meditators and 20 workers. The meditation teacher is the renowned Pa-Auk Tawya sayadaw(82 years old and very active!). Meditators get interviews every other day with him. We also get weekly classes about the Buddha's teachings(Dhamma) by various competent monks and also classes on monastic rules(Vinaya) with U Kumarabhivamsa( the main Dhamma teacher at this center). There are 2 meditation halls(one for men, the other for ladies). There is chanting at 4am and 6pm(if our mamma is good, preceded with a cup of juice!). The remainder of the time is for meditation which means in my case mindfulness of breathing.

So, very dear friends, my hope is that you will be contented with these few words and let me now refocus my attention from writing to breathing so that I may get enlightened... and come visit you ASAP! :)

I would like to wish you all:

- Good health

- A happy mind and heart

- And that you may live your life fully! 

With love, 

Your "not so...   far     ...away" friend

U Viveka

:)

Panoramic view of Pa-Auk meditation center Pyin Oo Lwin (extended)
Female kuties(cottages) on the left, male's on the right

Monks walking to male's residence

Male's kuties and pond

This is my kuti

Inside: bed, table, meditation area
I spend a lot of time meditating here.

the other side: screen door, sink, bathroom is behind the wall

Pa-Auk sayadaw and monks during Chinese new year

Chinese new year: This is the Vietnamese group. They invited me since there is no Canadian group. :D 

4 Monks:
 Indonesia, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam

Bottom right:U Kumarabhimvamsa (Dhamma-Vinaya teacher)
Giving the precepts(rules) to novice monks.
U Adhicitta is the smiling monk. 

Future Buddha...
Temporary novice monk sitting in meditation hall

Stairway to Peace
Because the center is built on hills there are many stairways...which one leads to the highest happiness?
As the saying goes; take it one step at a time.
Happy climbing!