more places to practice

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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 11:37 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 11:37 AM

more places to practice

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: suachua
Forum: Places to Practice

Considering this is such a useful site, dedicated to useful information, and considering perhaps the the most useful information around is places you can go and get the time and space to understand things yourself, does anyone know of / want to make a comprehensive list of centres?

the reason i ask is lately Ive been looking for somewhere to practice intensively for a month or so over the summer, that isnt expensive [i.e. by donation or very cheap] preferably in the mahasi sayadaw tradition - ive heard nothing but promising things about it - and somewhere i wont overheat; perhaps its finnicky but i find high temperatures seriously unconducive [is this a word?] to practice. Also not too far away from england due to flight costs [australias out, probably america too].

Looking around I've found this surprisingly hard to find; plenty of western centres do short courses but not much in the way of long-term practice. Ive been looking at doing a work retreat at the very lovely gaia house but feel a full-time meditative retreat would be useful at this time.

Research shows plenty of part-lists, lists of some centres in certain countries etc, eg. this one http://www.buddhanet.net/medlinks.htm, but often links and info are out of date...i guess Im a little surprised that nobody seems to have pooled all this invaluable information [of what must be hundreds of centres, open monasteries and course sites] in one directory, wiki, or place...am I missing something here? Looking at the threads on this topic it seems lots of people are having similar problems.

Ideas anyone?

Any thoughts/advice much appreciated

with love,

Ettie
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Vishal Lama, modified 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 11:50 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 11:50 AM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 0 Join Date: 5/16/09 Recent Posts
Ettie,

Did you click on the "Places to Practice" tab on the left hand side of the DhO main page?

["Unconducive" is not a word!]

Best,
Vishal
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 12:47 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 12:47 PM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: suachua

Hi Vishal

Yes I did but somehow failed to read the basic introduction before skipping on to centre reviews [pretty embarrassed now! Can I blame that on the dark night haha]

I guess the directory will grow in time. I'll try and sit more places in Europe and add to it. Currently looking at the London Vihara, any other suggestions welcomed.

Best

Ettie
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Florian, modified 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 8:18 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 8:18 PM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 1028 Join Date: 4/28/09 Recent Posts
Hi Ettie,

UK: I've been hearing good things about Gaia House. www.gaiahouse.co.uk
Continental Europe: Meditationszentrum Beatenberg, Switzerland www.karuna.ch

Never been to either, but the names get handed around.

Cheers,
Florian
nic s, modified 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 9:47 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/18/09 9:47 PM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 7 Join Date: 5/27/09 Recent Posts
I can highly recommend the teacher that founded this place http://www.satipanya.org.uk/index.htm on the border of Wales, UK.
I haven't been there yet though, but can testify that the teacher is the real deal (just read his bio). He offers a 12 week Mahasi course in the summer.

He handed out little leafleats "The Vipassana Interview", right at the top is the disclaimer:

" Remember do not confuse a vipassanna interview with counselling or psychotherapy. Stories of all sorts are not relevant of 'seeing things as they really are' "

I thought that was pretty cool.
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 5/20/09 7:04 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/20/09 7:04 AM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: suachua

That certainly is pretty cool. Thankyou Florian and maya81, I've been in contact with the satipanya centre and gaia house and aam in the porcess of arrangign retreat(s) this summer

All the best

Ettie
Russell Moon, modified 14 Years ago at 5/21/09 2:00 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 5/21/09 2:00 AM

RE: more places to practice

Posts: 0 Join Date: 8/25/09 Recent Posts
Just today, I found this page on the London Insight Meditation site which lists several retreat centers in the UK:

http://www.londoninsightmeditation.org.uk/resources/retreat-centres/

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