Wat Chom Thong, Wat Ram Poeng and Wat Doi Suthep are the three well-known temples offering intensive meditation retreats in the style of Ajarn Thong,  a student of  who could be called the founder of the modern vipassana movement, Mahasi Sayadaw.  They are all situated in or near to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The…

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Wat Pa Nanachat (near Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand) was founded by the late Ajarn Cha as a place where non-Thai speaking foreigners could train as monks in the Thai forest tradition.  Most of the ten or so monks there are from Europe and America. The food is first-rate.  There are daily vegetarian options.  You only eat…

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This is essentially a review of ‘The Buddhist Monastic Code’ by Thanissaro Bhikku.  The book covers all 227 of the rules for monastic discipline that are attributed to the Buddha.  It cites their origin stories and goes over some discussion and debate regarding their implementation  It’s the often bizarre origin stories that make the book…

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The Brocade Zither by Li Shangyin The 50-stringed zither has a sound too baffling to comprehend and this Has no reason. For each string, a bridge, each bridge, a resonance – ah!  How I long for the flowering years. When… Master Zhuangzhi loses himself in dawn dreams, dreaming that he is a butterfly, awaking to…

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Directions: The Pa Auk meditation centre just outside of Yangon is a branch centre of the main monastery in Mawlamyaine, the capital of Mon State in the South.  From downtown Yangon, you can get to it by taking Bus no.217 or no.213 from the bus stop close to the junction of Mahabandoola Park Street and…

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Here’s a list of some of the more prominent documentaries that I’ve come across that are related to Buddhism.  I have to say that there aren’t very many out there and, besides the top ones, the quality isn’t always that great.  Please go out there and make documentaries about Buddhism. 1) PBS Documentary (2010)A superbly-crafted…

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I spent the last few weeks on retreat at the secluded Thai mountain temple of Sandhisukthudongsathaan in Pa Pae, a small town about 60km away from Chiang Mai in the direction on Pai.  Unfortunately, the abbot, Luang Po Phrajoed, speaks no English and greatly values the quiet of his location – he became upset in…

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Wat Damnak is a good example of engaged Buddhism. Within its walls, it houses a language center, a weaving center, a primary school, charity administration offices, as well as the library and offices of the Center for Khmer Studies. You can find out more about them at: There is a picture of Mahasi Sayadaw, the…

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