*Meditation Techniques of the Masters: Luangda Maha Bua

Through reading Luangda Mahabua’s dhamma talks one can construct an idea of his method of meditation—but it is not presented in a systematic way. What has been published in English of Luangda Mahabua’s ideas of Buddhist practice is a selection of his dhamma talks (many downloads of these talks available here). In Thai much more has been published, but these are also collections of talks on various subjects such as the Four Noble Truths or Samadhi.

When reading Luangda Mahabua’s writings translated into English, a glossary is provided in the back of each book. This glossary is necessary to refer to throughout one’s readings. Even if one is familiar with Pali Buddhist terms, the forest tradition uses even more particular terms such as the ‘citta,’ or heart-mind, which is very difficult to conceive of and understand.

Kammathana: The Basis of Practice is a translation of teachings compiled from writings and transcriptions of talks by Luangda Mahabua. Part One of this book describes the way of practice. Mahabua discusses sitting and walking meditation. One should focus the mind on one word (‘Buddho’ is a good choice) or another word to suit one’s character. Repeating the word brings calmness. Eventually one will enter Samadhi and the breath will seem to cease. After one becomes proficient in Samadhi one should move to investigation or vipassana meditation. One can use Samadhi as a resting point for the mind when investigation is too tiresome. One comes out of Samadhi naturally and at that point one should reflect on the meditation session.

Within this practice there are 3 types of Samadhi that are emphasized. One is the momentary concentrated state of khanika Samadhi, where the heart becomes fixed and calm. Upacara Samadhi is the second level and it is described as the same as khanika except it lasts longer. In this stage a vision, or nimitta may appear, such as a dead body. This can be something to investigate for someone who understands this is just a vision or can be a setback for someone who does not understand where this vision is coming from. The final stage is appana Samadhi which is more subtle and unwavering. One can remain in this state for a very long time and one can withdraw from it as one wishes. Luangda Mahabua does not discuss the jhanas but finds states of Samadhi more helpful as an aid toward investigation meditation.

During walking meditation, Luangda Mahabua advises that one should have a 20-30 meter path and walk at a moderate speed. For this method hands are placed right over left in front and the meditator should look down. One should stop and reflect until the mind is calm by repeating ‘buddho,’ as in sitting meditation. Sessions of walking and sitting meditation last as long as one wishes– there is no set length of time.

After one has reached Samadhi, one can then first investigate objects of the body such as hair, nails, teeth and skin, and one can also investigate the inner body if able. One also has the 5 khandhas (the 5 objects that compose sentient beings: feeling, body, consciousness, perception, and mental formation) as objects of investigation. But it is up to the individual character which to choose. One should find one’s own way as only the meditator knows their own ‘citta’ and character.

Throughout Mahabua’s talks there is the image of a fighting —of a warrior going to battle while meditating. This emphasizes the effort needed and the difficulties of dealing with the mind. Therefore Mahabua recommends seeking out fearful surroundings and fasting as part of the practice. But one has to find one’s own method for taming the ‘citta.’ Interestingly, Mahabua notes that foreign monks at Wat Pa Baan That like to fast because it helps to control the ‘citta.’ They fast like the Thai monks. He also notes that they behave well and with a clear purpose. He praises foreign monks as coming from an intelligent race but not being conceited, and for getting along well with their Thai peers even though far from family.

Thus within this method there is a balance of Samadhi and panna—they both support each other and develop each other. Mahabua encourages meditators to use satipatthana (foundation of mindfulness) and gives hope that Enlightenment is still possible as we all have a body like the Buddha and the arahants. But Mahabua is careful to note that the dhamma he is discussing comes from both theory and his own experience. He therefore acknowledges that the experience part could be wrong so students shouldn’t only listen to him but experience the meditation for themselves.

Therefore part of the method of Mahabua has to do with his relating of his own experiences. In Part Four of this book titled “The Transmission of Dhamma” Mahabua recounts his meeting with his teacher Luangpu Man. Man advised Mahabua to stop studying for now and work on calming the ‘citta.’ After describing the ups and downs of his own practice, Mahabua switches to a 3^rd person account of the progress of meditation.

In another translation of dhamma talks of Mahabua Arahanttamagga/Arahattaphala: The Path to Arahantship there is a summary of Mahabua’s writings on this concept of ‘citta.’ Here are some of the definitions I have compiled: the citta is a knowing awareness that does not arise or pass away; the true citta only knows but we live with the defiled citta; consciousness flows out from the citta; to progress in meditation one first separates citta from body, then 5 aggregates and then one is left with pure citta; the citta is the prime mover governed by kamma; the arahant’s citta has transcended kamma; we need to purify the citta to stop rebirth; the citta is subtle and hard to know; one can see true citta in Samadhi; the defiled citta is infected with the kilesas (greed, hatred and desire); the goal is for the citta be in harmony with its true nature; true citta is free from fear.

In this book as well Mahabua describes the repetition of ‘buddho’ as the anchor. One enters into and out of Samadhi and investigation, but ‘buddho’ is always there. One should switch back and forth from the statement of buddho’ to Samadhi to investigation and back to the repetition again depending on one’s state of consciousness. Another important concept is avijja, or ignorance. The defiled citta is said to be connected with avijja—it is stuck to attachments of the world and completely deluded. Through investigation of the body and the 5 khandhas one will start to know and be able to remove avijja from the heart.

Here there is also an autobiographical recounting of the later stages of Mahabua’s progress in meditation. In a part of the book titled “Shedding Tears in Amazement with Dhamma,” Mahabua recounts the moment when he experienced the true dhamma and how, like the Buddha, he too did not want to teach after experiencing this. But he saw that some people could be taught, and so eventually acquired many students. He now focuses his energy on projects within Thailand and trying to unify the nation.

Therefore the meditation techniques of Luangda Mahabua are particular to his experiences and the forest lineage of Luangpu Ajahn Man. The terminology used is part of the Pali Canon tradition but the forest lineage uses certain words, such as citta, more frequently than other meditation methods. The meditation is placed within the study of the Buddha’s teachings and experience of the teachers. It is also placed within the context of the forest, of practicing in one’s kuti, meditating in fearful places, wandering, and fasting. Thus the method, lineage, and place of practice are balanced together to create this particular method of meditation.

* “Meditation Techniques of the Masters” is a new series of posts on this blog. I will discuss the methods taught at the retreats I am attending. The information is based mainly on readings of dhamma talks and other teachings by the masters’ themselves. This is supported by my knowledge of the practice through experience in retreat settings of this method. But my primary focus is the teachings, not my personal understanding of the practice.

English Meditation Instructions: Wat Srisuphan

Phra Chan begins by discussing respect. “Why do we respect the Buddha? Why do we respect our parents? Why do we respect others?” It is a challenging question. He is pointing to Buddhist morality, giving a short foundation on this before moving to strictly discussing the methods of meditation. Phra Wanna listens and adds in as Phra Chan takes the lead, asking the students questions and quizzing them on their Buddhist knowledge. He then shifts to incorporating Buddhist morality into daily life—discussing the negative attributes of craving and attachment to worldly possessions.

I have visited Wat Srisuphan’s Monk Chat and Meditation Instruction program on many Thursday evenings. Although this temple in the city center of Chiangmai, many visitors make it a stop on their tour because of the beautiful silver halls and the silver-making that takes place here. I asked one of the several Cambodian monks who staff this program why they have Monk Chat and Meditation Instruction at this temple. I was told that the abbot wanted to be able to help foreigners understand Buddhism. English-speakers come and ask questions and the abbot created this forum for their questions to be answered. He gave the responsibility of teaching to a group of about 8 monks that could speak English. These monks all go to Mahachulalongkornrajavidyala Buddhist University and take part in the English-speaking program there.

Each evening this program is offered (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), about 4-8 foreigners usually attend. Because these are mostly beginners the monk teachers focus on concentration meditation, telling the foreigners to focus on mindfulness of breathing while sitting and mindfulness of movement while doing walking meditation. Vipassana or awareness meditation would be too advanced for this short introduction. After 15 minutes of walking and 15 minutes of sitting, there is time for questions. Sometimes these questions are more about Buddhism in general and the way it is practiced in Thailand, but other times they are about the meditation itself. The monk teachers give instruction on how to integrate this new practice into their daily life. They stress that just practicing a half hour a day will help to calm the mind. Since these are beginners, the benefits of meditation are emphasized, such as reduced stress, increased concentration, and tranquility. After the question and answer period many of the new meditators promise they will incorporate the practice into their lives and thank the monks for introducing them to these new ideas.

On one Thursday night, however, Phra Chan asked me to talk to the beginning studentsabout concentration meditation. I had just came back from a longer retreat and Phra Chan thought it would be good for the foreigners to hear about my experience and learn from a native speaker. I described the technique of walking and sitting meditation– all the while checking with Phra Chan that I was teaching the method correctly. After this the beginning meditators wanted to know more broadly about Buddhism. Phra Chan again let me take over. Answering questions about Buddhism was much easier for me than teaching meditation, as I am used to explaining Buddhist concepts. They asked why Buddhists talk so much about suffering, what Buddhists believe happens when we die, why monks have different colored robes, and what karma is all about. Some of these questions were about comparing Buddhism to religions more familiar, some clarifying what they heard from pop cultural understandings of Buddhism, and some from what they see around them in Thailand. It is always interesting to see what kind of ideas foreigners have about Buddhism. But the students also wanted to know practical questions about sitting in meditation. They struggled to sit cross-legged and wondered why they can’t sit in chairs, and other ways to sit that are more comfortable. These kinds of issues are particular to foreigners as well.

But each night at Wat Srisuphan is different depending on the dynamics of the group. One night I attended it was not foreigners but two Thai women and a small boy who came to discuss dhamma and meditate. One of the ladies decided to give a dhamma talk in Thai for over an hour. She went over many Buddhist concepts and gave me some great Thai listening practice. But usually foreigners dominate the program as it is designed for them. The monks at Wat Srisuphan have much on their hands with this program three nights a week but they all help each other and become more and more proficient at explaining meditation and Buddhism to a foreign audience. 

Wat Tham Tao and Forest Temples of Udon Thani

Everyone that finds their way to Wat Tham Tao comes through Wat Pa Baan That. Some meditators and monks become frustrated with life at Wat Pa Baan That because it is crowded and the devotionalism for Mahabua becomes overwhelming. In contrast Wat Tham Tao is described as the way Baan That used to be– a quiet, secluded forest monastery.

I heard about Wat Tham Tao through Wat Pa Baan That as well. I had heard Ajahn Dick’s name mentioned as one of the former teachers at Wat Pa Baan That and also heard of a meditator’s plan to visit his wat nearby. Before I left Baan That I had a map and a plan to visit Wat Tham Tao the next morning. I didn’t know if Ajahn Dick would be there or if he would be able to talk with me but since I only had one day for this trip, I decided to go anyway.

“Your timing is immaculate,” one of the foreign meditators told me after I arrived. Had I arrived five minutes later, the foreign meditators and monks would have already left for their tour of some of the forest wats in Udon Thani. Luckily I arrived as they were leaving and was able to go along on this unique adventure. I was accompanied by Ajahn Dick from America, Kruba Ron from Germany, Alan, a meditator from Australia, Kofi, an American and soon-to-be-monk, and Melita, a maechii from Indonesia.

This tour consisted of visits to three forest wats whose abbots are all students of Luangda Mahabua. We first visitied Wat Bodhisompon, which is situated within the city. They have just built a jedi for the respected abbot of this temple. The jedi contains much modern art depicting the life story of Luangbu Man. Next we went to a temple located in the forest which looked similar to Wat Pa Baan That and Wat Tham Tao called Wat Pa Nakoon. The abbots of these two temples are of the same generation of Luangda Mahabua but the abbot of the third forest temple we visited, Wat Pa Nagamnauy, represented a new, younger generation of leadership among the branch temples. It was interesting to visit these forest temples and see the different architectures but it was the talks with the meditators and Ajahn Dick that was the most engaging part of the trip.

Ajahn Dick began the ordained life as a novice in India before ordaining in Sri Lanka. As amonk in Sri Lanka Ajahn Dick read about the forest monks of Thailand. These readings eventually led him to reordain within the Dhammayut Nikaya of Thailand in 1977 and to practice under Luangda Mahabua at Wat Pa Baan That. Since leaving Baan That Ajahn Dick has stayed in a number of branch temples of Luangda Mahabua and most recently resides at Wat Tham Tao.

As a former teacher of foreigners at Wat Pa Baan That, Ajahn Dick found that many of the English-speaking meditators came to practice there based on internet research. Ajahn Dick commented that it is easier to find these places for newer generations but for his generation, it was much more difficult. Because Wat Pa Baan That has an English version of their website, many foreigners visit without knowing about Buddhism or other options. Therefore some meditators don’t stay long but there are some who stay and benefit from the forest dhamma. Ajahn Dick interprets that those who stay have a connection with the place through previous kamma.

Now at Wat Tham Tao Ajahn Dick tries to help the English-speakers when they come to practice. But he finds that in the forest tradition, meditators need time to adjust and do the practice on their own. But for those who would like to ordain, Ajahn Dick recommends learning Thai and studying about Thai culture. Foreigners can question the culture but should participate and not resist because eventually they will realize that the culture and religion work together as a system. Ajahn Dick related the story that as a young monk, he felt awkward prostrating but then learned to let go of his conceit. He emphasizes that foreign monks shouldn’t resist being a full part of the Thai sangha as they are part of a system that works and it is their own attachments that put them in opposition.

When I asked Ajahn Dick about my research focus– the reinterpretation of meditation teaching for foreigners– he had some interesting answers. He finds that Thai monks explain meditation and Buddhism on a longer timeframe that includes future births and distant past lives but for foreign monks, especially Ajahn Dick’s teacher Ajahn Pannavaddho, used more psychology to help Westerners understand the practice. This is helpful for Westerners as psychology is part of the culture and Westerners have a tendency to focus on this life and striving toward Enlightenment in the present. Pannavaddho’s teaching style was helpful since foreign monks already had to adjust to a new culture, language, and climate. Westerners could talk to him about their emotions and state of mind whereas Thai monks do not often counsel on one’s emotional state. Ajahn Pannavaddho was one of the first Western monks and served as a helpful conduit between the Western and Thai cultures. Since he was the Western monk with the most experience, he became teacher by default when other Westerners and monks came.

Ajahn Dick also had some interesting answers when I described for him about the Ajahn Tong meditation centers in Chiangmai. He thought these centers were perhaps a modern reinterpretation for busy laypeople. In the forest tradition there is no program or course timeframe so the idea of having a set number of days to meditate sounded strange to him. He finds that it is difficult to go back into the world after such courses.

The forest tradition can be characterized as having a more gradual approach. Ajahn Dickrecommends working through one’s problems first before meditating intensely. He finds that ordination provides the stability to practice in this way. The fact that forest tradition emphasizes this more long-term meditative lifestyle could be why many foreign monks gravitate toward this tradition.

This day trip thus provided a wider perspective with which to view the forest tradition and the lineage of Luangda Mahabua. I didn’t get to see much of the city of Udon Thani as I had planned, but instead I received much stimulating conversation and ideas for the forest tradition section of my research.

Meditation Retreat Rundown: Wat Pa Baan That

“This is the last place to come,” said Ajahn Martin during one of his semi-weekly dhamma talks. “Other places, meditation centers in Chiangmai and in the south, there you have your own room, eat three meals a day, you can chat and have discussions. But here its just you, alone with the meditation.”

What struck me the most when I first arrived at Wat Pa Baan That was how different the forest meditation retreat is from the Chiangmai meditation centers in which I have practiced. I have read extensively about the forest tradition, the biographies of Luangpu Man and others, dhamma talks of Luangda Mahabua and Ajahn Chah. I even wrote a paper about meanings of the forest within this tradition. But still I didn’t realize the extent of the contrast until I experienced this myself. At Wat Pa Baan That the focus is on oneself, one does everything on one’s own (in Thai: dua eng). But while there what I had read came back to me as I noticed the patches of cloth on some monks’ robes (forest monks traditionally make their robes from disparate pieces of cloth), the minimal wat structures (there is only one sala inside the temple and one outside), the minimal Buddha statues (there is one Buddha statue upstairs in the inside sala).

As this blog has recorded, I have been spending time at International Meditation Centers in Chiangmai. In comparison to the forest monasteries, I didn’t realize how structured these centers are. When you arrive at a meditation center you are given an orientation to the wat and meditation method, you meet the teacher, are given the 8 precepts and are told the daily schedule to follow. Meditators have scheduled daily meetings with teachers in which the meditation time and technique progress.

In Wat Pa Baan That, however, there is no such structured organization. When I arrived I told some of the laywomen taking donations at a merit-making station that I was here to meditate and I had contacted Ajahn Martin through email. They told me to wait while they found Ajahn Martin and upon his arrival he just said for me to meet him at 1PM. Then I was taken into the women’s side of the wat by another laywoman, who handed me off to Maechii Lim from Indonesia. Maechii Lim is the facilitator for foreign meditators; however, she speaks only a little English and only slightly better Thai. Maechii Lim led me through the confusing maze of kitchens and kutis that compose the women’s area to the ‘foreign meditators’ kuti,’ and asked me if I thought I would like staying here. Looking around at the tiny structure and remembering the nice rooms with electricity and bathroom I had stayed in during my time at international meditation centers, I answered with a weak ‘maybe.’ Next, Maechii Lim showed me the kitchen where the meditators eat, and the bathrooms. It was hardly an extensive tour since it took me about 3 days to feel confident I could find my kuti without wandering around too much. Maechii Lim was constantly disappointed when I continued to ask her to point me in the direction of my kuti.

On this first day I met with Ajahn Martin as planned. Even though everything had been so different already, I was still expecting to receive an introduction to the meditation technique and information about the schedule at this wat. I thought all my questions would be answered but I quickly realized that I would have to ask if I wanted to know anything about meditating at Wat Pa Baan That.

 

First, Ajahn Martin asked me about why I had come. I told him that I had been meditating in the Ajahn Tong tradition, and I wanted to learn about the meditation techniques of Luangda Mahabua. Ajahn Martin asked me to describe the Ajahn Tong technique to him and then in his dhamma talk went on to subtly describe how Luangda Mahabua’s technique is closer to the teachings of the Buddha than the method I had explained. After the dhamma talk I asked about the meditation technique (to be described in a separate post) and where I should meditate. Ajahn Martin advised to meditate in the inside sala (hall) only before and after the meal and in the outside sala before 4PM when the gates of the temple close. It took me a while to realize, however, that one is expected to meditate primarily in one’s kuti because I was so used to meditating with others in meditation halls of meditation centers.

Because I had expected to receive an orientation I didn’t prepare all the questions I had about meditating in this wat for Ajahn Martin, and the next dhamma talk wouldn’t be for another couple of days. Luckily while doing walking meditation in the outside sala I met a Thai monk, and was able to ask him all my questions. He informed me that at this wat they do not give the 8 precepts because one should be able to keep them on one’s own without needing a formal ceremony. They don’t chant in the mornings or evenings because they focus on meditation. One can practice walking or sitting meditation for as long as one likes depending on how one feels. One can walk fast or slow in walking meditation as one likes. He also told me that women should not leave the women’s area after 4PM because there is no benefit to this. He said that the alms round in front of the wat occurs around 630AM and there is a meal in the inner sala around 730AM, and this is the only meal of the day. I was glad to learn these basic rules and schedule.

For the first few days I was the only female meditator, Thai or foreign. There were many Thai women living there, but their job was to help out in the kitchen, not meditate. Many of the women were interested in where I had come from and wished me metta on my meditation retreat. Later on I was joined by a Maechii from Singapore and a Thai laywoman touring the Northeast and North of Thailand by meditating in wats. Both women asked me many questions about how to conduct a meditation retreat and I shared with them what I had learned. Toward the end of my stay an older British woman arrived. She has been coming to Wat Pa Baan That since the 1960s and shared news of the thriving British forest sangha. I was impressed and inspired by this woman’s long time commitment to this tradition.

In addition to female meditators there were two older foreign males and on the last day I was there a young man arrived. The length of stay is very flexible at Wat Pa Baan That. One of the older men from America had stayed there for 6 months already. I was told that a foreign female meditator who had just left had stayed for 3 months. When questioned by Ajahn Martin, the young male meditator said that he did not know when he would leave. He also said that he had come to this wat rather coincidentally and he interpreted this as his ‘angels having led him here.’ This young man confessed that he knew nothing about Buddhism but I still thought it was a little strange that he would use a Christian/New Age term to describe his arrival. However, Ajahn Martin immediately interpreted this term within his Buddhist framework. Ajahn Martin responded ‘yes, it must have been the devas that led you here because demons wouldn’t lead anyone to a wat and hungry ghosts don’t have the power to influence humans.’ I thought it was interesting that Ajahn Martin changed the idea of angels to devas and fit the explanation right into the Buddhist concept of the six realms of existence.

The highlights of the retreat were the dhamma talks and teachings of Ajahn Martin. Besides talking with the Thai monk and learning from observing, this was the time when I was taught the most about the living forest tradition and the meditation of Luangda Mahabua. Ajahn Martin does not plan his dhamma talks but comes up with a topic while greeting the foreign meditators. He then gets very concentrated and expounds on this topic mostly from stream of consciousness. From reading some of Luangda Mahabua’s dhamma talks it seems that Ajahn Martin stays pretty close to the same ideas and concepts. The one clear reinterpretation for foreign meditators is his focus on the proclivities of people from the West. He always describes the Western mind and how Westerners need to work on concentration and just being. He perceives Westerners as striving for knowledge and investigation without giving proper attention to concentration and experience. Besides giving the dhamma talk Ajahn Martin does ask about and instruct each individual’s meditation practice. If someone does not ask or bring up their practice, he will inquire and give further advice for any problems. However, this is still very different from the everyday one hour or longer individual discussions with meditation teachers at some meditation centers.

During the middle of my stay I was able to have a meeting with Ajahn Martin outside of the scheduled dhamma talks. I had to ask one of the male meditators to accompany us so I would not be alone with a monk. Ajahn Martin answered my questions about my meditation practice within this method as well as my questions about my research. I informed him that I am researching about meditation techniques popular for foreigners in Thailand. His response was “Well, you have come to the wrong place.” He perceived that the meditation centers with structured programs and individual rooms were much more popular. Wat Pa Baan That, in contrast, attracts people who are serious about meditation. People who come here have heard about the wat from Thai people or are on some kind of tour of meditation places. Many people come to the wat and there are always several foreigners to listen to the dhamma talks, but not many people stay for more than three days. Many meditators come not expecting the intensity of forest meditation and leave after a short while. Ajahn Martin offered, “It is odd that we have three Americans here now. Usually the Americans can’t handle the environment; only the Europeans stay.”

I also learned the history of hosting foreign meditators at this wat. It began with Ajahn Pannavaddho almost immediately when he arrived. Foreigners began to come when they saw there was a foreign monk capable in meditation to teach them. Ajahn Pannavaddho stopped teaching about 2 years before he died in 2005, and at this time Ajahn Dick Silaratano and Ajahn Martin began teaching. They divided the work so that Ajahn Dick taught the Americans and Ajahn Martin took care of the Europeans. When Ajahn Dick left Ajahn Martin took over and has been the primary teacher since then.

In terms of my personal experience living in the wat, Ajahn Martin is right, it is difficult. Meditators sleep on mats on the floor, burn candles and carry flashlights after 6PM, take sponge baths, hand wash dirty clothes, contend with roosters, peacocks, chickens, lizards, and deal with a lack of food variety. But one gets used to this lifestyle and becomes inspired by the many laywomen and maechiis who are permanent residents. The temperature was much cooler in the Northeast and I immediately got a cold. The maechiis were very sympathetic and helpful in my recovery. One maechii boiled hot water so I could take a hot shower, another made me ginger tea each night, and another offered me many cough drops. So even if there are no female meditation teachers, the maechiis still look out for and care for the meditators.

During my stay there was a merit-making festival to raise money for Luangda Mahabua’s many social projects in Thailand. Currently he is involved in constructing a hospital in the city of Udon Thani. During the alms round outside the wat there were even more people than usual. About 50 monks came to receive alms but there was much more food. Whenever an individual monk would pass, the laypeople ran to offer food. Many times the monks’ bowl was full and he could not accept, having no one to clear out his bowl. Thus during the meal in the inner sala there was much food offered to the laity. There were also special amulets and posters made for the occasion. I joined the rowdy crowd in order to receive an 8×10 picture of Luangda Mahabua and his students. I almost couldn’t get up after making my offering due to the anxious people behind me trying to get next in line. The forest tradition is alive and well in the Northeast!

I left the wat right after the Wednesday afternoon dhamma talk. Ajahn Martin was nice enough to give me a series of 6 CDs of his dhamma talks. I also asked him about incorporating this practice into daily life since I was about to reenter the world. He advised to meditate for 30 minutes in the

morning and 30 minutes in the evening everyday. He recommended to concentrate until in Samadhi and then reflect on one’s day. Ajahn Martin said this would change one’s life within a few years and in this way one would get to know oneself. If one knows one’s good parts and bad parts then what other people think cannot affect them. Although this line of teaching was related to meditation, it still reminded me of therapy and how meditation is taught in the West. This surprised me because Ajahn Martin is critical of Western Buddhism. He came to Wat Pa Baan That because he couldn’t find a teacher to help him in the West. When I asked him what he thought about Westerners who claim that Buddhism is not a religion, he responded that Westerners only know Samadhi. But for Ajahn Martin the path consists of sila, Samadhi, and panna. Therefore he finds the West has an incomplete path and he follows the more inclusive path practiced in Thailand.

As I was leaving I heard of a temple called Wat Tam Daaw in Udon Thani where Ajahn Dick lives. I had wanted to meet this foreign monk as he had previously lived and taught at Wat Pa Baan That and is a translator of Luangda Mahabua’s works. I had plans to stay in the city of Udon Thani for one day so I made a plan with my taxi driver to take me there the next morning. (to be continued . . .)

INEB (International Network of Engaged Buddhists) Conference

This past weekend, November 15-17, the International Network of Engaged Buddhism (INEB) held their “Festival of Peace and Social Transformation” in order to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the organization. The mornings of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were devoted to panels on key issues of Engaged Buddhism and the organization of INEB. On Friday there were a series of panels dealing with the history of INEB— their successes and failures. Saturday’s panels consisted of key trends in Engaged Buddhism such as economic justice, environmental justice, nationalism and ethnicity, and gender issues. On Sunday panelists discussed the future of Engaged Buddhism and INEB—the vision for the future of the movement with a focus on new programs and youth involvement.

The panels were presented in the morning at the International Meditation Center connected with MahaChulalongkornrajavidyala Buddhist University (MCU) and Wat Suan Dok. The afternoon consisted of a series of group discussions surrounding the issues brought up in the morning panels. I was able to attend the Saturday and Sunday morning panels of the conference. The presenters were Engaged Buddhists themselves, all with particular issues they were working on and familiar with. Each presenter presented on issues dealing with the topic under discussion as well as with a view to the problem through the lens of their country and cultural background. Thus the presenters’ ideas were based on their experiences working in the world.

What I noticed from this format was that much of the information presented was a reporting on the situation of the individuals’ particular program or nation. There was much focus on the description of problems and how modern forces are working against a cure. It was all very interesting and saddening to hear about these global issues but it made me think that the focus should be more on solutions than problems. The mission of Engaged Buddhism is that it is Buddhism applied to solve the world’s problems. I thought the format would have been more effective if the focus had been on the Buddha’s teachings and how to apply them. Then in the discussions people could bring up their issues as case studies to test the application of a particular teaching of the Buddha. But starting from the specific problem didn’t lead to much thought of solutions. Some of the presenters mentioned some key terms such as The Four Noble Truths, suffering, interdependence, but this was not done as a major point of the talk.

In addition to this idea, the conference also made me think that there should be more connection between academics writing about Engaged Buddhism and Engaged Buddhists themselves. Many of these key terms have been thought-out in interesting ways in a variety of books (such as The Great Awakening and The New Social Face of Buddhism) but these ideas were not mentioned. The presenters were using their own experiences to discuss their issue when there is much help from academics (David Loy, Kenneth Kraft) already available.

While on a break outside the conference I talked with some of the young student monks at MCU. They had the exact opinion that I had. They wanted to hear more about how to apply the Buddha’s teachings rather than about specific problems. They appreciated when a presented did bring up a Buddhist concept but thought it should have been more rooted in these ideas.

I hope the important movement of Engaged Buddhism and its most prominent organization, INEB, can move in this direction of incorporating scholarship and Buddhist concepts. Many Engaged Buddhists are doing very important work but perhaps this could be magnified further by more communication rooted in the teachings of the Buddha.

Bhikkhuni Meditation Center in Chom Tong, Chiangmai

In light of the recent bhikkhuni ordination controversy concerning Ajahn Brahm and the forest lineage of Ajahn Chah, it is timely to post about my research trip to a bhikkhuni meditation center in Chom Tong, Chiangmai, called the Nirodharam Vipassana Center. From reading the center’s publications and talking to the women there, any controversy surrounding their decision has certainly been down-played. The center’s booklet titled “Bhikkhuni Sangha In Chiang Mai, 2008” only states support from monks in the area and the gratitude the bhikkhunis feel for the teachings they have received. On almsround, I have witnessed the people of Chom Tong readily give to the bhikkhunis and samaneris (female novices), and the women I spoke with at the temple emphasized that they were not in any financial need. Of course, I do not know all the details nor did I go into depth about perspectives on their ordination, but I think the fact that this bhikkhuni meditation center keeps a low but respectable profile provides another picture of bhikkhuni ordination in comparison to the publicized and polarizing recent bhikkhuni ordination in Perth, Australia.

The bhikkhuni sangha of Nirodharam Vipassana Center was born on June 7, 2008. Nirodharam used to be a community of maechees led by Ajahn Rung-Deuan. Ajahn Rung-Deuan became a mae chee at the age of 25 and in 1995 she was offered a piece of land in Chom Tong to establish this center. A branch center named Suttajit Meditation Center was established at Doi Saket, Chiangmai in 2003. When the maechiis at Nirodharam heard about the possibility of becoming bhikkhunis they sought out the advise of elder monks within Chiangmai. They were generally supportive as they saw the desire of the maechees to practice a stricter monastic code. In 2006 Ajahn Rung-Deuan and other mae chees received samaneri ordination. In 2008 more samaneris were added to the center and the first group of samaneris was invited to come back to Sri Lanka to receive the full bhikkhuni ordination.

Having seen the bhikkhunis on almsround while staying at Wat Chom Tong and being encouraged to visit them by the teachers of the International Meditation Center there, I decided it was time to pay a visit. So on Halloween morning, William and I and two friends, Steve and Carol, visited the Nirodharam Vipassana Center (the center cannot be called a ‘wat’ because there are no bhikkhus present). Residing here are bhikkhunis and samaneris. Some of the women were able to receive samaneri ordination from Wat Prathat Doi Suthep in Chiangmai. In order to receive full bhikkhuni ordination, however, the women must travel to Sri Lanka. We were fortunate enough to speak with one of the bhikkhunis and be given a tour even though we showed up quite unexpectedly.

We learned through our talk and tour that one can meditate at this center for any length of time. There is no set course length as there is with Ajahn Tong retreats even though the leaders of this center are students of Ajahn Tong. The method they teach is the same as that taught at Ajahn Tong temples except it seems they focus on more intermediate themes: suffering, the 3 characteristics of all phenomenon, and the 4 elements. Our host showed us how they recite the 4 elements during walking meditation instead of repeating what the body is doing such as ‘right goes there, left goes there.’ We were shown to three beautiful meditation halls. There was much writing on the walls here and signs within the halls and temple of meditation reminders and quotes from the Pali Canon. The four of us worked together to understand the complicated charts linking Buddhist concepts with meditation practice.

Ajahn Rung-Deuan is the main meditation teacher. She receives many invitations to teach in other locations as well as to hold Dhamma courses within Nirodharam. Many people come to participate in these courses. Ajahn Rung-Deuan also produces MP3’s of her dhamma talks and these are also played on a Chiangmai radio station. There is also an Australian bhikkhuni who teaches meditation also. Unfortunately she was at the branch temple in Doi Saket receiving teachings so we did not get a chance to talk with her. When we arrived there was one lay female meditator and we heard that people have come from Japan and Germany as well as researchers in the recent past. If men want to learn meditation from bhikkhunis they can, but they have to stay in another area not far away. Our host said that groups come sometimes to study meditation. The monks from Wat Suan Dok and MCU campus came once, however, bhikkhunis are not allowed to teach monks meditation but they can discuss it together.

The samaneras and bhikkhunis there encouraged me to come back and practice meditation. They stressed I can come whenever and stay however long I want. They said it would be easier for me because I can get closer to the female teacher and don’t have to worry about touching as I would with a monk. Here they do not have daily interviews but if someone has a problem they can go see their teacher and have a chat. They thought this more informal style was better.

Nirodharam Vipassana Center is therefore yet another place to practice within the Chiangmai area. If one wants English instruction, however, one should check in advance that the Australian bhikkhuni will be in residence. It is a quiet and beautiful location to practice—seemingly far from the markets and stores of downtown Chom Tong.

Heading to Udon Thani and Wat Pa Baan That

I am now moving on to a different section of my research project. I have been researching International Meditation Centers and now, for the next two months, I will be investigating ‘Living the Life’ of an ordained person as an international visitor. Although the forest temples I will be visiting (Wat Pa Baan That and Wat Pa Nanachat) are more focused on living the life of the monk, there is still a focus on meditation. I am also looking forward to practicing a different method. Although I enjoy and understand the Ajahn Tong method, I am ready to explore the other possibilities and interpretations of practicing vipassana meditation. I am also looking forward to investigating this different area of my research and hopefully this will give me some more perspective on the phenomenon of international meditation centers as well.

Comparing International Meditation Centers: Wat Chom Tong, Wat Rampoeng and Wat Prathat Doi Suthep

Now that I have participated in all three meditation retreats in the Chiangmai area that offer instruction in the Ajahn Tong technique, I am in a position to compare the different environments and strategies of reinterpretation. The three meditation centers combined make for an interesting comparison because one has a separate international meditation center (Wat Chom Tong), one has international meditators mixed with Thai meditators (Wat Rampoeng), and one has only international meditators (Wat Prathat Doi Suthep).

As stated, these are all retreats using the method of Ajahn Tong, however there are small variations depending on the teacher and temple. The technique at Wat Rampoeng and Wat Doi Suthep is very similar. They both have a 26-day course but at Wat Chom Tong the basic course has been shortened to 21-days. Ajahn Tong moved to Wat Chom Tong after being abbot of Wat Rampoeng. Therefore the technique of Wat Rampoeng is the same as Ajahn Tong had established it before he left. He changed this technique slightly when he moved to Wat Chom Tong.

The process of meditation instruction and orientation is also comparable. Wat Rampoeng has an administrator monk who also teaches new meditators the method of meditation before reporting to the teacher. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a layman who orients the new meditators and a young monk who teaches the method before meeting with the teacher. However at Wat Chom Tong the teacher that one reports to is usually the same person who teaches the technique and orients new meditators on the first day.

The schedules of each temple are pretty similar except that at Wat Doi Suthep the foreign meditators are treated to a dhamma talk in English every morning. The other two temples do not have regular dhamma talks for the international visitors. The dhamma talks at Wat Doi Suthep investigate the lives of monks and Thai Buddhists so one learns about Buddhist concepts as well as lived Buddhism. At Doi Suthep as well going to chanting and Buddhist holidays is encouraged. Pali chanting books in English were well-circulated while I meditated there and the abbot enjoyed seeing the foreign meditators participate. Thus at Doi Suthep the teacher and abbot were interested in showing international visitors about a little bit more than just meditation.

Each foreign meditator at all three temples should participate in an opening and closing ceremony. At Wat Chom Tong foreign meditators join in the same opening and closing ceremonies with Thai meditators but are joined by the current teacher. The teacher acts as a liaison with the Thai community and tells the foreign meditator when to bow and chant from the special Romanized Pali chanting sheet. At Wat Doi Suthep the ceremonies are done whenever there are people coming and going. The lay administrator acts as the assistant who tells the meditator how to perform the ceremony and the teacher is the monk who performs the ceremony. It is similar at Wat Rampoeng except there is no Romanized sheet to read from, one must repeat after the abbot and there is also no assistant. Thus at Wat Rampoeng the ceremonies for Thai meditators are much bigger and held with different monks at different times.

The two meals per day offer another point of comparison. At Wat Rampoeng the lay people eat with the monks so the meals are more of a communal activity. Everyone waits until all are seated and chant before being invited to eat. But with this ceremony one can see there is a real focus on community and meditation here. While waiting meditators are encouraged to remain mindful and sit in meditation until everyone is ready. At Wat Chom Tong this is a much more individual affair. One reads the chanting on contemplation of food silently and individually before eating mindfully at one’s own pace. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a short communal chanting if the assistant monk has joined the international meditators for their meals, otherwise the meditators will read the chant to themselves before eating silently.

The living situations also affect the experience of the meditator. Because the international meditation center at Wat Chom Tong is physically separate from the temple and all the international visitors live together, a sense of community has developed. There are refrigerators to keep personal items and a common area to donate food or drinks to the group. At Wat Doi Suthep the international meditators are the only meditators so there is no issue of mixing with Thai meditators. International visitors live either next to the meditation hall or at the other end of the temple, depending on gender. But the living and practice areas are separate from the wat itself where visitors come to worship. The meditation center at Wat Rampoeng is the same space as the temple itself. The implications of this are more distraction but can see temple life more clearly.

At all three temples there is a policy of minimal to no talking in order to focus on the meditation. At Wat Chom Tong people can introduce themselves and say hello but extended periods of conversation are frowned upon. Wat Rampoeng has a stricter policy of no talking and no eye contact in order to remain internal. This policy was not enforced much at Wat Doi Suthep. At the chantings and when taking a break in the temple, meditators could often be seen chatting for long periods of time. However, this depends on the individual. No matter what the policy some people will strive to remain internal, and others will be more outgoing and make contact with others.

At the end of the retreat, a donation is appreciated at all three temples, but each wat has a different system of offering. The donation to the international center at Wat Chom Tong is separate from one’s donation to the temple. At the end of the retreat one can donate both to the international center and the meditation center of the wat. The donation to the meditation center of the wat covers ones food. But at Wat Rampoeng the foreign meditation office is run by the wat, so the donation is given in the same place as the Thai meditators. At Wat Doi Suthep one gives donation to the international meditation office only.

The main themes I will be dealing with while thinking about international meditation centers are Buddhism and the category of religion, strategies of reinterpretation, and the spectrum of integration into Thai Buddhism. I have discussed some of these issues in other posts and will continue this in future posts as well. Through comparing these three centers the strategies of reinterpretation and integration into Thai Buddhism emerge and are of course, related. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a slight emphasis on teaching about the lives of monks and the rituals of Thai Buddhism through dhamma talks and participation in chanting and Buddhist holidays. At Wat Chom Tong teachings about Buddhism are limited to the meditation but if a meditator is curious further teachings about the life of Thai Buddhism are available. And at Wat Rampoeng the international meditators’ participation in Thai Buddhist activities is mostly limited to participation in the evening wan phra ceremony.

Clearly the idea of meditation is seen as primary for all three centers for international meditators and thus the practice of meditation is not necessarily placed within the context of Buddhism in Thailand. Thus each center has their own strategy of reinterpretation to accommodate this primacy of meditation. And of course this all relates to the ideas surrounding Buddhism and the category of religion in English-speaking countries. The continued debate over whether Buddhism is a religion or a practice of mental development has created these reinterpretations and the limited integration of international visitors into Thai Buddhism.

An Analysis of Discourses of Meditation: Focus on Reinterpretation

I have been thinking and discussing recently about transplanting the teachings of meditation and Buddhism. One avenue for doing this would be to have a bi-lingual generation of teachers, and this can be evidenced at Wat Chom Tong. Without Khun Thanat and Kate Chindaporn who are both fluent in Thai and English, it would be very difficult to create the International Meditation Center at this wat. For someone who doesn’t know Thai it would be difficult to buy the land and get Ajahn Tong’s permission and for someone who doesn’t know English it would be difficult to teach the international visitors and create a successful center. Because Kate and Thanat have created this space, now other teachers can come and teach and do not have to know Thai as well because the space is already settled. They have paved the way and made it possible for others to come in without having to master the language.

As well can see with Wat Chom Tong and other wats in Thailand that have native English-speakers—there is more flexibility, more willingness to change from both sides. The English-speaking meditators are more willing to ask about practices they don’t understand and ask for accommodations and teachers are more willing to make the changes as they understand the background and motivations of the English-speaking meditators.

At Wat Chom Tong English-speaking meditators have this flexibility. Female meditators have to wear the ‘sabhai’ or white scarf that wraps around the chest, while in the temple areas, but when females come back to the International Center, they can remove this. A contrast to this flexibility can be seen at Wat Rampoeng. Here females must always wear the ‘sabhai’ because there is no separate space without Thai meditators. In the presence of Thai meditators, English-speaking meditators must be more formal and follow protocol.

Another example of comparison between Thai and English-speaking teachers involves the daily reporting. At Wat Chom Tong one bows to a Buddha statue when entering the reporting room. If one does not understand why one must bow, this can be questioned and negotiated. In Wat Rampoeng there is a more complicated process when entering and exiting the reporting room where one must bow to the Buddha statue and the abbot. This procedure is taught to international visitors a number of times before execution. Again this is because teachers familiar with English-speaking cultures are willing to be flexible. The English-speaking teachers are usually lay people and do not require the same amount of respect and formality as an ordained Thai monk. As well, in Wat Rampoeng, Thai meditators are sometimes waiting in the reporting room but in Wat Chom Tong the area is separate without Thai meditators. Thus when Thai and international meditators report in the same area it is difficult to make accommodations. Fewer reinterpretations occur when international visitors do not have their own space.

Thus in Thailand, reinterpretations and changes to the processes and forms of meditation centers are occurring. This can happen more rapidly through handing over teaching responsibilities to English-speakers and non-Thai Buddhists. These kinds of adaptations have been occurring in American and British Buddhist vipassana circles for some time. When vipassana was first transplanted in these countries, teachers of Jack Kornfield and Ajahn Sumedho told them to modify the teachings to their audience. Therefore, in both Thailand and non-native Buddhist countries reinterpretations occur when the authority of teaching changes hands to a native of the new culture. 

Separate but Within: English-Speaking Meditators in Thailand

In Thailand, International Meditation Centers can be divided into two categories: ones that are within wats integrated with Thai meditators and ones that are in separate physical spaces only for the international visitors.

Within centers where English and Thai meditators are integrated, such as Wat Rampoeng, of course, the language is a major dividing factor as international meditation students are taught and instructed in English and Thai meditators in Thai. But other activities are kept separate as well. Thai meditators report to different instructors at different times of the day, they attend different dhamma talks, and may have separate meditation areas.

Some international centers in Thailand have found that it is too difficult to accommodate English-speaking meditators within the wat. There are not enough Thai monks who have a command of English and ones that do come and go. Thus for these situations, like in Wat Chom Tong, a facility outside the main temple area was built to support the meditation of English-speakers.

English-speaking meditators can chant with the monks, ask to speak with a Thai monk about meditation practice, listen to a dhamma talk in Thai, and attend any ritual or celebration that is going on at the temple. However, it is not expected and sometimes not encouraged that they attend. For foreign meditators the expectation is that they are there for the meditation and other activities may not be truly devotional but instead a way to get out of practicing meditation. However, other English-speaking meditators just want to meditate and don’t want to do anything they deem ‘religious.’ Thus the international visitors are given the separate space to choose if they want to be a part of the Thai meditators’ community.

Clearly English-speakers need a different kind of instruction in order to know how to behave properly in a wat. Most English-speakers did not grow up understanding Buddhist communities and so need to be taught what is happening, how to behave, and why. But some English-speakers are able to integrate after time if they are willing to put in the effort as many foreign monks and nuns have. But with larger and more transient groups comes more difficulty adapting or unwillingness to adapt. As well if one has a familiar cultural community it is less likely they will put in the effort to belong to the distant group. Thus the international sections of meditation centers are helpful for foreigners but can isolate English-speaking meditators from understanding about Thai Buddhism. But again, this is only if one wants to be isolated, there are opportunities to integrate into a more Thai Buddhist experience, but this depends on one’s personal preference and ways they relate to meditation.