Bangkok: Vipassana Meditation at Wat Mahathat
Youthapong Charoenpan
Since the Theravada school of Buddhism represents the kingdom's principal form of religion, there are numerous places where Thais and foreigners can explore the benefits of meditation. Based on my personal experiences, the Vipassana Meditation Center at the temple of Wat Mahathat is one place I would certainly recommend to Bangkok residents seeking a pleasant place to practice.
'In Good Hands'
I recently paid a visit to Wat Mahathat early one morning, arriving at the temple at 6.30 am. To my great surprise, the majority of the 12 people in attendance were foreigners, highlighting the huge interest in Buddhism among numerous nationalities. Phra Suphee (see photo, below), the monk responsible for helping to run the temple's Vipassana Meditation Center, speaks fluent English, while I also noticed several foreigners around the temple donning the saffron-colored robes.
Since I had been experiencing some rather depressing circumstances, I decided to contemplate the teachings of the Lord Buddha and practice some meditation in the hope that it would help me to improve my outlook and raise my energy levels. The Vipassana Meditation Center at Wat Mahathat seemed like the perfect place to begin my spiritual quest.
Unlike Samatha (often referred to as 'calmness' meditation), Vipassana meditation involves concentration upon the body, or the insight that this provides. It can be practiced in daily life, while one is talking, teaching, walking or working. The Buddha explained the method, as follows:
A monk, when walking, knows that he is Walking,
when standing, knows that he is Standing,
when sitting, knows that he is Sitting,
when lying down, knows that he is Lying
in whatever way his body is disposed, he knows that is how it is
In order to maximize the potential offered by visiting the temple, I took part in a three-hour course of instruction.
Gentle Guidance
I began by sitting in a half lotus position upon a small tatami (mat) in one corner of the center's main meditation space, which can accommodate up to 15 people. The session began with some basic instructions, which seemed easy enough to follow. The premise during this initial period of the course is to take heed of the rising of the breath, then do likewise during the falling of the breath. The idea is to focus the mind inwardly upon the body and, if thoughts begin to take shape, attempt to dispel them, returning to the process of breathing (and mindfulness).
Despite my efforts to remain fully engaged within the process of breathing, I soon found my mind beginning to wander somewhat, generating sentimental thoughts from the past and dreams relating to the future. In fact, I found that for several minutes my mind completely wandered away from the task at hand, before I was able to return to the present and refocus my thoughts upon the basic act of breathing.
Peace And Calm
Once I had settled back into the rhythm of breathing, I found that I spent about an hour completely anchored in the present. Although I didn't feel any wiser, I felt relieved to have been able to adopt a more realistic outlook on the things that had earlier been troubling me. It is comfortable to be reminded from time to time that through meditation there is a way to navigate one's thoughts away from worries and towards a calmer and therefore healthier state of mind.
These three-hour meditation sessions at Wat Mahathat's Vipassana Meditation Center are held on a daily basis within three cycles, running from 7-10 am, 1-4 pm and 6-9 pm. Accommodation is also available at the temple for those seeking to meditate over a longer period of time, although it is limited to accommodating three to five people at any one time. Persons interested in staying at the temple overnight must first complete an application form at the temple.
For further information, call the Vipassana Meditation Center at Wat Mahathat on Tel: +66 (0)2 222 6011.
Transport Connections:
Wat Mahathat is located on Phra That Road, near Sanam Luang, between the Grand Palace and the National Museum.
Boat: The easiest way to reach the temple is to take a Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Phra Chan Pier. There are signs near the pier to the temple, which can be reached on foot in about 10 minutes.
Bus: Regular and air-conditioned bus numbers 47, 53, 503, 508 and 512 all pass by the temple.
Credit: TAN Network (www.tannetwork.tv)
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