Deborah Ratner Helzer
offering teachings in insight meditation
Meditation Opportunities for Westerners in the Lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw
The school of Buddhism referred to as the "Mahasi Tradition" was named after the late, great teacher Mahasi Sayadaw, who popularized it in the middle of the last century in Burma and around the world.
This style of practice was one of the key influences in the development of the western "Vipassana " or "Mindfulness" movement, of which IMCW is a part. For those interested in exploring this tradition directly, there are a variety of practice opportunities available.
Practice Centers in the Washington, DC Area
The Jetavana Vihara (Ky Vien Tu) is a local Vietnamese monastery in the Mahasi tradition: 1400 Madison St., NW, Washington, DC 20015 (202) 882-6054
A 3-hour silent practice period is offered every Saturday from 1 - 4 pm. It does not include any guidance, but instruction is available at other times in English by arrangement. It is not necessary to stay for the entire session.
Abbot and respected teacher Sayadaw U Khippapanno offers a few retreats here each year, which can be attended on a residential or non-residential basis. There is also a library and meditation room that can be used at other times, and the resident monks are happy to speak with you about dharma and practice.
The Mingalarama Vihara is our local Burmese center: 1708 Powder Mill Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20903 (301) 439-4035
The vihara (monastic residence) is home to a couple of Burmese monks who come to study English and other subjects at local universities, usually for a few years at a time. They have extensive training in Buddhist philosophy and practice, but English proficiency varies.
The center is staffed by long-time Burmese ex-pats, some of whom may offer guidance in English or translation for the monks. They host a couple of retreats each year with senior teachers from Burma. Call before visiting to make sure an English-speaker is available.
Other US Retreat Centers
The Tathagata Meditation Center is a larger Vietnamese Mahasi center in San Jose, CA. Their abbot, the venerable senior monk Beelin Sayadaw is usually in residence, along with a few junior monastics. They offer a full schedule of retreats in the Mahasi style, including hosting Sayadw U Pandita when he visits the US, and you can also arrange to stay and practice at other times.
The following centers sometimes host teachers from the Mahasi school. Check their schedules for details: Insight Meditation Society, Forest Refuge and Barre Center for Buddhist Studies Vipassana Hawaii Vipassana Metta Foundation The Mountain Hermitage
Retreats for Westerners in Burma
A trip to Burma as a western yogi is the experience of a lifetime. If you have never traveled in Asia and/or practiced in a monastic setting (or even if you have), a retreat organized by an American group can be a great way to practice in Burma. These groups provide information and assistance with visas, transportation, packing, and other practical needs. They also ensure that conditions at the retreat are more comfortable for westerners than they would normally be, such as better quality food and accomodations, availability of medical care and emotional support, good English translation, and so on. They are held in the Winter months, when the weather is most comfortable, and it is possible to ordain as a temporary monk or nun.
Two American groups that offer Mahasi retreats in Burma especially for foreigners are:
The Saddhamma Foundation organizes a two-month retreat with Sayadaw U Pandita and other senior Mahasi teachers every Winter. It is held at Hse Main Gon, a large, rural retreat center about 2 hours east of Yangon (Rangoon), and attended by about 100 yogis from all over the world.
Vipassana Hawaii organizes a three-week retreat every Winter that is co-taught by Sayadaw U Lakkhana and two western Vipassana teachers. It is held at Kyaswa monastery, in the beautiful, historic Sagaing Hills along the Irrawady River, about an hour west of Mandalay. It is a small retreat for experienced meditators.
Practice Centers in Burma
It is also possible to travel to Burma to practice as an individual. You will need to obtain a "sponsorship letter" from the center where you plan to stay in order to apply for a special meditation visa from the Burmese consulate (allow 2 - 4 months for this). The centers below are all easily accessible by taxi from the Yangon airport, barring any unforseen civil unrest.
They are also all accustomed to hosting foreign yogis, and will usually be able to provide teachings in English.
When this is not possible, you will be expected to carry on with your practice on your own. You will probably
be provided with the best accomodations available, but will generally be expected to live and practice as the
Burmese yogis do, including wearing traditional Burmese clothing. Yogis usually arrive and depart according
to their own schedules on an ongoing basis, and organized formal retreats are rare.
Staying on your own at a monastery in this way will be an exercise in patience. You never know what might happen. But if you are able to be flexible and adapt, you are bound to experience moments of sublime beauty and deep opening.
Shwe Taung Gon Sasana Yeiktha (Panditarama) is the headquarters of the venerable Sayadaw U Pandita, currently the senior monk in the Mahasi lineage, and a key influence on western Vipassana teachers in the 1980's and 90's. Foreigners are generally sent to practice at Hse Main Gon, the rural center where the Winter retreat is held (see above), but may sometimes stay at the city center. Sayadaw no longer gives interviews to new students, but still gives dhamma talks, and has a rigorously trained group of brilliant assistant teachers giving interviews, including some nuns, which is very progressive for Burmese culture. He travels often, so check with the center if you wish to be there while he is in residence.
The Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya was established by the late Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, Mahasi Sayadaw's most senior monk, and is now headed by Abbot Sayadaw U Tejaniya, who speaks some English. The center is in a quiet suburb of Yangon near the airport, and Sayadaw is usually in residence and does most of the teaching himself. The atmosphere is more relaxed than at other Mahasi centers, with an emphasis on mindfulness of the mind, rather than close attention to the breath and body. Sayadaw's teachings are currently having a significant influence on many western Vipassana teachers, as explained in this article.
Chanmyay Yeiktha is the headquarters of the venerable Sayadaw U Janaka, another senior monk in the Mahasi lineage who has influenced western Vipassan teachers over the last two decades. This monastery also has a rural retreat center outside Yangon where foreign yogis are usually sent, as well as a center in Maymyo, an old British Raj hill station east of Mandalay, which can be much more comfortable for practice during the hot season (Feb - May). One advantage here is that Sayadaw speaks proficient English, though he also travels frequently. Excellent assistant teachers are available when he is away.
Other Practice Centers Abroad
A satellite center of Panditarama, Panditarama Lumbini, is located in Lumbini, Nepal, the historic birthplace of the Buddha and one of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The senior resident teacher, Sayadaw U Vivekananda, is German-born, but has received a full traditional Burmese Buddhist education and training. Many American yogis appreciate both his fluent English and his ability to explain the Mahasi-school teachings from a western perspective. There are also two senior nuns in residence who offer teachings and guidance.