Courses

Below is a list of courses currently being held by our organization.

Residential courses:

When applying for and coming to attend a course, please keep in mind the following:

    • You should bring all personal items, toiletries, etc. required for the duration of the course, if possible.
    • You should settle all external affairs before coming to take the course, as students are asked to refrain from contact with the outside world during their course.
    • You should provide your family with our contact information and let them know where you will be for the duration of the course in case of emergency.
    • You must inform us of any mental illness you currently suffer from or have suffered from in the past, including any and all medication you are currently taking, either for body or for mind.

Besides the courses listed below, a booklet on how to meditate by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu is available as a guide for those seeking an introduction to meditation. Our teachings follow the meditation tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajaan Tong Sirimangalo, and Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu.

If you have any questions, feel free to use our contact form.

At-Home

~3 Months

For those seeking to undertake a Meditation course at home, please visit this link https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/appointments (you may need to sign up and log in).

You will need access to headphones and a microphone. Further instructions on how to book an appointment and connect for your session/appointment are given on the page with the link above. Our at-home meditation students meet weekly with a teacher. Completion time for the course varies.

We recommend to read the booklet by Venerable Yuttadhammo on which our meditation practice is based. It can be found here http://htm.sirimangalo.org.

Foundation

14 – 21 days

Newcomers to our meditation tradition are required to undertake a Foundation Course in Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation as their first course.  Meditation techniques include mindful prostration, one- to six-step walking meditation, sitting meditation based on the rising and falling of the abdomen, the sitting posture, points of bodily contact, as well as contemplation of daily activities from morning to night.

The emphasis in this course is on learning the basic technique of recognition (sati – a.k.a. mindfulness) of the body, feelings, mind, and dhammas (meditation objects) in the present moment.  The course follows, as its technical outline, the sixteen stages of insight knowledge found in primary Buddhist texts and commentaries; no formal instruction in the stages of knowledge, however, is given in the foundation course and not all meditators will obtain the same results from the course.

Course content includes daily interviews with a teacher and regular group lectures. No previous experience is required, but advanced meditators in other meditation techniques may request a streamlined course to suit their needs.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of the At-Home Meditation Course. If time does not allow for completion of the At-Home Course in advance, we may make an exception. Please contact us for more information.

Advanced Review

10 days

The ten-day advanced review course is essentially a condensed version of the foundation course.  Each day, however, meditators will not only receive instruction and advice on their practice, they will additionally receive teachings on the stages of insight knowledge, and will make a resolve to experience each stage according to the teacher’s instruction.

The emphasis in this course is on refining the knowledge gained in the foundation course, building confidence and familiarity in regards to the higher stages of insight knowledge.  This course is a prerequisite for the instructor course; meditators will be assessed by the teacher after each review course as to their acquired level of insight knowledge.  Those wishing to undertake instructor training may be required to repeat the advanced review course several times before being accepted for the instructor course.

Prerequisites:  Successful completion of the foundation course above; completion of any intermediate practice or reading material required by the teacher.

Instructor

minimum 30 days

For students who have completed both the foundation course and at least two advanced review courses, we offer advanced meditators the opportunity to deepen their involvement in the meditation practice by learning the basics of guiding meditators as an instructor.

Note that this course is available only to those meditators who are assessed as qualified by our centre based on their proficiency and progress in their own practice at our centre.

This course includes both theoretical and practical instruction in teaching meditation as well as observation of meditator reporting sessions and interaction with foundation course meditators.

The course lasts thirty days and can be extended into an apprenticeship under our centre’s head teachers, subject to their approval.

Prerequisites:  Successful completion of the foundation course and at least two advanced review courses, as well as any additional practice or reading material required by the teacher.

Meet Our Instructors

Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu

Teacher

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Instructor

Adder

Instructor

Study Courses

Below is a list of some of the study courses we conduct for long-term residents (mainly monastics). All courses are run according to need and predisposition of the students; there is no fixed schedule for start or finish, and these courses are only available to long-term meditators who have finished both the foundation and advanced meditation courses above. Study courses may not be taken concurrently with the above meditation courses.

Introduction To Pali

Study of Pali based on the original Pali grammar method. Emphasis is on gaining a comprehensive understanding of Pali grammar without excessive attention to detail. Lessons include the Pali alphabet, sandhi, nama, kriya, compounds, and derivation.