Information and booking

To book in for these retreats you can contact the YBAT 2 Centre in Pathumthani
at tel: 02-986-6404 and press 112
or fax: 02-986-6404 and press 111.
Alternatively you can phone 02- 413-1706 or fax: 02-413-3131

For information in English, you can contact Rev. Saddharma at 02-511-0439 Please phone between 10 am and 5 pm, Wednesday to Saturday,
or fax: 02-512-6083 or better e-mail houseofdhamma@csloxinfo.com

Location of the centre

The retreats are held at the Young Buddhists Association of Thailand's
custom-built meditation centre in Pathumthani, north of Bangkok.
The postal address of the meditation centre is

YBAT 2 (Sakaa Pathumthani)
19 Moo 16, Tambon Klong 3, Ampur Klong Luang,
Changwat Pathumthani, Bangkok 12120.

The retreats are open to all English-speaking adults.
It is not necessary to be a Buddhist to take part.

Insight (Vipassana) meditation forms the basis of these retreats, but there may also be sessions on Metta (Loving Kindness) practice. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of the spiritual dimensions of being with those of the physical, in everyday life. Meditators keep eight precepts (see below) while on the retreat.

Instruction will be in English, with some Thai translation as necessary.
Standing, walking, sitting and lying down meditation sessions will be held in groups and as individual practice. Vegetarian food and single room accommodation will be provided.
There is charge of 3,000 baht per person for food and accommodation for weekend retreats. For seven-day retreats, the charge is 5,000 baht per person.

For those who wish to travel from the House of Dhamma to the meditation centre by mini-van, departure time from the House of Dhamma is on Friday at 2.30 p.m. (for weekend retreats). For seven-day retreats the pick-up time at the House of Dhamma is 10.00 a.m.
It is necessary to book a place in the mini-van.

11.00 Registration
12.00 Lunch
1.00 Orientation and welcoming ceremony
2.00 Break
2.15 Taking 8 precepts and Initial instruction
3.15 Break
3.30 Walking and sitting meditation
5.30 Fruit drinks and break
6.30 Evening chanting and Dhamma talk
7.15 Break
7.30 Group practice

Additional Details for Insight Meditation Retreats

You'll need to register for retreats at least seven days in advance.

For weekend retreats, there's an orientation on Friday night starting at 5 pm. Please try to arrive at the centre before sunset. It can be difficult to find in the dark. Snacks are provided on Friday evening.
Note: For seven-day retreats, you will need to arrive at the centre between 11.00 and 12.00 noon on the first day.

*Food is Thai vegetarian.

*If you have white clothing, this is ideal for a Vipassana retreat. If not, any light-coloured, undistracting, conservative clothes may be worn.

*Meditators are expected to keep the eight precepts, which include not eating solid food after midday. We will provide fruit juice in the evenings.

*Much of the retreat will be silent. You should not read, watch TV or listen to the radio or recorded music. Certain sessions are not silent.

*Payment must be in cash (Thai baht) given on arrival at the centre.

*There is a map to the centre and another to the House of Dhamma, to give to taxi drivers, which can be sent to you on request.

A note about Buddhist Meditation

Within Buddhist Bhavana (mental development), there are two main branches of practice. These are termed Samatha (Calmness meditation) and Vipassana (Insight meditation).
These practices complement each other and may be practised together or separately.

Although it is certainly possible to develop the power of concentration without going through a process of purification and letting go of non-beneficial tendencies of mind, this can lead to an unbalanced attitude which could possibly promote selfish tendencies rather than reduce them.
For this reason, the meditation courses and retreats conducted by meditation masters from the House of Dhamma stress Vipassana (Insight meditation) in order to build a firm foundation of concentration and energy, overseen by Sati (Bare awareness). Sati enables the meditator to know what is real in each succeeding present moment.

The Pali term ‘Vipassana’ comes from two Pali roots: Passana – which means ‘knowing’ or ‘seeing’ in the colloquial sense of “I see what you mean” and ‘Vi.’ which means ‘clearly’. During Vipassana practice, the meditator goes on a profound ongoing experiential journey which enables him or her to let go of any detrimental tendencies of mind and to come to know truth directly.

The roots of unsatisfactoriness are seen and experienced directly and non-judgmentally. Through this process of Insight into our true nature, the ignorance that perpetuates those roots, is gradually reduced until we are released into the sacred freedom of being whole and holy.

As a general rule, most methods of calmness meditation work more satisfactorily in a quiet place, away from the demands and cares of the world. A period of withdrawal from worldly involvement may be necessary and this time can be quite prolonged. The benefits may fade as conditions change.

A quiet, undisturbed place is always conducive to ‘Bhavana’ in all its forms. After initial training however, Vipassana can be practised anywhere, whatever the circumstances, and it does not depend upon withdrawal from the everyday world. Vipassana can lead to the permanent removal of those obscurations that cloud the mind and cause us to experience life as unsatisfactory. It can be practised virtually anywhere and by anyone who wishes to do so. For these reasons, Vipassana training is emphasized on retreats arranged by YBAT together with the House of Dhamma.

The five Precepts
(Taken when leaving the retreat)