"Last year I had the chance to attend an eight-day Mogok Vipassana course on the outskirts of Yangon. It has always been sort of an enigma as it's by far the largest and most widespread Vipassana technique in Myanmar with its famous Paticca Samuppada wheel seen everywhere, yet it has remained almost entirely off the radar to foreign meditators.
After understanding the general Myanmar teaching/learning style, it is clear why the technique has such appeal to the laity as it's laid out in a simple system that easily lends itelf to being delivered and learned in a way locals are familiar with.
That being said, although such a delivery would appeal far less to Westerners, both the practice and theory I think have incredible potential. My background in Vipassana has been mostly in the U Ba Khin tradition as taught by Goenka and the Shwe Oo Min tradition under Sayadaw U Tejaniya. I'd actually place these two traditions at opposite ends of a spectrum, the Goenka technique being prescriptive and focused, the other being more open and natural. In the Goenka method, the object, body sensations, is chosen for you whereas the U Tejaniya method, the object is whichever objects of the 6 senses naturally arises in the mind with more attention given to the mind. In the Goenka method, a clear cut technique is specifically laid out and its connection to theory is systematically explained whereas U Tejaniya lays out some basics and then explains more theory as it naturally arises in Q&A's from yogis individual practice.
That being said, although such a delivery would appeal far less to Westerners, both the practice and theory I think have incredible potential. My background in Vipassana has been mostly in the U Ba Khin tradition as taught by Goenka and the Shwe Oo Min tradition under Sayadaw U Tejaniya. I'd actually place these two traditions at opposite ends of a spectrum, the Goenka technique being prescriptive and focused, the other being more open and natural. In the Goenka method, the object, body sensations, is chosen for you whereas the U Tejaniya method, the object is whichever objects of the 6 senses naturally arises in the mind with more attention given to the mind. In the Goenka method, a clear cut technique is specifically laid out and its connection to theory is systematically explained whereas U Tejaniya lays out some basics and then explains more theory as it naturally arises in Q&A's from yogis individual practice.
The reason I present these two as a spectrum is because some people may be familiar with one or both and it so happens that the Mogok method fits right in between the two. On the one hand, it shares the more choiceless open awareness via any and all of the 6 sense doors as U Tejaniya teaches. On the other hand, the technique is more systematically laid out like Goenka's and the practice is clearly and extensively connected to theory via the famous Mogok Wheel. All three I think have their appeal to different people at different times. I think the Mogok technique then, fills a gap in this spectrum nicely. It seems it would appeal to those that do well with more open awareness yet also enjoy a more explicit structure and clearly explained grounding in theory.
The issue currently is the Mogok method and facilities have yet to be properly adopted for a foreign an especially Western audience. Even though there are at least two teachers that speak English, the current Myanmar presentation style of the technique seems to me to be quite inadequate for foreigners. Also, the available texts in English are straight translations from Myanmar books which again are in a style unsuitable for foreigners and are full of culture specific examples from Myanmar. If these issues get worked out though, I think the Mogok method could fill in a gap and rise to some prominence in the Vipassana spectrum for Westerners."
Dear brother and sister,
ReplyDeleteI am Myanmar who working in Malaysia more than 10 years and I would like to explain about SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION. Therefore, recently I stayed at SASANARAKKHA BUDDHIST SANCTUARY (SBS), Taiping, Perak. I am very close with Ven. U Nandiya Maha Thero.
My monk Ven. U Nandiya is very good heart and compassion to everyone in the world, also I heard when he stayed at Kuala Lumpur Buddhist Temple, he lends donation money to President of Temple (Datuk Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak) with amount RM20,000.00 only and he said that money belong to Myanmar society in Malaysia.
On the other hand, my monk said, also many things happened when he stayed there because committees always disturbing, I am very sadly about that matter, why committees are very poor and crooks. Others Temple, people come to Temple to respected Buddha and Monks, also give red packet to monks. Why this Temple, monks must give money to committees, this is opposite.
If anyone receive or read this message, please inform to DATUK YIP KUM FOOK (president of SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION) to return that amount to my monk as soon as possible.
My monk contact place:
Ven. U Nandiya
Sasana Daja Buddhist Temple
49 Bombay Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141.
Tel: (02) 9649-8124
And:
SĀSANĀRAKKHA BUDDHIST SANCTUARY
c/o: 28 & 30, 1st floor, Jalan Medan Taiping 4.
Medan Taiping 34000, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
With kindness
KO KO NAING
Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
If you are a Buddhist monk from abroad to come and stay in any Buddhist association in Malaysia, any Buddhist monk should be more careful because some Malaysian Buddhist associations as committees are very dirty in their minds and they do not have Dhamma in their mind they (without Dhamma)
ReplyDeleteFor example, SAMNAK SAMBODHI one of Buddhist Temple (Malaysia Buddhist Association) located at Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong… YIP KUM FOOK as president, there is another more problem because the committee is like a ghost and animals
Committees in SAMNAK SAMBODHI, they can collect any money from Buddhist monks, whose monks live in the Temple, one of our Myanmar Buddhist monks (VEN. U NANDIYA) lives there, the temple committee cheated his money about rm20,000.00, our monk is very sadly about that
On the other hand, VEN. PHRA PIYA DHAMMO from Penang also committees at SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST TEMPLE remove him out, without any mistake, this is very stupid committees in the world
If anyone reading this message, please forward it to anyone who knows...we will protect and save Buddhists teaching
Sharing by Buddhist groups in Malaysia & Myanmar Buddhist People in Malaysia