Meditation in Southeast Asia - Insight Meditation Center
Meditation in Southeast Asia - Insight Meditation Center
Meditation in Southeast Asia - Insight Meditation Center
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after monsoon: October to February.<br />
Note: Laypersons may stay up to 15 days. Repeated stays are possible. The<br />
monastery is very traditional and faithful to the v<strong>in</strong>aya way. Here you can experience<br />
authentic old Thai forest tradition. Mae Chees and monks rejoice over dark chocolate<br />
and Nescafe. Women are expected to help <strong>in</strong> the kitchen.<br />
1.13<br />
Wat Marp Jun ( also Wat Mab Chan or Wat Subhaddabanpot)<br />
by Bhikkhu Gavesako 2005, updated Oct. 2007<br />
Address: Wat Marp Jun (or: "Mab Chan"),<br />
Tambon Klaeng, Ampher Meuang, Jangwat Rayong 21160<br />
Tel/Fax: 038-617546, Fax: 038-996293<br />
Internet: www.watmarpchan.org (no email)<br />
The website is unfortunetely only <strong>in</strong> Thai, but conta<strong>in</strong>s nice photos. With this tool<br />
www.thai2english.com you can translate the text <strong>in</strong>to English by simple copy and<br />
paste.<br />
Location: The monastery is located by the village of Marp Jun, close to the fish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
town of Bahn Phe, not far from the prov<strong>in</strong>cial city of Rayong. The popular tourist<br />
island Ko Samet is just off the coast, but there are not many Western tourists on the<br />
beaches around Bahn Phe, this area is more used by Thai holiday-makers. The<br />
monastery is situated <strong>in</strong> a lush ra<strong>in</strong>-forest of over 500 acres on the slopes of Yaidah<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong>, which rises from flat land a short distance from the coast and has TV<br />
masts at the top. The warm, humid climate and rich soil of the area give the forest of<br />
the monastery, and that of the surround<strong>in</strong>g Government Forest Reserve, its density<br />
and lushness, and also mean that the lowlands can support hundreds of small fruit<br />
orchards and rubber plantations. The story of the monastery began <strong>in</strong> late 1984 when<br />
Venerable Ajahn Anan discovered the area dur<strong>in</strong>g a tudong (walk<strong>in</strong>g tour) which had<br />
taken him <strong>in</strong>to the locality. The monastic community lived simply, practis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
meditation <strong>in</strong> close communion with the natural environment. The forest still had a<br />
wide variety of wildlife (such as bears, wild cats, deer and several different k<strong>in</strong>ds of<br />
snakes), but the ma<strong>in</strong> difficulty fac<strong>in</strong>g all those who came to practise Dhamma there<br />
<strong>in</strong> the early years was malaria (it has s<strong>in</strong>ce disappeared from the area). In 1985, a<br />
group of lay supporters offered to build a larger and more permanent Sala (meet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hall). To accommodate the expand<strong>in</strong>g monastic community it was necessary to<br />
construct a two-storey build<strong>in</strong>g, with the basement provid<strong>in</strong>g both kitchen space and<br />
accommodation for lay-guests. As the number of monks, novices and nuns com<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
practise at Wat Marp Jun steadily <strong>in</strong>creased, the Sangha felt it necessary to construct<br />
a new meet<strong>in</strong>g hall away from the kitchen and lay accommodation. Build<strong>in</strong>g of a two-<br />
33