Meditation in Southeast Asia - Insight Meditation Center

What to bring: Insect repellant, water disinfectant, and medications should be
brought in sufficient quantities from home. A light sleeping bag and a warm fleece
jacket are particularly useful during the winter months. Pads for sitting are available,
but bring your own pillow. Items of daily use such as toiletries, flashlight, batteries,
flip-flops, and water bottle, can be bought in Yangon.
Food: Meals are nourishing, tasty, and varied and are prepared hygienically.
Vegetarians will have no problem. Evenings at 5 p.m., juice is available. After
breakfast (5 a.m.) and lunch (10 a.m.) you can fill your thermos with hot water.
Drinking water is filtered and, as a rule, potable, still be careful. If you want to be on
the safe side, bring disinfectant. Sometimes large vats with mineral water are set up
for refilling your bottle.
Costs: Support of the center is exclusively through donations. Thus, the center is
dependent on the voluntary support through participants.
Rules: Participants should dedicate at least 14 hours a day to formal practice
(walking and sitting meditation) and limit other activities (e.g., laundry) to a minimum.
Reading, writing (except taking notes) and walks should be avoided. The eight silas
(moral precepts) should be observed. Clothing should be comfortable, practical, and
decent (no shorts or tank tops). Traditionally, white blouses and shirts are
recommended. Men and women wear a brown longyi (sarong or wrap-around skirt)
that can be obtained at the center.
Climate and best time to go: Tropical climate. The cooler dry season from
November to February are the best months. From March on very hot.
Immigration: Visa mandatory. Tourist visa is valid four weeks. If you want to enter
with a meditation visa you must ask for a so-called sponsorship letter from the center,
which must be sent to the Burmese embassy together with the visa application. For
processing, reckon on about three months. Visa extensions are also possible. Take
sufficient passport pictures (about 10) for the various forms.
Literature: Sayadaw U Pandita: “In this Very Life“. It can be downloaded from the
Panditarama homepage.
Note: Worth a visit, but all things considered for longer stays the forest center Hse
Main Gon is better suited.
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