Meditation in Southeast Asia - Insight Meditation Center

drinking water is available.
Costs: The center is operated on the basis of donations. (Credit cards and travellers'
cheques cannot be accepted.)
Medical care: Medical doctors visit the center regularly to treat the meditators for
free. Western and traditional Burmese drugs are available.
Rules and clothing: All meditators practice from 4 a.m. to at least 9:30 p.m. and
must observe the eight percepts. Temporary ordination is possible for women and
men. During the retreat meditators keep noble silence and do not read and write
(except short notes for the individual interviews). Walks outside the center are not
allowed and leaving the center during retreat is only allowed in emergencies.
Therefore, you should provide for all contingencies ahead of time. International calls
can be made and received, but only in emergencies. Burmese yogi attire is
recommended: white/light blouse or T-shirt and brown longyi (sarong) for women,
white/light shirt or T-shirt and brown longyi for men. You can buy these things there
easily and at a good price, or you can borrow these clothes from the centre.
Climate and best time to go: Tropical climate, best during the cool season
(December to February).
Immigration: Visa mandatory. Tourist visa is valid for four weeks. If you want to
enter with a meditation visa, you must ask for a so-called sponsorship letter from the
center or from Ven. Ariya Ñani which must be sent to the embassy of the Union of
Myanmar together with the visa application. For processing, reckon on about three
months. Visa extensions are only possible for meditation visas. Take sufficient
passport photos (about 10) for the various forms. Those who enter the country with a
tourist visa and stay longer than four weeks can pay 'overstay' at the airport when
leaving the country. For each day one has overstayed one pays 3 US$.
Note: Please inquire whether Sayadaw U Indaka and/or Ven. Ariya Ñani are in the
centre. Both travel abroad each year.
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