You can't visit Sri
Lanka without absorbing the gentle philosophy of Buddhism, which is prevalent in
every day life and an important part of the local culture.
Sri Lanka’s natural
beauty and charm is utterly inspiring if you are looking for an experience of
the body, mind and soul this paradise island is the ideal destination!
This is a Special
- an ADD ON
placement - this means you can add it on to your longer term project in Sri Lanka
either at the beginning of your trip, in the middle, at the end or whenever you
choose. You can even decide to do it once you are already in Sri Lanka! We do
recommend however that you spend at least 3 days in Sri Lanka adjusting to the
heat and recovering from jetlag before you embark upon the meditation retreat.
After experiencing the meditation centre ourselves first-hand, we recommend
this
1-week or 2-week optional add-on at the Centre while on your placement .. you'll
have a truly remarkable
experience enjoying or discovering meditation.
We also welcome anyone
wanting to do this experience. You don't have to do another placement
with us - just let us know and we'll arrange for you to do the Retreat
as a stand-alone experience.
The meditation centre is situated in a town called Gampaha.
This is about 1.5 hours north of Colombo and 50 minutes from the main
volunteer house in Ja-Ela. The centre is separated into different areas,
with lots of small huts splayed out in extremely peaceful surroundings
beneath a jungle canopy.
The centre is in a beautiful setting in a reasonably small
area. It is very peaceful and relaxed, with sunny and shady areas to sit
and relax in. Women and men are separated. This is a real Buddhist retreat and not a meditation
school. Other people in the retreat will be largely locals from nearby
towns who are studying Buddhism or simply feel the need for some faith and
restoration.
Dropping into a Buddhist retreat for a few weeks is not
uncommon in Sri Lanka as meditation is highly regarded as a way to heal
and replenish the soul. There may be one or two other westerners or
other Travellers volunteers there with you at the same time.
The centre
is silent and no talking is permitted. The silence is something that
takes some getting used to. However it also comes as a tremendous relief
as there is no polite chitchat required! Should you need to ask a
question or make contact with someone you may do so, respectfully.
YOUR
PLACEMENT AND
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Many of the other people in the retreat may be there for
anything between 2 weeks and 6 months. Your stay of 1 or 2 weeks will be
relatively very brief. However, as a westerner with little or no
experience of meditation previously, this will probably be long enough.
During an initial exploration into meditation, a new sense of
self-discipline must be acquired. To do nothing, all day long, is
difficult. Should you want to stay longer than 2 weeks, of course you can
(subject to availability),
and this can be arranged through the Sri Lankan staff at the time.
The first 2-3 days of a meditation retreat are the hardest.
This is how long it takes to unwind and slow down from a life of
deadlines, responsibilities, distractions, aggressive advertising,
conflicts, rushing, traffic, communication, relationships, to-do lists and
so on. For a long time you have been on fast forward in your life and
suddenly there is absolutely nothing to do. All you have to do now, is be.
You will probably go through a range of emotions and
physical sensations in the first few days. These will include everything
from relief and peace to frustration and boredom. What you will notice
however is that everything you feel and experience will change. Each state
will pass to be replaced with a new one. Boredom will give way to
euphoria; anger will give way to acceptance, fear to comfort and so on.
All you have to do is just breathe, note how you feel and experience the
feeling without fighting it.
When the noise of the outside world is turned
down and the distractions are taken away from us, our awareness comes back
to us and a meditation retreat enables us to journey inside and find a
sense of calm and balance.
After the first few days, the meditation gets easier. You
acclimatised to the pace, the silence, the routine. You slow down to the
rhythm around you. It is now that you start to hear the sounds of the
jungle better, notice the wildlife in the trees above you, the way the
insects move, the changing lights of the forest. You begin to appreciate
everything in a deeper way; the hot afternoon lemon tea, the sun on your
back, a smile. You are not in a rush and your thoughts have slowed down
also, they are less ferocious and demanding and sometimes, briefly, there
are no thoughts. This is the time when inspiration can come, creativity,
insights and understanding are able to surface when your mind is peaceful
and you are completely relaxed.
CAUTION! A meditation
retreat can be a very intense experience. Anyone who has recently been
through a traumatic experience may find the experience too much and it may
not be helpful to you at this stage. We highly recommend that you consider
this meditation retreat only if you feel that you are currently in sound
and stable mind.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE:
4.00am Wake up
4.15 Pay homage
5.00 Porridge/ gruel called Conglee
5.15-6.00 Meditation
6.15 Breakfast
7.15-8.15 Meditation
8.15 Drink of King Coconut
8.30-9.30 Cleaning rooms and centre e.g. sweeping
9.30-11.00 Bathing and washing of clothes
11.15 Lunch
12.30-1.30pm Meditation
1.30 Drink of tea
2.00 Mediation advice usually by head monk
5.00-6.00 Cleaning outside areas
6.00 Pay homage
6.30 Evening drink
7.00-8.00 Meditation
10.00 Lights out
LUNCH: Lunch is served by several women and children. It is always
rice and curry with lots of variety and endless portions. The food is mostly
vegetarian, with some fish. There is warm water, and pudding of fruit,
yogurt and something very sweet, which varies. Some people save their
pudding snacks. This is wise as you do not get to eat again for the
remainder of the day (unless you have taken some secret snacks)!
MONK TIME: After lunch is free time until 2pm. Then the monk comes and sits
for anyone who wants to come and talk with him. He speaks English. This is
the time to ask questions, get help, or discuss any problems that you are
having. Anything at all can be discussed here. Someone is there everyday at
2pm. Sometimes the monk may give you a book to read on how to meditate.
Otherwise he will answer any questions that you may have about your
meditation.
You are encouraged not to write or read, unless advised by the
monk or teacher. Sometimes there will also be guided meditation sessions by
the head monk, when he is in town. These take place in English.
In Buddhism the lotus flower symbolizes
faithfulness
Sister Soma who will be in charge of your course
JOURNAL EXTRACTS from the Meditation Centre,
Lisa Oakden, 2008
I have
just got back from the meditation centre which was a fabulous experience.
When entering Vipassana Meditation Centre for the first time you really are
not sure what to expect. This is understandable and many people will never
have been to such a place before.
Firstly, you will be introduced to Sister Soma and from here everything will
become a lot clearer and you can start to relax into what will be a truly
different way of life. Sister Soma is Sri Lankan and speaks perfect English.
She has a grace and a sense of serenity which is befitting a Yogini (female
practitioner) of some 25 years! She quickly settles you into your room and
takes you through the daily timetable. She is always with you at moments
when you need help, be that in the dining room when you are unsure of what
to do or if you are unsure as to how to even begin meditation. She is your
guardian while you need her and your friend when you are feeling more at
home! She is very aware that you will need to talk and ask questions and she
is keen to do this, making sure that each day you speak a little less as
this is a silent retreat.
Sister Soma will make sure that you get to visit the head monk on a regular
basis and will translate his advice to you in a way that is easy to
understand. During the evening, once meditation time is over she will
provide not only words of wisdom verbally but also introduce you to books
which explain Buddhism in a light and easy manner. She takes her lead from
you - if you are keen to know more about Buddhism and meditation she will
foster that interest as much, or as little as you require. Sister Soma is a
true Buddhist in every sense of the word.
The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable, and have in them special
cushions for comfortable meditation. The cushions can be taken outside to
meditate in the grounds. This is especially a good idea in the morning and
evenings, as the sun and the moon and the beginning and end of the day, are
beautiful. The fireflies are enchanting!
One of the main worries or concerns I had before I went was the food… do not
fear! I can honestly say that I have never eaten so well! The quality and
quantity of the food is quite amazing and I didn't feel hungry once during
my week long stay. You will be fed very well indeed and if you do find that
you are hungry for some reason Sister Soma will make sure that some biscuits
and snacks can be found. Many people keep some food over from the lunchtime
meal just in case hunger strikes in the night but I assure you, food is
plentiful! One thing you can take to make you feel more at home is tea bags,
coffee sachets (cappuccino style) and you can have these instead of the
drinks provided. Take care, if you wish to be a real Yogi then milk cannot
be drunk after 12 noon and that does include powered milk!
At the end of your stay you may wish to leave behind a small gift to say
thank you. The Yogis at the meditation centre do not want a great deal but
basic things such as pens, mosquito coils and spray, tissues, hand dispenser
sized washing up liquid, washing powder sachets are far more useful to them
than biscuits.
I spent 1 week at the centre and entered it a complete beginner. I could not
meditate in anyway shape or form and the idea of being virtually silent for
week caused much hilarity within my friendship group but 1 week on I can do
both walking and seated meditation. Without a doubt the first few days are
unusual as everything is new and the people around you seem to understand
what they are doing while you are still trying to grasp hold of it all. But
just live in the present and listen to the advice given to you. Yes it is
hard work but you are there to learn a new skill and that takes practice and
time… one thing you have a great deal of in the centre. I felt very well
looked after and cared for throughout the whole stay! I am really pleased
that I took this opportunity and I do feel different, much calmer and ready
to face the next part of my journey.’
TRAVEL
AND VISAS:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we
arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers
choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own
flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
VISAS:. No visa is required for the first 30 days. For longer
stays, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and
make the process very easy for you.
You will fly into Sri Lanka and the airport is
only about 20 minutes away from Ja-Ela. You will be met by our
organiser and taken to your school and your Sri Lankan home.
We can also arrange your flight dates to give
you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and
sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Sri Lanka, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
