A day at the monastery

Performing a few days of meditation at the monastery is a rewarding experience from different points of view. It begins with an introduction to Buddhist philosophy and reveals a fundamental aspect of Burmese society. The practice of meditation also helps to understand the process of mental alienation that can sometimes be found in the context of sects and which allows access to a particular level of consciousness. A retreat in a monastery is open to anyone wishing to understand the basics of meditation and perform physical and mental work. In passing the details, the basis of vipassana meditation in Burma is to dissociate the mental and the physical and it requires intense work on oneself during long days.

Generally, every Buddhist Burman has to go to the monastery at the age of 7 and become a monk for a certain period of time. During this time, they discover the practices of meditation. Often adults who work in civilian life decide to spend a week or more in a meditation center every year. Meditation techniques are alternated between sitting for one hour and idling with decomposition of movements for one hour.

 

04h00: Wake up

04h30 - 06h00: Meditation

06h00: Breakfast (rice, beans, fruits and tea)

07h30 - 08h30: Meditation

09h00 to 10:00: Meditation

10h30: Lunch (curry, soup, rice, fruits, tea)

13h00 - 14h00: Meditation

14h30 - 15h30: Meditation

16h00 - 17h00: Meditation

17h30: Discussion with the teachers

19h30 - 20h30: Meditation

21h00: Sunset