Pa Auk Meditation Center

YM. Sayalay Upekkha Vihari


Riwayat Singkat Sayalay Upekkha Vihari:
Daw Upekkhāvihārī (born in 1953) finished (B.Econ) Degree in Applied Statistics and studied (M.Econ FII) Master of Economics Final Part II. And served as a tutor (Institute of Economics, Department of Statistics, Yangon, Myanmar) nearly 12 years.

In 1991, she resigned the job and went abroad. She worked as an educational counsellor (Saint Theresa International management and Business, B.K.K) nearly 2 years and worked as an English instructor, faculty of English (Assumption Commercial College, Sathron Road, B.K.K) nearly 5 years. She had been in United States.

In 2001, she was ordained in Pa-Auk Forest Meditation Center. In Pa-Auk Forest Meditation Center, she was appointed as a meditation instructor until now.

YM. Sayadaw U Agganna

Riwayat singkat YM. Sayadaw U Agganna
Sayadaw U Agganna was born in1953 and finished his Mathematic Scholar at Rangoon University. He has practiced meditation since 1989 and ordained as a monk (bhikku) by his teacher Pa-Auk Sayadaw U Acinna in 1992.
The Sayadaw has teached meditation to the lay person and monks at many meditation center in Srilanka, include Dhammayatana at Meetigala and Polgassovita Vipassana Centre.
During his stay in Myanmar, Sayadaw U Agganna teached at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery.
He also teached meditation at International Buddhasassana Meditation Centre in Thanlyin, Myanmar. Then he went back to Srilanka to continue his meditation practice and teached at Nauyana Forest Hermitage.

Sayadaw U Agganna also teached as the asisten teacher of Pa Auk Tawya Sayadaw at Pa-Auk Meditation Retreat in several countries including the three months Pa Auk Sayadaw’s retreat in Indonesia 10 Dec 2008 – 10 March 2009.

YM. Sayadaw U Agganna

Riwayat singkat YM. Sayadaw U Agganna
Sayadaw U Agganna was born in1953 and finished his Mathematic Scholar at Rangoon University. He has practiced meditation since 1989 and ordained as a monk (bhikku) by his teacher Pa-Auk Sayadaw U Acinna in 1992.
The Sayadaw has teached meditation to the lay person and monks at many meditation center in Srilanka, include Dhammayatana at Meetigala and Polgassovita Vipassana Centre.
During his stay in Myanmar, Sayadaw U Agganna teached at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery.
He also teached meditation at International Buddhasassana Meditation Centre in Thanlyin, Myanmar. Then he went back to Srilanka to continue his meditation practice and teached at Nauyana Forest Hermitage.

Sayadaw U Agganna also teached as the asisten teacher of Pa Auk Tawya Sayadaw at Pa-Auk Meditation Retreat in several countries including the three months Pa Auk Sayadaw’s retreat in Indonesia 10 Dec 2008 – 10 March 2009.

· Yang Mulia Sayalay Dipankara
Riwayat Singkat YM. Sayalay Dipankara:
Sayalay Dipankara dilahirkan pada tahun 1964 di Myanmar. Saat usia masih sangat muda, beliau sudah melatih meditasi tanpa bimbingan dari luar. Ketika dewasa, beliau mulai melatih meditasi dengan bimbingan dari beberapa Guru Besar meditasi.
Ketika kuliah, beliau diperkenalkan oleh seorang profesornya, yang juga merupakan Guru Besar Abhidhamma yang terkenal di Myanmar, kepada Y.M. Pha-Auk Sayadaw untuk mendapat bimbingan langsung Meditasi Samatha dan Vipassana. Beliau berhasil mencapai kemajuan batin dalam waktu yang sangat singkat dibawah bimbingan dari gurunya yang sangat baik kemampuannya tersebut.
Tahun 1990 dia ditahbiskan sebagai seorang Sayalay di Vihara Pha-Auk Tawya. Sejak itu, beliau dilatih untuk menjadi guru meditasi.
Sayalay Dipankara mempunyai pengalaman dalam mengajarkan setiap dari 40 Kamatthana seperti yang tertulis di kitab Visuddhi Magga seperti Anapanasati, Empat Unsur Meditasi, Metta, Buddhanussati, Asubha, Marananussati dan 8 Samapatti ( Jhana 1 sampai Jhana 8 ), Kasina, dll dan Meditasi Vipassana.
Tahun 1996, beliau diundang ke Sri Lanka oleh yang sangat terhormat Yang Mulia Mahathera Ariya Dhamma untuk mendampingi gurunya, Y.M. Pha-Auk Sayadaw untuk membimbing para Yogi. Sejak itu, beliau sering diundang oleh berbagai Pusat Buddhist terkenal lainnya di berbagai negara untuk mengajar meditasi dan membimbing Retreat Meditasi yang intensif selama 2 bulan. Negara-negara tersebut seperti Amerika ( Insight Meditation Center), Canada, Taiwan ( Hong Shih Foundation ), Inggris ( Amaravati dan Citta Vevekha ), Jepang, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand dan lainnya.
Selama tinggal di Inggris, Oxford University dan Manchester University mengundang beliau untuk diskusi Mind Training. Beliau juga diundang untuk The Western Conference mengenai Jhana di Jubilados Foundation/Leigh Brasington, Santa Fe, New Mexico pada tahun 2001.
Sejak akhir tahun 2005, beliau mulai membimbing retreat di Brahma Vihari Meditation Centre, Maymyo, Myanmar yang telah berhasil dirikannya dan merupakan cabang dari Pa Auk Tawya Meditation Centre. Hingga saat ini waktu beliau selalu berkeliling tanpa mengenal lelah untuk membimbing meditasi

Are you ready to face the sunset?
By Sayalay Dipankara
Do you know where you came from? Tahukah Anda darimana Anda berasal?
What are you doing now? Apakah yang Anda kerjakan sekarang?
Where do you want to go? Kemanakah Anda akan menuju? We have seen the sun rise (birth) Kita telah melihat Sang Mentari terbit ( Kelahiran )
Now we are using up the energy from the sun (aging) Sekarang kita sedang menghabiskan energi Sang Mentari ( Pelapukan )Soon the sun will be setting (death) Sang Mentari akan segera terbenam ( Kematian )
Are you ready to face the sunset? Siapkah Anda menghadapi terbenamnya Sang Mentari?

Will you be happy or worried when the sun sets? Akankah anda bahagia atau cemas saat Sang Mentari terbenam?
I will also have to face the sunset very soon Aku pun segera akan menghadapi terbenamnya Sang Mentari

Before that happens , I want to build a pagoda in my heart Sebelum itu terjadi, aku ingin membangun Pagoda didalam hatiku
The pagoda will be built with loving and kindness,
Pagoda itu akan dibangun dengan Cinta Kasih,

Compassion , patience , truth and understanding.
Kasih sayang, Kesabaran, Kebenaran dan Pemahaman

I hope that you will also build the pagoda in your heart before the sunset arrives. Harapanku Anda pun akan membangun pagoda dalam hati Anda sebelum terbenamnya Sang Mentari
When you "see" the pagoda , wisdom will arise with happiness. Saat Anda "menyaksikan" pagoda itu, kebijaksanaan akan muncul bersama kebahagiaan

And the sunset will be beautiful for you. Maka terbenamnya Sang Mentari akan tampak indah bagimu

Meditation Teacher : Venerable Pa Auk Tawya Sayadaw U Ahcinna

Riwayat singkat YM. Pa Auk Tawya Sayadaw U Ahcinna

Bhikkhu Bhaddanta Acinna, yang lebih dikenal sebagai Pa Auk Sayadaw lahir 24 June 1934. Kemudian Beliau tgl 2 May 1944 diupasampada menjadi Samanera pada saat berusia 10 tahun. Kemudian saat belajar Vinaya, Sutta dan Abhidhamma, Beliau juga telah menyelesaikan Bahasa Pali tingkat terakhir, pada saat masih menjadi samanera ini.

Beliau diupasampada menjadi bhikkhu tanggal 10 May 1954 dan terus mempelajari Tipitaka hingga dua tahun kemudian, sehingga tahun 1956 mendapat gelar Dhammacariya atau guru Dhamma.
Setelah 16 tahun menjalani praktek utamanya sebagai "bhikkhu hutan", tahun 1981 Beliau diminta untuk memimpin Pa Auk Tawya Forest Monastery oleh Sayadaw Aggapanna, yang kemudian meninggal 5 hari setelah beliau datang. Sejak itu Beliau dikenal sebagai Pa Auk Tawya Sayadaw. Selama memimpin Monastery, beliau selalu menyediakan sebagian besar waktunya untuk bermeditasi di kuti bambu sederhana.

Sejak 1983 beliau mulai membimbing meditasi dan sejak tahun 1990 banyak orang asing dan masyarakat Myanmar yang mulai datang berlatih meditasi untuk dibimbing oleh YM Pa Auk Sayadaw.
Tahun 1997, Pa Auk Sayadaw menerbitkan buku karya terbesarnya, berisi 5 volume yang berjudul "The Practice that Leads to Nibbana". Buku ini menjelaskan seluruh pengajaran secara detil dan didukung dengan kutipan-kutipan dari TIPITAKA– sekarang ini tersedia hanya dalam bahasa Burma dan Sinhalese. . Pada 4 Januari 1999, atas pencapaian/hasil Sayadaw yg sudah diketahui secara umum, pemerintah menganugerahinya Agga Maha Kammatthanacariya, yang berarti "Guru Meditasi Yang Sangat Terhormat".
Metode Meditasi oleh Pa-Auk Sayadaw

Seperti kita ketahui Sila, Samadhi dan Panna merupakan 3 tahap latihan dari praktek ajaran Buddha. Visuddhi Magga yang dirangkum oleh Bhikkhu Buddhaghosa merupakan penjelasan akan 3 tahap latihan tersebut. Hal ini berdasarkan Tipitaka dan kitab penjelasannya, yang menjelaskan tujuh tahap langkah pemurnian batin dan enam belas pencapaian pengetahuan batin.

Tetapi bagaimana cara mencapainya?Mereka mempunyai suatu pertanyaan yang sulit untuk semua umat Buddha diatas banyak generasi.

Untuk ini, kita beruntung masih memiliki YM. Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw dari Pa-Auk Forest Monastery. Pengajarannya adalah sama dan lebih detail seperti apa yang digambarkan di dalam Visuddhi Magga. Bersumber pada kitab komentar teks Pali dan Visuddhi Magga itu sendiri, YM Pa Auk Sayadaw mengajar yogi-yogi, secara bertahap, bagaimana cara langkah pemurnian batin dan mencapai pengetahuan batin. Arah pengajaran Pa-Auk Forest Monastery, sesuai dengan otentik tipitaka, yakni merealisasikan Nibbana dalam kehidupan ini.

Untuk merealisasikan Nibbana, yogi-yogi perlu memahami semua unsur mental, material, yang juga dikenal sebagai lima khanda/ kumpulan, dengan mengenalinya sebagai ketidak-kekalan, ketidak-puasan, dan tidak adanya aku.

Perihal dengan objek meditasi Vipassana-nya, bukan hanya lima khanda yang internal dan eksternal, tetapi juga lima khanda dari yang lampau, saat ini dan yang mendatang, kasar dan halus, kuat dan lemah, jauh dan dekat.
Hanya setelah mengerti semuanya dengan penembusan sebagai ketidak-kekalan, ketidak-puasan dan tidak adanya aku, yogi-yogi dapa merealisasikan jalan dan buah dari Jalan Mulia, dan secara berangsur-angsur mengurangi berbagai kekotoran batin.

Setelah merealisasikan Nibbana untuk pertama kali, yogi dapat melihat jelas bahwa mereka sudah mencapai jalan dan buahnya yang pertama; kekotoran batin apa yang sudah ditinggalkan, dan kekotoran batin yang mereka masih perlu untuk ditinggalkan. Untuk kemudian mereka melanjutkan untuk berlatih Vipassana untuk merealisasikan jalan dan buahnya lebih tinggi sampai ke tingkat Arahat, tingkat dimana tidak ada lagi sebab kelahiran-kembali, dan merealisasikan Nibbana sepenuhnya setelah kematian.

Mindfulness Vs. Concentration

Some people do not know the difference between "mindfulness" and "concentration." They concentrate on what they're doing, thinking that is being mindful... We can concentrate on what we are doing, but if we are not mindful at the same time, with the ability to reflect on the moment, then if somebody interferes with our concentration, we may blow up, get carried away by anger at being frustrated. If we are mindful, we are aware of the tendency to first concentrate and then to feel anger when something interferes with that concentration. With mindfulness we can concentrate when it is appropriate to do so and not concentrate when it is appropriate not to do so.


Source: http://www.thedailyenlightenment.com/
- Ajahn Sumedho, Teachings of a Buddhist Monk

The Basics of Buddhist Meditation
Dr. C. George Boeree Shippensburg University

Buddhism began by encouraging its practitioners to engage in smrti (sati) or mindfulness, that is, developing a full consciousness of all about you and within you -- whether seated in a special posture, or simply going about one’s life. This is the kind of meditation that Buddha himself engaged in under the bodhi tree, and is referred to in the seventh step of the eightfold path.
Soon, Buddhist monks expanded and formalized their understanding of meditation. The bases for all meditation, as it was understood even in the earliest years of Buddhism, are shamatha and vipashyana.
Shamatha is often translated as calm abiding or peacefulness. It is the development of tranquility that is a prerequisite to any further development. Vipashyana is clear seeing or special insight, and involves intuitive cognition of suffering, impermanence, and egolessness.
Only after these forms were perfected does one go on to the more heavy-duty kinds of meditation. Samadhi is concentration or one-pointed meditation. It involves intense focusing of consciousness.
Samadhi brings about the four dhyanas, meaning absorptions. Buddha refers to samadhi and the dhyanas in the eighth step of the eightfold path, and again at his death. Dhyana is rendered as Jhana in Pali, Ch’an in Chinese, Son in Korean, and Zen in Japanese, and has, in those cultures, become synonymous with meditation as a whole.

Basic Meditation
The most basic form of meditation involves attending to one's breath.
Begin by sitting in a simple chair, keeping your back erect if you can. The more traditional postures are the lotus position, sitting on a pillow with each foot upon the opposite thigh, and variations such as the half lotus (one foot on the opposite thigh, the other out in front of the opposite knee). This is difficult for many people. Some people kneel, sitting back on their legs or on a pillow between their legs. Many use a meditation bench: kneel, then place a little bench beneath your behind. But meditation is also done while standing, slowly walking, lying on the floor, or even in a recliner!
Traditionally, the hands are placed loosely, palms up, one on top of the other, and with the thumbs lightly touching. This is called the cosmic mudra, one of a large number of symbolic hand positions. You may prefer to lay them flat on your thighs, or any other way that you find comfortable.
Your head should be upright, but not rigid. The eyes may be closed, or focussed on a spot on the ground a couple of feet ahead of you, or looking down at your hands. If you find yourself getting sleepy, keep your eyes open!
Beginning meditators are often asked to count their breath, on the exhale, up to ten. Then you begin back at one. If you loose track, simply go back to one. Your breath should be slow and regular, but not forced or artificially controlled. Just breathe naturally and count.
A few weeks later, you may forego the counting and try to simply follow your breath. Concentrate on it entering you and exiting you. Best is to be aware as fully as possible of the entire process of breathing, but most people focus on one aspect or another: the sensation of coolness followed by warmth at the nostrils, or the rise and fall of the diaphragm. Many meditators suggest imagining the air entering and exiting a small hole an inch or two below your navel. Keeping your mind lower on the body tends to lead to deeper meditation. If you are sleepy, then focus higher, such as at the nostrils.
You will inevitably find yourself distracted by sounds around you and thoughts within. The way to handle them is to acknowledge them, but do not attach yourself to them. Do not get involved with them. Just let them be, let them go, and focus again on the breath. At first, it might be wise to scratch when you itch and wiggle when you get uncomfortable. Later, you will find that the same scant attention that you use for thoughts and sounds will work with physical feelings as well.
A more advanced form of meditation is shikantaza, or emptiness meditation. Here, you don't follow anything at all. There is no concentration -- only quiet mindfulness. You hold your mind as if you were ready for things to happen, but don't allow your mind to become attached to anything. Things -- sounds, smells, aches, thoughts, images -- just drift in and out, like clouds in a light breeze. This is my own favorite.
Many people have a hard time with their thoughts. We are so used to our hyperactive minds, that we barely notice the fact that they are usually roaring with activity. So, when we first sit and meditate, we are caught off guard by all the activity. So some people find it helpful to use a little imagination to help them meditate. For example, instead of counting or following your breath, you might prefer to imagine a peaceful scene, perhaps floating in a warm lagoon, until the noise of your mind quiets down.
Meditate for fifteen minutes a day, perhaps early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up, or late at night when everything has quieted down. If that's too much, do it once a week if you like. If you want, do more. Don't get frustrated. And don't get competitive, either. Don't start looking forward to some grand explosion of enlightenment. If you have great thoughts, fine. Write them down, if you like. Then go back to breathing. If you feel powerful emotions, wonderful. Then go back to breathing. The breathing is enlightenment.

The Five Hindrances (Nivarana) are the major obstacles to concentration.
1. Sensual desire (abhidya)
2. Ill will, hatred, or anger (pradosha)
3. Laziness and sluggishness (styana and middha)
4. Restlessness and worry (anuddhatya and kaukritya)
5. Doubt (vichikitsa) -- doubt, skepticism, indecisiveness, or vacillation, without the wish to cure it, more like the common idea of cynicism or pessimism than open-mindedness or desire for evidence.

For more original sutras on Buddhist meditation, see the following:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/sn36-006.html