Name: Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre
Item: Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre
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The Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre (MBMC) is a non-profit institution dedicated to the teaching of Vipassana meditation – the Buddha’s cure for all human mental maladies, the Way to the End of All Ills.

Vipassana is a Pali word often translated as Insight. Hence, Vipassana meditation is Insight or Wisdom meditation. In these times of hectic activities, pressure and competition; of greed and delusion; of envy, hatred and conflicts, Vipassana should be very much welcomed as a soothing balm to cool our burning hearts and minds. Through Vipassana, we can develop a mind that is always serene, fearless and unshakeable. More importantly, we can gain profound Insight or Wisdom that can liberate us from all suffering, the Wisdom of Non-Attachment, Non-Clinging.

MBMC was founded by the late Venerable Phra Khru Dhammabarnchanvud (Luang Por) on 11 February 1969 and the Centre was officially opened by him on 3 October 1982. It is located at 355 Jalan Masjid Negeri (formerly known as Green Lane), 11600 Penang, Malaysia. It is adjacent to the Convent Green Lane Secondary School. The Centre is a three-storey building with spacious meditation halls and a large compound. The ladies’ quarters are sited in separate buildings (called ‘kutis’) nearby.

There are various traditions of Buddhist meditation based on the Buddha’s Teachings, leading ultimately to the supreme goal of Liberation. In MBMC, we practise the method laid down by the eminent Monk and Meditation Master, the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw Aggamahapandita of the famed Mahasi Meditation Centre, Yangon, Myanmar.

MBMC has the good fortune to have many illustrious meditation teachers who visited and taught Vipassana meditation at the Centre. Among them are Tipitaka Sayadaw U Vicittasabhivamsa; Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa; Sayadaw U Wayaminda; Sayadaw U Thondara; Sayadaw U Nanaponika and Sayadaw U Pannathami. Besides the above visiting Sayadaws, MBMC is also fortunate to have Sayadaws who resided in the Centre as Religious Advisors and Meditation Teachers.

Male yogis will have to share a dormitory room, bathroom and toilet. Female yogis are housed in a “kuti” which can be occupied singly or shared, depending on the number of female yogis and kuti availability. These kutis are sited behind the main 3-storey building. Bathrooms are installed with water heaters for bathing and are adequate for the use of female yogis.

Accommodation for all yogis are simple and comfortable enough so as not to cause any cultural shock to foreign yogis who are used to modern amenities back home.

Physical facilities

There are two huge and well-ventilated halls for sitting and walking meditation on the ground floor and second floor. The Sangha rooms and male yogis dormitory are located on the first floor.

Meals
The food served are generally non-vegetarian although request for vegetarian food can be specially arranged if advance notice is given. The food is hygienic, nutritious and delicious, and are typical Malaysian home-cooked food. Freshly-cut fruits are generously served at every lunch.

Charges/Donation
The residing yogis are charged in the following manner:
MYR5 per day for local (Malaysian) yogi;
MYR10 per day for Asian yogi (Singaporean, Thai, Burmese, etc);
MYR20 per day for other foreign yogi;
Free for life for yogi who had donated MYR500 to the Centre’s Sangha Yogi Free Meal Fund.

The charges are made for the first ten days and it will be free beyond that, subject to the approval to stay on which will be given by the Resident Meditation Master. Yogis are welcomed to make donation of any amount after their retreat.

Yogis are advised to wear proper and suitable attire when in retreat. Suitable attire are clothing which are fairly loose and comfortable when sitting down cross-legged. Yogis can wash their dirty laundry while in retreat and washing machines are provided.

Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre

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