The unawakened mind
The endless cycle of rebirth
Are you searching for the light of awakening?
We need tremendous merits
in order to meet the teacher who can awaken us
The teacher has appeared now
Are you ready?
Malaysia Satipatthana Meditation Retreat
Ajahn Prasan's First Dhamma Propagation Trip to Malaysia
Day after day, we repeat the same lifestyle. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning till the time we fall asleep at night, we get lost in the world of thoughts. Even though we are physically awake, our minds remain asleep. All our emotions and experiences in life – happiness, sadness and sufferings, are hooked into the virtual world through our mobile phones. A comment or post is enough to trigger us to lose control of our emotions. What is happening to the world? It has become difficult for us to distinguish between the real world and the virtual world.
Our minds are unable to attain peace and tranquility. Instead, we are often overwhelmed by ecstasy, rage, sorrow, jealousy, arrogance, and agony. As such, we have moved further away from calmness and happiness. We are affected by what surrounds us, causing us to be lost in the vortex of desire – just like a pair of handcuffs tying us down and keeping us locked within the cycle of rebirth. Is this the life that we want? Can the cycle be broken?
Ajahn Prasan once shared: “In reality, what causes us the most suffering, is our body and mind, and not the people, issues or objects around us. If we depend on ourselves, we can achieve happiness and fulfilment, free from defilements and then no one can cause us suffering.”
Satipatthana meditation is the only path that allows us to transcend sadness and suffering, giving us a chance to be liberated in life.
Instructor
Ajahn Prasan
If our minds are intelligent, if our minds are not attached, our minds will not suffer, no matter how people are, our minds will not be swayed.
It is through transcending barriers of language and ethnicity, arranging meditation retreats and preaching series of teachings catering for the Chinese community, that his will to propagate the Dhamma for the Chinese-speaking world is created out of compassion. His aspiration to liberate sentient beings from suffering results in his commitment to propagate the Dhamma by providing systematic guidance to those lost in life.
It is no easy feat finding someone who helps without seeking returns, let alone meeting such a person.
Ajahn Prasan is the disciple of Thailand’s well-known meditator, Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo. His Dhamma propagation covers China and Thailand, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Sawan etc. This is his first trip to Malaysia.
Ajahn Prasan once said in an interview: “On 23 August 2012, I had coffee with a business rival and when we talked about our clients, I was very worried and disturbed because I discovered that my client had been poached. At that moment, my mind arose and ceased twice, but I did not know what that meant and could not form any definition. Thereafter, I was aware of my mind saying, ‘Anything that arises, will definitely cease’. Subsequently, my mind was in a state of tranquility, harmony and happiness. My business rival was curious and asked, ‘Your client was poached by others, how can you be so calm?’ At that time, I did not know that I had seen the Dhamma. All I felt was tranquility and happiness which lasted for several days. Eventually, my mind returned to its normal state, but it was not the same as before. Since then, no matter what suffering I faced, I did not feel that it was ‘me’ that suffered, I only felt that mind was suffering. No matter what happiness I experienced, I did not feel that ‘I’ was happy, instead I understood it as mind being happy! When I had conversations with others, I would still use common expressions like ‘I am happy’ or ‘I am sad’. It was just that I no longer felt that ‘I’ am happy or ‘I’ am sad.”
Since then, Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo instructed Ajahn Prasan to guide everyone in their practice after he ended his Dhamma talks in the monastery. Ajahn Prasan’s teaching style is straightforward and lively and he will provide realistic and practical suggestions based on the conditions of different individuals. He is one of the distinguished Dhamma propagators under Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo and he has been assigned by Luangpor as a representative to China to teach meditation. Currently, he has two books translated into Chinese entitled “Dhamma Talk 1” and “Today we are that tortoise”.
Retreat Details
Duration of Retreat
4 days 3 nights
Registration: Friday 17 March 2023 at 8:00am
Retreat Begins: Friday 17 March 2023 at 10:00am
Retreat Ends: Monday 20 March 2023 at 16:00pm
Retreat language
The retreat is conducted in Thai.
Translation into English and Chinese is provided.
Quota for Admission to Retreat
80 pax
Conditions for Registration
- Participants must be interested in learning the teachings of Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo.
- Participants must be physically and mentally healthy and be able to stay at the venue throughout the retreat.
- Participants must commit to full participation in the retreat and be able to participate in the retreat independently.
- Upon Registration acceptance, participants will need to join pre-retreat cultivation sessions for one month to listen to Dhamma discourses. Participants may lose their eligibility to participate in the retreat if he or she fails to join the pre-retreat cultivation sessions for a specified number of sessions.
- If the participant is regarded as no longer suitable to participate in the retreat by the instructor, the participant should accept the organizer’s decision without any objection.
Registration – Points to Note
Registration Opens: 1 January 2023 at 00:00am
Registration Ends: 7 January 2023 at 23:59pm
- A notice of acceptance will be issued via email or through social media chat groups such as WhatsApp or WeChat by the end of January 2023.
- The instructor reserves the final right to determine whether or not to accept a student.
- During the retreat, layman devotees will not be expected to comply with the eight precepts, but will be required to observe the five precepts.
- During the retreat, recordings of voice and video will be carried out as a form of Dhamma giving. Applicants will need to ensure that he or she is willing to appear on camera and be recorded before registering for this retreat.
- Because of prevailing conditions, the organizer does not accept non-applicants and will not entertain requests for services which are not part of the meditation retreat (for instance: arrangement for family members to stay at resort, arrangements for local tours etc.)
Retreat Venue
Mines Beach Resort, Kuala Lumpur
The resort is approximately 50 minutes away from KLIA1 & KLIA2. If needed, the organizer may arrange transport to and from the airport for overseas participants.
Food and Accommodation Fees
- Participants will need to pay for their food and accommodation.
- All teachings are given free of charge.
- Food and accommodation fees will be released when registration opens.
Main organizer
- Shi Ne Ling Monastery
The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the retreat. Should there be any dispute, Shi Ne Ling Monastery reserves the right to make the final decision.
Designated Contact Methods
If there are any retreat-related enquiries, please contact:
Email: shineling.retreat@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +6018-919 9096
WeChat ID: godhamma
Registration Form
Q & A
FAQ
Frequently Asked Question
It was because of the prevalence of COVID-19 that the organizers, after investigating a number of venues, chose this resort. The intention is to prevent infection of the lecturer, translators and participants which, in turn, may result in the subsequent transmission of COVID-19 to family members of all attending the retreat. This plan, which should ensure the lowest risk of infection, is to allow the participants to stay in single or twin bedrooms. Currently, no monastery can fulfill the need for the number of rooms required for the retreat. Hotels or resorts offer the best option.
During the retreat, there will be strict COVID-19 prevention measures imposed on participants before entering the retreat venue to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak. It is to prevent participants from bringing the virus to the retreat venue due to travelling in and out of the resort, (which may result in infection of the lecturer, translators or participants), that participants are required to stay at the resort throughout the retreat. Besides, if staying at home, there may be external distractions which could cause a participant’s mind to be disturbed. In order to reap the most benefit from the retreat, participants must stay at the resort throughout the retreat.
The retreat will focus on lectures which the lecturer will adapt to suit the participants’ spiritual level. There is no fixed method of teaching. All teachings are conducted in a manner that brings the greatest benefit to the participants.
Once the participant is accepted and payment has been made, the organizer will confirm the number of rooms and make payment for food and accommodation. If the participant cancel the retreat, refund is not allowed, Participants are also not allowed to transfer the registration to other people.
The pre-retreat cultivation sessions will be conducted online for 30 days, which will involve the participants listening to Dhamma discourses together every day. Apart from Saturday and Sunday at 10am, the weekday discourses will be conducted at 8pm. The attendance rate of participants should be 50% and above or else the organizer may cancel eligibility for the retreat. If you can’t attend on certain days, you may listen to the replay, but you will need to confirm that you have completed your listening session.
As the meals will be prepared by the resort, the food will include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. During the retreat, it is not compulsory for one to consume vegetarian food only.
During the retreat, the organizer requests that lay participants uphold the five precepts.
The teacher has agreed that staying within the same room is allowed. However, he also said that staying in separate rooms may bring greater benefit to meditation.
All participants will attend the classes together. The lecturer will teach in Thai, with the organizer providing every participant with a translation receiver, which participants may adjust to the respective channel to listen to the translation. To avoid infection, participants will need to provide their own earphones.
- On 15 March, participants will need to go through a quick COVID-19 screening test and then send the test results to the organizer.
- On 17 March during registration, all students will need to go through a COVID-19 screening test again, with those who tested positive needing to be quarantined.
- During the retreat, participants are required to wear a face mask at all times.
If the participant tests positive for COVID-19 few days before the retreat, and he or she is still infectious, the participant will need to cancel the retreat. Due to the resort’s policy restrictions, the participant will receive an accommodation voucher only and will not be able to receive a refund.
For participants testing positive for COVID-19 at the retreat venue, just before the retreat begins or during the retreat, he or she will need to be quarantined at the resort and attend the retreat online. He or she will not be allowed to attend the retreat and have meals with the other participants. Participants that have selected a twin bedroom will need to be transferred to a single bedroom for the duration of the quarantine. The additional expenditure related to quarantine, will need to be paid for by the participant.
If a participant needs to travel a long distance to the retreat venue, we suggest that they arrive at the resort earlier. The organizer can help the participant to arrange accommodation one day earlier, as well as breakfast for the following day. However, the participant will need to bear the costs. If the participant needs to extend his stay at the resort due to a later flight time, the organizer may help to arrange for the extension of stay by one day. The resort offers special room rates before and after the retreat, but participants will need to apply for such room rates through the organizer.
If you are Malaysian, we suggest you make your own transport arrangements. Currently, the transport service is only reserved for foreign students.
Yes you can. Please refer to the following information on entering Malaysia.
points to note when entering Malaysia
Points to Note When Entering Malaysia
The following answers are for reference only, for details please contact Malaysia embassy in respective countries.
To date, Malaysia is open to travellers visit, travellers do not need to provide covid-19 vaccination cert or covid-19 antigen screening test results.
Malaysia’s requirements for foreigners are as follows:
- Passport (valid for a minimum of 6 months)
- Visa (only for some countries) – this needs to be printed out and brought with you
- Proof of accommodation booking and payment details for the Malaysian hotel
- Proof of return (within 30-days) flight ticket booking details
- Prepare sufficient cash (daily expenses USD 100 or equivalent in other currencies) for inspection
Remarks: Please photocopy or take a photo of your visa, vaccination certificate and all documents related to travel. Please bring these along with you just in case you need them.
China, Hong Kong, North Korea, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, etc will need a visa to enter Malaysia.
China, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Citizens of the countries mentioned may go online to apply for an electronic visa.
*the website for application of the electronic visa is as follows: https://malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my/evisa/evisa.jsp?lang=zh&
(click “new application”)
Malaysia can issue a visa on arrival, but with many conditions. The visa on arrival is only for citizens of China and India and require them to enter Malaysia from Singapore or Thailand, which in turn require their own visas from the traveler. The Malaysian visa on arrival has limitations imposed on the port of entry and its price is relatively expensive. To avoid unexpected circumstances which may arise, we suggest that participants avoid applying for a visa on arrival. Please apply for a visa in your home country before coming to Malaysia.
- Passport photo with white background
- Passport valid for a minimum of 6 months
- Return flight ticket
- Some citizens of certain countries need to provide their birth certificate
- Accommodation booking details
- Other documents
For details please visit: https://malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my/evisa/FAQ/PDF/FAQ/Support/FAQ_en.pdf?version=3.1
*If you are applying for a visa through your embassy or travel agency, please check with them regarding the documents required.
The amount of processing time needed by embassies and travel agencies for a visa application may differ from country to country. We suggest you start applying for your visa once you have been accepted on the retreat. If you apply for an electronic visa, 2 to 4 working days are required. Please refer to your embassy, travel agency or electronic visa website to check and confirm these details.
The visa is valid for 3 months, with the number of days that travelers can stay in Malaysia differing from country to country. Travelers may stay in Malaysia for 14 to 30 days depending on the country they are from.
Upon entry, if the traveler is discovered to have a fever, the traveler will be transferred to the relevant health department for medical examination. If the traveler is suspected of having COVID-19, Monkey-pox, MERS or any other infectious diseases, the traveler may be transferred to a nearby medical facility for further examination and treatment.
If you discover you have COVID-19 upon arrival in Malaysia, you will need to undergo isolation via a Home Surveillance Order (HSO) for at least 7 days. On the 4th day of quarantine, if your RTK antigen test is negative, your quarantine period may end early. For details please visit https://mysafetravel.gov.my
In Malaysia, a face mask is not required in open areas and outdoors, but you must wear a face mask when taking public transport or visiting a clinic or hospitals. In order to protect yourself and others, we suggest you wear a face mask in crowded areas and enclosed spaces. During the entire retreat, participants are required to wear face mask at all times.
Malaysia electricity supplies use 220 voltage. The plug required is a three legged square plug. If you need to use a charger in Malaysia, please come prepared with your own conversion plug.