When the body posture is well refined, it has a great effect on the mind.  Conversely, when the body is not elevated and not refined, when the body is slouched over, the effect on the mind is great.  We’ve discussed at length what the conditioning effect on the breath is, when the body is in those slumped-over positions.  When the body is slumped over, the breath becomes shallow.  The shallow breath then conditions the mind and the emotions to produce states of agitation, anxiety, it could even be depression.  But mostly, short, shallow breaths are associated with the mental affliction of irritation.

Seven Factors of Awakening:

The Buddha actually gave these instructions about the Seven Factors of Awakening a few months before he died.  He realized he would be dying soon, so he gathered his closest disciples around and this was part of the last instructions that he delivered.  They were based on his own deep experiences.  He said, ‘Let me give you some instructions about what it is that you’re going to need in order to stop suffering.  You’ll need these seven things.’  You notice that these instructions are all about the best way to practice meditation.  He didn’t give a philosophical lecture.  That’s what I want you to hear more than anything else in this narrative, that what the Buddha offered as his most precious advice, given when on the point of his death, was seven experienceable qualities that are most important for realization, not a deep philosophical treatise, as you might expect.  It’s those Seven Factors of Awakening that we’re practicing here.

The environment in the center is expressly set up around creating a relaxed, conducive atmosphere to meditation and quieting the mind. The daily schedule has plenty of meditation time as well as breaks that allow meditators to not feel so pent-up; one can go to the beach, get a massage, or just sit quietly and comtemplate the teachings during the three-hour afternoon break. Meals are healthy, light yet satisfying, and suited to western tastes and include the flavors of Thailand.

In the three months of retreat, practitioners will explore extensively the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as given in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta:

• Mindfulness of Body (kaya)
• Mindfulness of Feelings (vedana)
• Mindfulness of Mind (citta)
• Mindfulness of Objects of Mind (dhammas)

Meditations will follow the Mahasatipatthana and Anapanasati Suttas, and the final month will be specially devoted to the last two foundations (mind and objects of mind) by way of study and practice of Mahamudra as presented in the classic text, The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, by the Ninth Karmapa.

The length of retreat is a perfect amount of time, as many practitioners find that it takes some time, more than just a few days, to settle their minds and bodies into retreat, and the order of meditations is suitable to this. By the last month of retreat, the mind and body is sufficiently calmed and focused to be able to look deeply during meditation.

Although attending the entirety of the retreat is highly recommended, we understand that, due to practical constraints, some students may not be able to come for the whole retreat. If you are interested and would like to come for part of the retreat, contact us and we can discuss and make arrangements.

Even if you are unable to make this particular organized retreat, the center is open to retreatants wanting to come to practice for any amount of time the rest of the year. We have found meditation in Thailand to be a particularly good experience for practitioners who want to  come and practice in a Buddhist country but with English-speaking teachers.

Now as you progress more and more subtly in this practice of Anapanasati, you become aware of how the breath is conditioning the body, conditioning the feelings.  That’s the first point.  You begin to notice how the different types of breath condition the body and the feelings in different ways.  With the long breath, the body will be very relaxed and at peace.  With the short breath, there will be a lot of emotions – it’s the type of breath that you have when you’re angry or when you have anxiety or depression.  So you learn to take long breaths because this type of breath condition the body, condition the feelings, in a soothing, relaxed manner.

Tonglen:

Tonglen, or taking and sending practice, is done to work on our own minds, our own concepts of suffering, our own concepts of compassion, our own concepts of loving kindness.  It works on our understandings of karmic projections.  It works on our understanding of emptiness.  It works on our pride and other mental afflictions.  Truly, when it is understood, it is a full and complete practice of Buddhism.  Really, it represents everything.

“It is a matter of training the mind.  The whole process of these contemplations is a mind training in and of itself.  You’re training the mind to think positively.  And the reason why you do that is because the whole point of Buddhism is to extinguish suffering, to extinguish dukkha.  And that can only be done through the mind.”

On contemplating the precious human birth:

“The practice is what changes your view and your outlook.  It’s very difficult to maintain any kind of negative feeling if you’re doing this practice of the Precious Human Birth, because you’re constantly celebrating the simple fact of your own existence and the existence of others.  This also carries over into your relationships with others, and it becomes very, very difficult to have negative feelings about anything or anyone, no matter what you’ve been through.  It’s a simple practice, but very powerful in its effects.”

On their days off and national holidays, Buddhist Thais often go to their local wat to make offerings and say prayers. From talking to them, they see this as something they genuinely enjoy doing, rather than seeing it as a cultural responsibility. They also really appreciate foreigners taking an interest in their religion and are very happy to see foreigners curious about and taking care to observe temple etiquette when visiting these sites, such as wearing modest dress (long pants and at least a short-sleeve shirt for men, long pants or skirts and tops that cover the shoulders for women) and removing shoes before entering a holy area (it’s easy to spot where to take them off, just look for where all the shoes are lined up at the entrance to a spot; often there are signs in English as well).

Wat Chalong

By far the most visited Buddhist site on the Island is Wat Chalong , located between Phuket Town and Chalong. The grounds are fairly large with several buildings worth going into.

One building contains statues of the founding monks of the wat , two of whom were well-known healers (one a herbalist, the other a bone-setter) and were key in negotiating a settlement in an 1870’s Chinese miners uprising.

Another building here is a tall tower adorned inside with colorful murals in the Thai style depicting stories of the Buddha. Continue to the top and you will see a enshrinement of what is said to be a bone shard of the Buddha as well as other relics. The view of the island from this point is very nice as well, with a view of Buddha Mountain (more on that later).

It is on the standard tourist route, so it can be fairly busy; the best times to go are before 10 or in the late afternoon, when you can tag on a trip to Phromthep Cape for and unforgettable sunset.

"Phuket’s Big Buddha Statue"

Six years and 60 million Baht (about US$2 million) so far in the making, the Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri, as it is officially called, will be an impressive monument on the island at about 45m tall sitting atop a hill whose view spans the island.

The project is expected to be completed in 2009, but visitors are welcome now to watch construction on this large undertaking.

Wat Pra Tong

This temple houses the mysterious half-buried Buddha statue that, depending on who is telling the story, either sprung up out of the ground and confounds those who try to dig it up, or was buried in silt as a result of the change of course of a nearby canal.

Wat Phranang Saeng

This is the oldest temple on Phuket, built more than 540 years ago, and home to some historically significant statues.

Other Temples Around the Island

All-in-all, there are 29 wats on Phuket Island, each with its own story and character. I’d encourage you to stop by the local wat wherever you are staying to find out what you might discover. Make an offering, circumambulate a stupa, or just sit and feel Thailand. Meditation can be found anywhere.

“This year’s retreat was so great! Genla’s [Michael's] instructions were developmental so that you could clearly understand each step. The meditation sessions were so valuable with his … instructions. The opportunity to walk on the beach was also a meditation. The neighbors neaby the center were warm and friendly. If you are seeking a place to more thoroughly explore mindfulness, this is the place!” - Shirley

“A life-changing experience for which I am profoundly grateful. I had expected it to be much more difficult…but to my surprise I relished the silence and the practices. Genla’s teachings are so understandable - I get it! But now I have to practice.”

“I had a great rereat experience. The teachings were awesome, the community was supportive, and the chance to quiet down and do some real “looking” into the mind’s nature has been motivational for my continuing dharma practice.”

“[The] environment was very conducive to practice. Not many outer distractions, and [I] felt very safe and welcome in town. It was obvious that a lot of effort and thought was put into the entire retreat in general, and into the teaching in particular. Truly an experience of a lifetime, a gem whose value cannot be measured.”

Anapanasati Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 118) Mindfulness of Breathing. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikku.

Satipatthana Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 10) Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Translated by Thanissaro Bhikku.

The Heart Sutra. This is a translation done specifically for the Summit Dharma Center.

The Heart Sutra

Thus I have heard. Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagriha at Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a great gathering of the sangha of monks and a great gathering of the sangha of bodhisattvas.

At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called “profound illumination.” And at the same time noble Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while practicing the profound prajñaparamita, saw in this way: he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Sariputra said to noble Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes to practice the profound prajñaparamita?”

Addressed in this way, noble Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Sariputra, “O Sariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajñaparamita should see in this way: seeing the five skandhas to be empty of nature.

“Form is empty; emptiness is also form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness.

“In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are empty.

“Thus, Sariputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no characteristics.

“There is no birth and no cessation. There is no impurity and no purity. There is no decrease and no increase.

“Therefore, Sariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness;

“No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind;

“No appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas;

“No eye dhatu up to no mind dhatu, no dhatu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhatu;

“No ignorance and no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death;

“No suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no nonattainment.

“Therefore, Sariputra, since the bodhisattvas have no attainment, they abide by means of prajñaparamita. Since there is no obscuration of mind, there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvana. All the buddhas of the three times, by means of prajñaparamita, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete enlightenment.

“Therefore, the great mantra of prajñaparamita, the mantra of great insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering should be known as truth, since there is no deception. The prajñaparamita mantra is said in this way:

“Tadya ta, ga-te ga-te, para ga-te,

para sang ga-te, bodhi so ha.

“Thus, Sariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajñaparamita.”

Then the Blessed One arose from that samadhi and praised noble Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying, “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family, thus it is.

“One should practice the profound prajñaparamita just as you have taught and all the tathagatas will rejoice.”

When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Sariputra and noble Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

Rainbow Around the Sun.

This was a wonderful sight to see in the middle of a silent retreat.

In Sesssion

Meditators during one of the daytime sessions.

One of the many flowers outside of the center’s building.

Meditators pose for a group photo after it’s all done.