Thailand Meditation Retreat News

Meditating in Thailand is a wonderful experience at Karuna Meditation Center in Phuket, Thailand.

We are into the third month of our summer rains retreat. Some 30 different westerners have shared in parts of the experience with about 10 attending the entire 90-day retreat. The teachings have never been more succinct and focused towards the pacification of our own harmful emotions. With these emotional states becoming more pacified, there is a fertile space for concentration and the dawning of our own natural wisdom. The result is a flourishing of happiness, joy and contentment among the retreatants – just as taught by the Buddha.

We feel a little like the monks of the Buddha’s time – shining countenances beaming with joy, happy in contentment, deeply peaceful, magnetized & energized – and dedicated to the investigation of our individual being. It is said that meditation should be the best part of your day – when you are confident in the straightforward, logical path to complete happiness & peace and are actively practicing the path. We all have ups and downs, but the swings seem to be less prominent - less prevalent in the foreground of experience, being subsumed by a deeper sense of peace and relief and the resultant quiet joy.

The energy of the meditation hall seems infectious. We have numerous daily drop-in guests as well as meditators who stay for a few nights. Of this latter group, almost everybody ends up spending an extra day or two with us. “It is so peaceful, here…” was the comment of one of our guests just today. He, too, has elected to extend his stay for a couple of days.

In a sense, our retreat never ends, as we continue focusing on the calming aspects of shamatha/calm abiding or concentration meditation in union with investigation of the four bases of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind and mental objects. We work with only one of these bases each month and this allows for deeper understanding of the base as well as fosters a deeper concentrative ability.

All of this is transpiring under the roof of our new retreat center. We have purchased a house in Nakatani Village, just south of Kamala, at the base of the big Kamala hill. The center is inspiring, as it is modern & spacious yet cozy & tranquil. We offer daily yoga instruction, swimming in the pool, walks on a private beach, meandering through the hilltop forest, all opportunities for becoming centered and still – even while in movement. Plus, KMC center guests enjoy full aircon throughout the facility.

We have extra cushions, space to sit, private and shared options for overnight stays and delicious vegetarian food twice a day with a snack in the evening. Join us for a coffee, some meditation, our teachings, a yoga class, or a stroll in the woods. We offer something for all who are interested in the inner wealth that is available to each of us in every moment.

Join us at your earliest convenience.

Here are some responses from recent retreatants:

“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.”