3.5. Life In Patipatti Monasteries: The Willpower Institute

The Willpower Institute^[1], Thailand is offering a free Meditation Course that is suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced meditators. The course can be taken for personal development or in-depth study.

Learning Approach

The course focuses on Samatha^[2] meditation. Samatha is a Pali word that translates into English as calm abiding, which nicely describes both the technique and state of mind in this form of meditation. In terms of meditation technique, through focusing our attention in specific ways, we learn to stay present–in the moment–without engaging in whatever distractions our environment or mind may create for us. This is what is meant by abiding–we are present, but not engaged in the world around us or in us.

Over time, this practice creates calmness or tranquility in the mind. Samatha is the foundation of any good meditation practice, including Vipassana (insight meditation). We will discuss the theory and practice of

Vipassana, but we do not conduct Vipassana in our evening practice, as it takes some time to create a firm foundation of Samatha which is necessary for Vipassana practice.

The course runs for approximately 6 months from September to midFebruary (2017) depending upon the location. There will be two breaks during the course–one in November and one in December. The class meets 5 nights a week, for 2 hours each day or night depending upon the location. The first hour will be spent on the theory of meditation. It will use the textbooks written by Luangphor as the focus of the class, but there will also be time for questions and discussion. The second hour will consist of 30 minutes of walking meditation and 30 minutes of sitting meditation.

Course Format

The class will consist of lectures on the principles of meditation, practical application of the theory, discussion, and review sessions. Students taking the course to be certified are required to take an examination and will have an opportunity to do a meditation retreat.

Course Fees

The Willpower Institute, Thailand, is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote world peace through meditation. As a result, there is no tuition fee. There is a nominal textbook fee in order to cover printing costs. Students are not required to purchase the textbooks, but it is recommended if we are planning to become certified.

Purpose

Luangphor Viriyang’s purpose, Thailand, in creating this course is to help people to understand their meditation experiences by building a solid foundation through theory and practice. If enough people develop a consistent meditation practice, world conflict will be reduced. He says that the main goal of meditation is to accumulate mind power. With increased mind power, people can control their emotions, reduce violence and increase harmony in relationships.

Benefits

The benefits of a consistent and proper meditation practice are numerous. Scientific research and individual personal experiences have been proving this for many years now. A short list of some of the benefits meditators experience is as follows:

§ Increased mind power;
§ Decreased stress;
§ Enhanced peacefulness;
§ Happier and healthier lifestyle;
§ Improved physical, mental and emotional well-being;
§ Enhanced professional and academic performance

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The comprehensive Meditation Course has been developed by Phra Dhammamongkolyarn, Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo, Lord Abbot of Dhammamongkol Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Luangphor Viriyang is a Master Teacher of Meditation with over 80 years of experience. The course is taught in centers across Canada and the United States by Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo and/or his certified graduate students. The Master Teacher attends orientations, provides guest lectures and leads the examination process as well as meditation retreats.

[2]:

Bhavana: mental development; (1) Samatha-bhavana: tranquility development. (2) Vipassana bhavana: insight development. Dighanikaya, vol.iii,273.