*** COVID-19 advice. After emailing several of the main meditation centres in Southeast Asia, they have all said foreign meditators are not allowed for the time being. Check back later in 2021 ***
Here are meditation centres, mostly in Asia, for people interested in serious practice. The region has a lot of places to meditate in, so these are only the tip of the iceberg. There are entries regarding Sri Lanka and Myanmar generally, as well as the top entry which is a list of further places I haven’t been to yet.
Please get in touch for corrections or updates. May you be happy. All the best in your practice!
- List of further reputable places
- Rathmalkanda International Meditation Centre, Ella, Sri Lanka
- Panditarama Shwe Taung Gone Centre, Yangon, Myanmar
- The Mahasi Centre, Yangon, Myanmar
- Myanmar meditation visa
- Panditarama Hse Main Gon Forest Meditation Centre, Bago, Myanmar
- Overview of Sri Lanka monasteries
- Vajirarama Forest Solitude, Bowalawatta, Kandy, Sri Lanka
- Na Uyana Aranya Forest Monastery, Pansiyagama, Sri Lanka
- Nissarana Vanaya Forest Monastery, Mitirigala, Sri Lanka
- Siyane Vipassana Meditation Centre, Kanduboda, Sri Lanka
- Dhamma Rasmi, Vipassana International Association (Goenka) Centre, Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Sumathipala Meditation Centre, Kanduboda, Sri Lanka
- Panditarama Lumbini International Vipassana Meditation Centre, Lumbini, Nepal
- Devanapathis Meditation Centre, Pallekele, Sri Lanka
- Buddhist Hermitage Lunas, Penang, Malaysia
Also, while you’re here, check out the new blog for my upcoming book full of advice on how to do retreats.
Dāna (donations)
If you’ve found this information useful, please think about a donation. The following is for receiving Bitcoin. Any amount is very welcome, as it all helps me to keep travelling and visiting these places. Thank you.
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Hi Peter,
I wonder if you have any experience with or current info on Pa Auk Tawya Meditation Centre in Mawlamyine, Myanmar.
I am planning to go there for about 6 months this October or November and it would be nice to hear from someone who has been there about the conditions I have to expect. The weather, accomodation, how easy it is to settle in as a Westerner with some but not very profound monastic experience.
I’ve been also wondering how long the procedure might take after I send them my application to stay.
I would appreciate any info you might have
Thanks in advance
Lajos
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Hi Lajos, thanks for getting in touch! I haven’t been there so I don’t know much about it. I recall finding info about the place online where people wrote about their experiences there. Many people still call it Moulmein, so that might help you find more info on Google.
Application process shouldn’t take more than days, or a week or two. Especially if you let them know your intended travel dates.
All the best!
Peter
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Thank you, Peter!
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Hi Peter,
Thanks for all of the great information, it has been really useful for me. I’m considering traveling to India in a few months – do you have any experience with meditation there, or know of any good resources for this? I know that there are a lot of Vipassana retreats in the Goenka style in India, I am interested in those but mostly in other longer Vipassana retreats.
Thanks,
Dylan
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Hi Dylan. I’m afraid I don’t know much India. I hear Bodh Gaya has numerous places, and possibly also Sarnath. All the best!
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Hi!
I am wondering if you have any thoughts on meditation i Thailand, I notice there is no posts from there?
I am going for some months of Mahasi (only that I thinks work for me ) and planning on either Myanmar or Thailand.
Thank you so much for this compilation, really useful 🙂
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Hi Magnus. Sorry I don’t know much about options in Thailand. I hope to get there and check out some places.
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Is there a center you recommend for someone experienced with retreats in the West, but new to practice in Asia?
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Hi. I think this is best decided by yourself, based on the details in each listing. There are centres in, say Myanmar, which are strict and traditional. And there are places in Sri Lanka that are more laid-back. It’s possible that neither are accessible for now because of Covid travel limitations. There is also Chom Tong in Thailand, and Nilambe in Sri Lanka which seem popular with westerners in Asia. All the best!
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