Myanmar

WIFI?!!                                                             

Yes Yes, first the WIFI question? 

NO there was no WiFi Sweet Cookies, but “YES” all foreign people are aloud to have there mobilephones. FYI: Most of the Nuns & Monks are online in here aswell (^^,) 

Lucky I bought A Birmese simcard with a 7000 MB’s?! Overrated, but the Hostel took care of that. Just did some small talk, not wanted to use social media unless to add my new friends. 

(Please switch your phone off in the meditation hall Ladies?)

WHY MYANMAR?                                          

So if you would ask me why are you going all the way to Myanmar if you can do a meditation retreat here in Belgium or even in The Netherlands?

I know!! I had this question like billion times a day myself in scenario’s like:

• After a 2 hours walk in 40celsius coming to the conclusion: this Chinatown doesn’t have a 7/11 – Starbucks – Coffeebars or normal supermarket and worse NO good chineze food? 
• Or after buying a mosquito net, realising there is nothing on the Walls to attach. (Not to mention that there was NO running water for shower/toilet)

• Or after another survival move during the hottest of day if Fresh drinking water is arrived because the mini shop/markt is also closed… this feels to be lost in a desert…
• Or again after falling asleep during meditation… 
• And I can keep going on for hours…

WHY MYANMAR?              

If you would ask me why going all the way to Myanmar if you can do a meditation retreat in The Netherlands or Belgium? 

I had this question like a billions times every day myself in the worst case scenario’s like:

• After a 2 hours walk in 40celsius coming to the conclusion: this Chinatown doesn’t have a 7/11 – Starbucks – Coffeebars or normal supermarket and worse NO good chineze food? 
• Or after buying a mosquito net, realising there is nothing on the walls to attach. Not to meantion there was no running water for toilet/shower etc.

• Or after another survival move during the hottest of day if fresh drinking water has delivered beacause the mini shop/markt is also closed… so this is how it feels when being lost in the desert… 
• Or again after falling asleep during meditation… 

Hmmmm… And I go on for hours…

THIS IS WHY:

Because why in Belgium or The Netherlands if you can go on a adventure and be in the country where Buddism is like Christmass for most of the people and ok, next to a good excuse to explore more of Asia.

With the more of these crazy scenario’s I get on daily-base, the more blessing I find in the most simple things of life. Fully embracing all that comes my way. (Honestly… Sometimes it’s more a hard practice and sometimes it’s more naturel)

I’m also a human being and learning till my last breath.

Still smiling after 8hours full horror bustier with the overdosis wind&cold in the bus. From that overrating aircobuddy with his amount freezingness you could really let the northpole grow again #ecologicalthinking #safetheplanet. And then during the busstop break you went outside and BOOM mother nature smashes you in your face with  the hammer of Thor… From northpole freezing to amazone heatness!

BACK TO THE STORY:

Nepal 10day retreat versus Myanmar 10day retreat. (From my own experiences)

NEPAL

I was there for a N.Goenka Vipassana retreat. That means 10 hours a day meditation, strict Noble silence and accomodation with faculities which are very primitive. You will learn just 2 meditation techniques and the guidance is very little. Elektricity only on few times a day. It is in a sort of Monestry but it is only for people who do the retreat. No monks or nuns.

For newby’s this can be very intens, and 30% of attandends will stop before day 3. Be aware that mental issues can arise if you go home like this.

MYANMAR

This was in the Pa Auk Monestry, a big monestry that can hold 1500 Nuns & Monks a day. All because of the Sayadaw Pa Auk who is de founder of all this.

Located on a mountain in a forest with a Lowest, Middle and Upper region special for Nuns, Monks separated. Not many foreign people come here, foreign Nuns and Monks do but not many backpackers or youngsters who want to try something fresh and new.

Every day meditating for the whole year and not a special program for 10day retreat. You just come and go. Because of the amount of Nuns and Monks there is a good vibe to meditate.

Accomodations are from very basic till upperclass for the ones who live there for more then 1year. Food is a big happening since you can only eat on a base of donation so there’s a Village who faccilitates this. Where I stayed it was a real happening with going an coming of working people and food.

It is still Noble silence, but you can talk if you need, but since no one really speaks English just forget about it anyway. Ok, I was lucky to met my dhamma sista’s and it was really hard to have Noble silence with this lovely Ladies. But for the last three days I did tried, sort of… not that the outcome did work as I had hoped ?? 

This retreat is more for the adults, figurely speaken. Because in here they know you will not play with your Phone, secretly listen to music and dance or sing. Yes peeps, it is written in the rules??‍♀️They trust you can handle this type of freedom.

Guess smiling is always ok, everyone smiles back or they just looks afraid as if A Birmees woman with nose piercing, dreads and big tattoo’s smiled at the them. 

Also in the rules, not lying, stealing and commit misplaced sexual behaviour… Normal Buddism stuff, I can live with that for these 10days!

To be excaxt, some one told me that  this retreat will do the best with a minimal of 40 days to really learn the basic techniques and level this up on your personal experience. Then you can practice, practice and practice to upgrade all kind of magical things that come with the different techniques.

So was it all worth it?!  Without a doubt YES more then I could ever expected. 

Did I found what I was looking for? One thing I will tell you about, that it was already inside of me. As everything is already inside of our hearts, universal knowledge and universal wisdom. As all knowledge and truth are in our hearts and soul.. I just searched for a way to get my memory back because I was a little off track, which can happen easy in this modern society. 

Stressing about crazy modern issues… to much addicted to social media, give to much or less energy to people or things…  now getting back on my creative side… like drawing, painting… writing my poems. When I get back in the Netherlands heading directly back to my bad@ss hobby’s such as skateboarding, surfing and playing on the Guitar.

So please #dont let life live you# with modern technologie or our modern society… Search for your own hobby… work with your hands… work with your HEART! Please meditate more often and the world around you will suddenly be a better place then it was yesterday… more peaceful… time to quite your mind.

That is the Spirit, that was one of the beautiful poems I was looking for?

Blessed to have meet some really beautiful souls on my spiritual path that have give me the insights I never could even have imagined.

?May all beings be happy and life free✨