April 2015 NEWSLETTER International Meditation Centre IN THE TRADITION OF SAYAGYI U BA KHIN TEACHERS Mother Sayamagyi: IMC United Kingdom IMC Australia (NSW) IMC Australia (WA) IMC Austria IMC USA U Khin Zaw: IMC Yangon (Myanmar)
COURSE SCHEDULE 2015 2016 Course dates are correct at the time of publishing this Newsletter. Please check www.internationalmeditationcentre.org for the most up-to-date schedule before applying for a course or making any travel arrangements. IMC United Kingdom Courses under the guidance of Mother Sayamagyi assisted by Mr Roger Bischoff: May 15 25, 2015 June 12 22, 2015 July 17 27, 2015 August 14 24, 2015 September 25 October 5, 2015 October 30 November 9, 2015 November 27 December 7, 2015 December 24 January 3, 2016 (note this course begins on Thursday) January 15 25, 2016 February 12 22, 2016 March 11 21, 2016 April 8 18, 2016 May 13 23, 2016 June 17 27, 2016 IMC Australia (NSW) July 3 13, 2015 Mr Michael Fraser September 25 October 5, 2015 Mr Richard Walsh November 27 December 7, 2015 Dr Mark Peterson January 15 25, 2016 Mr Michael Fraser April 8 18, 2016 Mr Richard Walsh
COURSE SCHEDULE 2015 2016 continued IMC Australia (WA) April 17 27, 2015 Mr Douglas Solomon August 14 24, 2015 Mr Douglas Solomon November 27 December 7, 2015 Mr Gregory Solomon April 22 May 2, 2016 Mr Douglas Solomon August 12 22, 2016 Mr Douglas Solomon November 25 December 5, 2016 Mr Gregory Solomon IMC Austria July 10 20, 2015 Mr Franz Zelsacher August 14 24, 2015 Mr Renzo Fedele October 23 November 2, 2015 Mr Hubert Knaus IMC USA May 1 11, 2015 Mr Michael Kosman June 12 22, 2015 Mr Craig Storti August 14 24, 2015 Mr Michael Kosman October 9 19, 2015 Mr Craig Storti December 11 21, 2015 Mr Craig Storti Germany Weekend Courses: May 14 17, 2015 Mr Horst Jughard October 2 4, 2015 Mr Horst Jughard
COURSE SCHEDULE 2015 2016 continued Italy August 14 24, 2015 Mr Renzo Fedele (at IMC Austria) Japan April 25 May 5, 2015 Mr James Emery August 7 17, 2015 Mr James Emery (at Aomori) Weekend Courses: July 18 20, 2015 Mr James Emery October 30 November 1, 2015 Mr James Emery February 12 14, 2016 Mr James Emery Moldova September 4 14, 2015 Mr Roger Bischoff Netherlands February 5 15, 2016 Mr Matthijs Schouten Switzerland March 24 April 3, 2016 Mr Eugen Jung Weekend Course: August 28 30, 2015 Mr Eugen Jung Ukraine April 24 May 4, 2015 Mr Roger Bischoff
SPECIAL DAYS 2015 2016 April 13-16, 2015 April 17, 2015 May 2, 2015 June 1, 2015 July 31, 2015 October 12, 2015 October 28, 2015 Water Festival Burmese New Year Buddha Day (Full Moon of Kason) Mahāsamāya Day Dhammacakka Day (Full Moon of Waso) Anniversary of the Teachers arrival in the West Abhidhamma Day (Full Moon of Thadingyut) November 26, 2015 Festival of Lights (Full Moon of Tasaung Mon) December 27, 2015 Saya Thetgyi s Demise Day January 19, 2016 Sayagyi U Ba Khin s Demise Day
Mahā-Kassapa is Offered Cakes On one occasion, the Teacher was entering Rājagaha on his alms round accompanied by the eighty chief disciples and five hundred monks. A group of five hundred young men came out of the city on their way to a pleasure garden carrying baskets of cakes. They saluted the Teacher and continued on their way without inviting even one monk to have any cake. After they left, the Teacher asked the monks, Would you like to eat some cake? Reverend Sir, they said, where are there any cakes? Did you not see the young men with baskets of cakes? the Teacher asked. Reverend Sir, the monks replied, young men like that never give cakes to anyone. Monks, those young men did not invite us to share their cakes, but the monk who is the owner of the cakes is behind you. You must eat some cake before we go on. The Buddha held no feelings of ill will or hatred towards anyone. That is why the Teacher spoke as he did. So they all sat down at the foot of a tree in the shade. The young men then saw Elder Mahā-Kassapa coming at the rear of the group of monks. They immediately took a liking to him, their bodies being filled with a feeling of pleasure at the sight of the elder. They put down the basket of cakes, paid their respects to the elder and said, Have some cake, Reverend Sir. But the elder said to the boys, My Teacher, the Exalted One, is resting under that tree over there accompanied by a group of monks. Go and offer your cakes to him and those monks. Very well, Reverend Sir, the young men replied, and turning around, they went back with the elder, gave cakes [to the Buddha and the monks] and stood to one side, watching respectfully. When the food was finished, they gave water.
The monks were offended and said, These young men showed favouritism in giving alms. When they saw Elder Mahā-Kassapa they offered him cakes, but not to the Perfectly Awakened One or the chief disciples [when they first saw them]. When he heard them, the Teacher said, Monks, a monk like my son Mahā-Kassapa is dear to both devas and men. They delight in honouring such a man with the four requisites. And he spoke the following stanza: Sīladassanasampanna dhamma ha saccavādina Attano kamma kubbāna ta jano kurute piya. One who has virtue and insight, is firm in the Teachings, speaking the truth, doing his own tasks, him people hold dear. Dhammapada 217 At the end of the discourse the five hundred young men attained Stream Entry, (Sotapatti Fruition). The story is adapted from E.W. Burlingame s translation of the Dhammapada commentary, Buddhist Legends III 90 91. The translation of the verse is adapted from K.R. Norman s translation of the Dhammapada, The Word of the Doctrine (Pali Text Society, 1997).
I n t e r n a t i o n a l M e d i t a t i o n C e n t r e IN THE TRADITION OF SAYAGYI U BA KHIN To locate websites for all countries, see www.internationalmeditationcentre.org IMC UK IMC NSW IMC WA IMC Austria IMC USA Canada Germany Italy Japan Moldova Netherlands Belgium Singapore Switzerland Splatts House, Heddington, Calne, SN11 0PE, UK T: +44 1380 850 238 E: imcuk@internationalmeditationcentre.org PO Box 3059, Bonnells Bay, NSW 2264, Australia T: +61 2 4970 5433, F: +61 2 4970 5749, E: 10days@imcnsw.com 1525 Jacoby Street, Mundaring, WA 6073, Australia T: +61 8 9295 2644, F: +61 8 9295 3435, E: imcperth@iinet.net.au St Michael 6, 9130 Poggersdorf, Austria T: +43 4224 2820, F: +43 4224 2820 32, E: mail@imc-austria.com 4920 Rose Drive, Westminster MD 21158, USA T: +1 410 346 7889, E: imc@ubakhin.org IMC Canada, 4 Old York Crescent, Kitchener, Ontario, N2B 3G3 T: +1 519 896 0533, E: pattip.lp@gmail.com Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, In der Wann 39, 35037 Marburg T: +49 6421 34 660, E: h.jughard@web.de Mr Renzo Fedele, Via Euganea 94, 35033 Bresseo PD T: +39 049 9900 752, E: renzo1fed@yahoo.it Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, 2-2-22 Minato-Machi #209, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City 556-0017 T/F: +81 6 6649 2105, E: emery@waltz.plala.or.jp For information in English: see IMC UK For information in Russian: see www.imc-ua.org Sayagyi U Ba Khin Stichting, Centrumlaan 10, 6869 VE Heveadorp T: +31 26 33 32 554, E: secretaris@ubakhin.net Address/Email as for Netherlands T/F: +32 2 351 4559 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Association, 522 East Coast Road, #12-03 Ocean Park, Singapore 458966 T: +65 66693608, E: limsongteng@gmail.com Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, c/o Eugen Jung, Abendstrasse 30/119, 3018 Bern T: +41 31 991 6141, E: eugen.jung@hispeed.ch Ukraine Mr Oleksandr Nosov, Glushkova ave, h. 45, app. 37, Kiev 03187 T: +380 63 154 2077, E: alexandre8n@gmail.com USA (West Coast) Mr Joe McCormack, 23 Via Capistrano, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA T: +1 415 789 0153, F: +1 415 789 0193, E: mccormack23@comcast.net Published by the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, United Kingdom, address as IMC UK above. Registered charity 280134