Note: Under "Other Centres" you can find meditation centres in the tradition of Venerable Ajarn Tong in Germany and worldwide.

Course Schedule

Below is some information for courses lasting several days with overnight accommodation. The following information is a basic guideline, deviations may sometimes occur according to the activities in the temple.

Arrivals and departures vary depending on the course, or are arranged individually at the time of registration.

During the stay, participants should endeavour to observe the eight Buddhist precepts of virtue:

1. I will abstain from killing.

2. I will abstain from appropriating what has not been given to me.

3. I will abstain from all sexual behaviour.

4. I will abstain from speaking falsehoods.

5. I will abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs.

6. I will abstain from eating after 12.00 noon (drinks and certain liquid dairy foods such as yoghurt, soya milk etc. are permitted in the afternoon).

7. I will abstain from dancing, singing, wearing jewellery or cosmetics, and distracting myself with entertainment.

8. I will abstain from sleeping on lush comfortable beds.

The time of the stay will be in Noble Silence. It is not allowed to use mobile phones.

Participants are individually supervised in the form of daily talks (report) in which, among other things, exercise instructions are given.

During the time of the stay, the focus is on formal meditation practice in order to take advantage of the opportunity to gain experience directly from the practice. Therefore, participants abstain from reading, even Buddhist literature, as part of the seventh rule of practice.

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There is a possibility that during the course meditators may be asked to participate in ceremonies taking place in the temple. These are typically ceremonies to mark a Buddhist holiday or the commemoration of the Most Venerable Ajarn Tong, the founder of our meditation tradition. Participation in such ceremonies is beneficial to our practice, in that we gain merit ourselves, share in the merit of the community, and offers us the opportunity to learn to maintain our mindfulness outside of formal meditation practice.

Each day begins at 4 am and ends at 10 pm. During this time, the meditation exercises, which are explained to one by the teacher, are performed continuously. Breakfast is at about 7:00 am and lunch is served at about 11:30 am. It is a practice rule for the monks and nuns to accept whatever food is given, which should also be followed by the meditators during the course. The food is mainly non-vegetarian Thai food. However, a vegetarian breakfast and lunch is always offered daily. Beverages include water, tea, Kaba and coffee. You will be informed about the exact daily schedule at the beginning of the introduction.

Women stay overnight together with other female meditators in the little house in the garden. Men stay overnight together with other male meditators in the meditation hall under the roof. Sometimes there are changes and meditators are asked to be flexible about where they sleep.

Please bring comfortable, preferably white or light coloured clothing. You also need to bring bed linen and towels. Meditation cushions are available in sufficient numbers. Meditation timers are also available, but should be brought along if available. You are welcome to bring white or bright flowers for the opening ceremony.

Liability

The Thailändische Buddhisten e.V. as well as the meditation teacher(s) and assistants do not accept any liability, unless it is a case of intent or gross negligence or injury to life, body or health through intentional or negligent breach of duty.

Participation in courses is always at the participant's own risk. The courses offered are not therapeutic events and do not replace professional care for mentally and physically ill persons. In the case of serious physical or mental illness, the consent of the doctor or therapist is required.

Who can participate?

No religious affiliation is necessary to practise Vipassana. The development of mindfulness and the gaining of insights from one's own experience are independent of age, religion or ideology. All interested people, with or without meditation experience, are cordially invited to participate.
 

What does participation cost?

Participation is on a donation basis. This corresponds to the Buddhist tradition of dana (= generosity, giving). However, the temple is dependent on voluntary donations to cover the running costs (incidental and maintenance costs, travel expenses, health insurance, etc.). In addition, voluntary contributions for the personal needs of the monks and nuns can be handed over. Dana is necessary to ensure the transmission of the teachings and the maintenance of places where meditation can be practised.
 

Further information & registration

by email: meditation.goetzenhain@gmail.com.

or by via one of the numbers listed on the page about the meditation evenings.

Kitchen support for our meditation courses

As part of our courses, we are always looking for help with catering for the meditators. This is possible in two ways:

• Staying for a few days with an overnight stay in the temple and taking over the cooking duties. Cooking includes preparing, serving and clearing up breakfast and lunch for the course participants. Recipes with the required quantities are provided for the preparation of the meals. You also receive support from the course participants, who can take on auxiliary activities such as cutting ingredients and helping with the washing up as part of their working meditation. Your free time, which will be about half of the day, can be used for personal meditation under the guidance of the respective course teacher. Such a stay is only possible for people who already have experience in the practice of our meditation tradition and have completed at least one meditation course lasting several days in one of our meditation centres.

• Bringing food on individual days, generally mainly for lunch. All that is required is an announcement with the date and type of food, as well as information about the number of portions and whether it is a vegetarian dish or not. Non-vegetarian dishes are also welcome, but this information is important for our planning, as experience has shown that the majority of meditators at our centre eat vegetarian food.

If you would like to provide support in one of the two ways described above or in any other way for one of the course periods announced above, please email us at meditation.goetzenhain@gmail.com. We look forward to any support.