If you want to go from being “concerned about how to be emotionally balanced and clear-minded in the face of Covid 19, the economic downturn and even survival issues” to “being empowered, knowing exactly
what you can do to sustain and protect yourself”
Insight Meditation is a great option for you.
It can help you take a long, clear look at your situation while remaining balanced and energized.
You’ll quickly understand how this practice is unlike other forms of meditation that you may have heard about.
It’s a completely different approach from meditation practices that aim for intensive concentration and that also tend to be reclusive and austere.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about and practise Insight Meditation at the House of Dhamma website. You can dip into the talks, quotes, stories and meditation instructions online for free.
In general, on-site courses are one or two days long, quiet but not silent, in an air-conditioned room and if you prefer it, you can even sit on a chair.
If you can breathe, stand, walk, sit and lie down, you can do it!
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Virtually everyone has been affected in some way by the Covid 19 pandemic. Many people are confined to home, officially or voluntarily. Many have lost their jobs, have very limited income
or are in isolation.
Over the next few months, you can find on this website, articles, talks and suggested activities to make positive use of your restricted circumstances.
The articles and activities posted here are free and are offered to give you options to find greater peace of mind.
They reflect attitudes and understandings that over the past 2,500 years have helped countless people find inner peace.
If you wish to go deeper into the practice, you can join a session at the House of Dhamma in Bangkok or contact a Buddhist centre or group near you. Group sessions at the House of Dhamma are happening again now.
Being in isolation may make people feel bored, lonely and anxious.
Although the activities that will be posted here are not intended to be 'therapy',
they can often facilitate greater interest in your immediate environment and promote
a more positive attitude in those who practice them.
The aim is not to opt out of your experience but to get to know it more clearly, to learn from it,
and to learn about yourself through it. That process can lead to greater confidence and calmness.
The activities and games shared here were developed over about 50 years of Insight meditation teaching, mostly in the English language, to groups of people who had limited knowledge of Buddhist culture or metaphysics.
These mindfulness activities are suitable for children (over 10) and the young in heart.
Insight meditation is also referred to as 'Vipassana'. Many wonderful and inspiring teachers have shared this practice with monks and lay Buddhists.
The way of teaching that these mindfulness activities prepare you for - is the one originally taught by Ven. Mahasri Sayadaw of Myanmar (Burma). His teaching, in turn, was based upon the instructions found in the Mahasatipattana Sutta (the Great Mindfulness discourse). It is usually taught by Buddhist monks in monastic situations. In general, Insight meditation is more appropriate for adults.
Playful activities to help you tune into magic moments.
The playful activities posted here may help you tune in to something magical. In addition, you will find inspirational quotes from Zen masters, stories and detailed instructions for practice too.
Most of the activities and games in this series are very simple but they facilitate the arising of new understandings and attitudes through first-hand experience. If you wish to get philosophical afterwards, the experience brought to you through each activity enlivens the ancient texts and the instructions for meditation.
Feedback and enhancing communication
If you are in a group when doing the activities, it can open communication channels
and allow you to enjoy the process of discovery in light-hearted ways.
After each activity, if you can share or discuss what you discovered with another person
(or people), understanding will improve naturally and almost without effort.
If you are currently in quarantine or doing social distancing, this might not be possible.
If that is the case, make short notes immediately after you have completed the activity.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling, just make quick notes of everything you remember.
You can go over your notes later and add details.
When the health crisis is over, you can use these notes to share feedback with others
practising in similar ways or to give feedback to your meditation teacher.
Enjoy!
Acharn Helen Jandamit
Since the mid 1970s, Acharn Helen has held classes, courses, lecture series and intensive retreats in Thailand, Austria, Australia and the USA. In 2002, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Acharn Helen was honoured as the Foremost Western Woman Meditation Master in South-east Asia.
For links to the main site, click here
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