Looking back
We would like to thank everyone who attended the meditation course and dedicated time and attention to him/herself. 29 people from 7 countries attended, of which 12 for the whole course. The staff at the Javorie center was terrific. Thanat and Kathryn moved onto the next course in Germany. We are very happy about this success of our first course in Slovakia :).
“This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the disappearance of pain & distress, for the attainment of the right method.” (Mahā Satipatthāna-sutta, English translation).
“Meditation can essentially rewire your brain.” (Dan Harris, 10% Happier)
May I come?
On this retreat of the Vipassana meditation, we welcome both beginners and those with prior meditation experience, irrespective of religion, gender or age (16+). Vipassana is a Buddhist contemplation method; however, one does not need to be Buddhist (or have knowledge of Buddhism) to fully benefit from the meditation; in fact most course participants are not. The number of participants is limited to 25, due to the individual approach of the course.
We recommend to go through the whole course to gain the full benefit. It is nevertheless possible to come for a shorter time (at least 3 days) as the course proceeds on individual basis.
Course
All participants are given detailed introduction into meditation at the beginning of the course.
The course is organized around directing attention inwards as much as possible. Participants sleep 6 hours a day (10pm–4am), breakfast is served at 7:00, lunch at 11:30. The rest of the time is dedicated to the practice with short breaks between “rounds” (walking+sitting meditation). The course is conducted in silence (and off-line). Whatever happens during the day can be discussed with the teacher at daily individual meetings; however, teachers are available 24/7 if needed.
Participants follow traditional 8 precepts which support meditation by eliminating distractions and make it easier to share space with others: no killing, stealing, sexual activities, lying, intoxicants, eating after lunch, entertainment (reading, writing, singing, music, phone, internet, …) & cosmetics, luxury.
Food is vegetarian; snacks are served in the evening (youghurt, fruit juice, piece of cheese). Water, teas and coffee is available all day round.
Participants can be contacted by their families in case of emergency through organizers.
Venue
The course takes place at the beautiful Javorie.com meditation center in central Slovakia near Zvolen, accessible from several international airports – Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest.
The course proper will start on Monday 31 in the morning (around 9am), so people traveling from further away should come on Sunday evening already. If you come by car, you come to Javorie directly (instructions here). Otherwise come by train or bus to Zvolen; then you take public bus (leaving at 14:45, 17:30 or 18:30, takes about 30 minutes) to the Slatinské Lazy, rázc. stop where we pick you up (10km); if the last bus is not suitable, we can pick you up in Zvolen as well (20km).
The course will finish on Sunday 13 in the morning and transport to the closest stop will be arranged.
Cost
Standard price for accommodation in individual cabins (shared bathrooms) and vegetarian food cost €330; out of this, €120 is deposit payable in advance by bank transfer and remaining €210 is to be paid by the beginning of the course (transfer/cash).
If the price tag is too high for you, contact us and we will offer your price you can afford.
It is possible to ask for higher-standard room with own bathroom which increases the price to 420€.
Teaching is on a donation basis (dāna), following the tradition that meditation should be accessible to anyone. There is also be an opportunity to express generosity by contributing to teacher’s flight tickets. Donations can be given in cash at the place.
What to bring
- loose comfortable white/light clothes (by tradition) or neutral colors, covering shoulders and knees;
- warm socks for inside;
- slippers;
- raincoat/umbrella for going between buildings if it rains;
- toiletries (toothpaste, shower gel, towel, …− the facility has its own sewage, bring bio-degradable products if possible);
- alarm clock, countdown timer (if you have one);
- optionally your favourite tea/coffee, cushion, cover;
- course fee (minus deposit) in cash, or send it in advance by bank transfer (https://vipassana.sk/en/bank/);
- cash for donation for teachers after the course (bank transfer will be also possible);
- any medication you take.
Teachers
Thanat Chindaporn started practising Vipassana in 1985, and has been teaching internationally since 1988. Under the guidance of Ajahn Tong, Thanat and his wife Kathryn founded the International Meditation Department in Chom Tong monastery in 2000 and he has been its director ever since. He speaks Thai and English.
Kathryn Chindaporn was born in Seattle, USA, started practicing in 1986 and has been teaching internationally since 1988. She was a lecturer at the Buddhist university in Chiang Mai and is a Thai-English interpreter.
Katarína Bírešová & Václav Šmilauer − see about us.
How to register
Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions before you make decision. The registration procedure is easy:
- Inform us about your intention to come.
- We confirm space availability.
- You transfer the deposit to our account.
- We confirm the reservation once the transfer completes.