Name of Center: Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Center (MBMC)

Address: 355, Jalan Mesjid Negeri, 11600 Penang, Malaysia

Phone Number: +604 - 282 2534

Website: http://mbmcpg.bravehost.com (please use MS Internet Explorer)

Contact Email: mbmcpg@yahoo.co.sg, or lindatoh2001@yahoo.com, or ahhuattan@gmail.com

Tradition(s): Theravada

Technique(s): Vipassana (Mahasi Sayadaw's noting techniques)

Teacher(s): Sayadaw U Thuzana

Cost: 20 Malaysian ringgit (about $7) per day is charged for 10 days after which a donation of any amount is welcome.

Accommodations: Retreatants get a shared dormitory room, shared bathrooms and showers.

Facilities: Two spacious and well ventilated meditation/walking halls, kitchen & dining hall. Two additional small temples are attached to the main complex. Accommodations are simple (no luxus) but they are comfortable enough not to cause any cultural shock.

Physical Setting: Located at the beautiful island of Penang (also known as the “Pearl of the Orient”). Penang has a year-round equatorial climate which is warm and sunny (min 22°C/71°F, max 30°C/86°F), along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the southwest monsoon from April to September.

The road near the MBMC can be quite noisy, though does not disturb meditation at all. The MBMC is embedded in a beautiful garden surrounded by various temples.

Food (Vegetarian/Vegan/etc.): They serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. Besides the great teacher and excellent vipassana techniques, the delicious home-made Malaysian food is a good reason to go there!.

Retreat Length(s): It is fairly flexible in terms of when you show up to begin a retreat there and when you leave.

Typical Schedule:

4:00 Wake-up
4:30 Walking Meditation
5:30 Sitting Meditation
6:30 Breakfast
7:00 Walking Meditation/Showering/Washing
8:00 Sitting Meditation
9:00 Walking Meditation
10:00 Sitting Meditation
11:00 Lunch
12:00 Walking Meditation/Showering/Washing
13:00 Sitting Meditation
14:00 Walking Meditation
15:00 Sitting Meditation
16:00 Walking Meditation
17:00 Sitting Meditation
18:00 Walking Meditation
19:00 Sitting Meditation
20:00 Walking Meditation
21:00 Sitting Meditation
21:30 Metta-Chanting
22:00 Lights off

Issues of Rites/Rituals: Bowing to the teacher and in the meditation halls is a rule. Metta-Chanting is done daily before going to bed.

Issues of Proper Dress: Preferable clothing would be loose cotton trousers and shirts / t-shirts - white top and bottom or white top and dark pants (Do own laundry).

Issues of Etiquette: Bowing to teachers and images is necessary

Issues of Language: Instructions and Dharma talks are imparted in English

Logistical Issues: In order to get there you have several options depending on your time and budget. From Kuala Lumpur you can :

• fly to Penang Interational airport and then get a taxi.
• travel by train up to Butterworth and then take a bus to Georgetown. In Georgetown you can access the MBMC by taxi.
• travel with a Bus directly to Penang and then get a taxi.

Strengths: The teacher is very accessible (almost any time, although interviews are given every two days). The teacher is extremely well versed in the practical and theoretical aspects of the pali canon. The techniques and guidance are given in pure Mahasi style.

Weaknesses: none found so far

Other Comments:

All yogis (retreat participants) must take the 8 precepts: Overall Impression: Simply excellent! Great teacher, great techniques, great food and very supportive community and facilities. If you are looking for the real stuff, come and see.

I have not been in any western-like vipassana retreat centers before, but I guess that the typical pitfalls of our way to (mis)understand Dharma have no space at the MBMC.

Worthy of recommendation on the Dharma Overground? Yes, I would recommend this center to other yogis. As a newbie in the Vipassana world, I must say that this experience was very important for me since I got to confirm that progress is possible if you follow the instructions with enough dedication and energy.

I must thank Daniel Ingram for the hint about this place. As he puts it:

"[MBMC] is by far my favorite retreat center in the world. I absolutely love this place: great food, great instruction, great technique, nice meditation halls, it is safe and clean, you can drink the water, basically no worries about malaria, very inexpensive, and they speak English, in short, one of the rarest shining gems in the meditation world, the perfect fusion of best of the East and the West, like Burma without the hassles."

I have not been to Burma, but I can only agree with Daniel in all other points.