“Seven Awakening-factors and Supportive Conditions for them.”

A Vipassana retreat with U Hla Myint 

Palolo Zen Center, Honolulu, HI

April 5 - 13, 2019

The style of this retreat is to practice vipassana by fulfilling the supportive conditions for seven awakening-factors such as mindfulness, according to the commentary on Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.

For Mindfulness, the supportive conditions are to observe one object after another constantly, not only during sitting practice but at all other times as well. Vipassana practice is all about continuous mindfulness.

For Investigation of Dhamma, the supportive conditions are to contemplate first, the body in terms of four primary elements, second, feeling in terms of happy or unhappy feelings, third, consciousness in terms of thoughts, and fourth, dhamma in terms of sensory reactions to sights, sounds, and so on.

For Effort in Dhamma, the supportive conditions are to contemplate the facts that one is liable to be reborn in woeful states unless one becomes sotāpanna, that the vipassana is the most important in life since it is most beneficial, that the vipassana is the path the Buddha discovered by undertaking painful sacrifices, and that the vipassana is the path great disciples like Sāriputta walked on, and the vipassana is the great heritage passed down from the Buddha.

For Delight in Dhamma, the supportive conditions are to recollect qualities of the Buddha, dhamma, sangha, one’s morality, one’s generosity, one’s merit that ensures heavenly rebirth.

For Calmness, the supportive conditions are to have suitable food, suitable weather, comfortable posture, and balanced mentality by accepting kamma as one’s own.

For Concentration, the supportive conditions are to take care of one’s personal hygiene, to keep balance of mental faculties, to practice samatha as required, for example, meditation on 32 anatomical parts to overcome lust, and metta to overcome hatred, and so on, and to develop certain awakening factors as required by the conditions.

For Equanimity, the supportive conditions are to be not overly concerned about people and things around, and just to be mindful of emotions as they are without entertaining or suppressing them.

U Hla Myint trained from a young age in the Burmese monastic tradition, becoming an accomplished scholar and a meditation teacher before leaving the monastic life to be a husband and raise two children, now in their teens and twenties. His delightful, unassuming personality makes U Hla Myint's presentation of the Theravada Buddhist teachings very practical and accessible, while at the same time students benefit from his deep mastery of both scholarship and practice.

During his 22 years of monastic training, U Hla Myint earned many degrees in Buddhist Studies and Pāli language, including the Ph.D. level Abhivaṃsa degree, and he became an assistant meditation instructor at Mahasi Meditation Center in Burma. After leaving the monastic life, U Hla Myint continued to be a close disciple, translator and teaching assistant of the late Sayadaw U Pandita. Under the sponsorship of Tathāgata Meditation Center (TMC), San Jose, California, he has translated numerous Burmese dhamma books and has authored many books such as Meditation Lectures, Conditional Relations in Daily Life, Pali Language Lessons for English readers, Great Observing Power, Abhidhamma for Meditators and others. Since 2000, he has also taught the Theravada Tradition to the students of Buddhist Studies Program in Bodh Gaya, India organized by Antioch College and Carleton College, Ohio, USA.

Dana for the teacher is highly recommended. In Pali, the traditional language of the Buddha’s teachings, dana means “generosity.” It is the very heart of the culture that has carried the Buddha’s teachings over the centuries and is the foundation of our organizational ethics.

In accordance with tradition, all Vipassana Hawai’i teachers offer their teachings free of charge and are supported through the freely-offered generosity of students and supporters. Costs associated with retreats cover the expenses associated with food, lodging, and administration but not teacher time, training, effort, or energy. We believe that this commitment helps keep the purity of the teachings alive and thriving, as it has for millennia.

Nonresidential is not advised for beginners. Please inquire about permission for nonresidential at Information@VipassanaHawaii.org.

Please note our Cancellation Policy:
If you cancel more than 45 days prior to the retreat: We will refund all fees less paypal fees - usually $50.00 - $100.00
If you cancel 14 - 44 days prior to the retreat: We will refund all fees less $200.00.
If you cancel less than 14 days prior to the event: Unfortunately we cannot afford to offer a refund. Last-minute cancelations are costly and sometimes mean that others cannot attend the retreat. If there are extreme circumstances and we have someone else to fill your spot, we may be able to support some kind of refund.