LORD ABBOT LUANGPHOR VIRIYANG SIRINTHARO OF DHAMMAMONGKOL TEMPLE, BANGKOK WILL TEACH MEDITATION INSTRUCTOR COURSE IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

The Lord Abbot of Wat Dammamongkol in Bangkok, Thailand will be teaching the Meditation Instructor’s Course in Vancouver this Fall and Winter. The course, developed originally to help foster meditation among Thai’s has been translated into English and has been offered for several years at centres across Canada. However, this is the first time it will be taught by Lord Abbot Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo himself, developer of the of the program, here in Vancouver.

The course is an intensive mix of instruction in theory and practice, leading the student from the basics of different types of meditation practice to more advanced techniques including Vipassana. Students learn to conduct chanting, walking and sitting meditation and at the end of the 200-hour program, following successful completion of exams and a four-day meditation retreat, they can themselves be certified as instructors.

This is a rare opportunity to study with and become certified by one of the most highly regarded and respected Master Teachers of meditation from Southeast Asia. A farm boy who became a Thai Theravada tradition Monk at an early age, he has spent his life studying mediation techniques and devoting himself to the welfare of the people of Thailand. In the last several years, he has expanded his vision to the world, focusing on Canada to foster the benefits of widespread meditation and contributing to world peace.

The Lord Abbot and his home temple, Wat Dammamongkol, have a long association with Canada and particularly British Columbia. He has sponsored and assisted the development of five Buddhist temples here in Canada. In Bangkok, Wat Dammamongkol is home to the largest jade Buddha image in the world, carved from a single jade rock found in northern BC.

While his tradition is Buddhist, the meditation techniques are not a religion and the program is open to people from all faiths and traditions. Everyone is welcome who is prepared to commit the time to learn a process that can help themselves and others.

The Lord Abbot will be assisted in the program by two local instructors who have, themselves, taken the course and been certified to teach. Anastasia Falconer is originally from Manitoba and has lived on the West Coast for many years, raising a family and contributing to her community in a variety of ways. Dave Dick was born in Vancouver and has worked in the private sector and government in many parts of the world. Both bring a wealth of life experience and study to their own practice and are looking forward to the opportunity to pass on the insights and techniques developed by Luangphor.

The program will be conducted From September 2004 through February 2005 at the Wat Viriyang Buddhist Temple at 2004 East Pender Street in Vancouver. Classes and practice take place from Monday through Friday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

There will be an information night at the Temple on Sunday, August 22nd 2004 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Further information on the Willpower Institute and the meditation program can be obtained from the website at http://willpowerinstitute.com/.

Further information on Lord Abbot Luangphor Viriyang and Wat Dammamongkol can be obtained through a site developed by Buddha Dharma Education Association, titled “A Monk’s Dream Comes to Life” at http://www.buddhanet.net/wat_m.htm.

For further information please contact:

Bob Nguyen
Willpower Institute – Meditation Centre
2004 E. Pender Street
Vancouver, B.C. V5L 1W9
Phone: 604-299-4477
E-mail: willpowervancouver@yahoo.com

Interviews with one of the instructors can be arranged.