“The conclusion of the Annual Meditation Retreat, the International Insight Meditation Practice Program, Year 2023, organized by the International Buddhist Studies College, took place at the Religious Development Centre, Camp Son Sub district, Khao Kho district and Phetchabun Province.
On Saturday December 23,2023
International Buddhist Studies College organized the closing Ceremony of Annual Meditation Retreat program year 2023.
led by Prof. Dr. Phra Medhivajarapundit, Ph.D., Director of the International Buddhist Studies College and Director of the Peace Studies Program, including the lecturers, staff, international students, and doctoral students from the Peace Studies Program to practice insight meditation.
Between on November 23 to December 31, 2023, the International Buddhist Studies College at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University organized a 35-day Enlightenment Education program on Khao Kho Hill. This program aimed to lead participants towards enlightenment in Buddhist philosophy.
The course hosted participants from 10 countries, including Albania, Canada, the United States, China, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, totaling 28 individuals. They practiced continuous postures amidst the cold weather on Khao Kho Hill, where the temperature reached 18 degrees Celsius.
The teachings of the Buddha emphasize that wherever there is truth, there we are; wherever enlightenment appears, it is in the form of a name. Enlightenment is not distant from oneself, the world, or the environment but manifests right here in this form.
The course was designed in line with the Buddha’s teachings, following the Eightfold Path, focusing on ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. This path is considered the main route for the purity of all beings. Practicing became an exploration and experience of enlightenment in the lives of all participants. As familiarity grew, enlightenment ceased to be a difficult or perplexing matter but rather a natural, thoughtful, and clear progression.
The Buddha encouraged those on the path to attainment, results, and enlightenment, stating that if living with moral virtue, the world would not be devoid of various blessings. Therefore, those sincerely committed to leading a life guided by the Eightfold Path, including mindfulness and continuous meditation, have the opportunity to enter the path of enlightenment. This journey begins with mindfulness, meditation, concentration, and wisdom, gradually progressing through the aspects of perception, feeling, consciousness, and ultimately reaching the culmination of mental factors, resulting in the highest form of enlightenment.”
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