Ambitions of Advanced Meditators

This paper answers inquiries made by the participants of our meditation retreats, who want to try some of the offers abroad. It gives a survey relevant for decision, based on the three main aspects of any such offer, so as to enable meaningful questioning about the following points:

A Teacher’s relationship and group’s support.

How well do you know the teacher? What are the characteristics of a competent teacher? What are your expectations upon his giving: personal guidance, or only instruction, or protected space for meditation… What support do you expect from his monastery or meditation center, from the monks and other meditators, from the associated public… What do you expect to come from your people back home?

B Type of the center’s locality and social context.

What is the meditation center’s country like? What is for you the most congenial climate? How much do you enjoy the indigenous food? How familiar are you with the local language and the country’s culture? How do you finance your sojourn, who does eventually support you? How good are personal contacts with your friends in that country?

C The method taught in the meditation center.

What do you know about the method? Have you personal experience with any of the techniques that are used in this method? Do they discern between the four types of combining vipassanā with samatha? Or do they offer just one technique? Is the whole method documented in literature?

Already while reading through the above points, some ideas came to your mind. After having read the following attached text, return to the above points, read them again and note down your ideas on a separate sheet of paper. Try to get more information relevant to the least answered points.