DHAMMA Joti Vipassana Centre in Bahan township in Yangon plans to open its seventh branch in Myanmar near Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda in Mon State.

The new institution, to be named Dhamma Cetiya Patthana Vipassana Centre, was officially permitted by the local community of monks on August 19. On the same day a signboard-posting ceremony was held on the seven-acre plot of land at Thitcha Hill near Kyaikhto where the centre will be built, about four hours by car from Yangon.

U Htein Lin, one of the organisers of the project, said the plan to build the new centre was still in its preliminary stages.

“The capacity of the future centre depends on how much funding can be allocated,” he said.

Dhamma Joti Vipassana Centre was opened in October 1993 by a Myanmar-born Indian, Mr Satya Narayan Goenka, who now lives in India.

“We build these centres across the world using money donated by our former meditation students,” U Htein Lin said. “We never ask for donations from anyone who hasn’t completed a 10-day meditation course at one of our centres.”

“According to our rules, we can’t run a centre without separate halls and accommodation for men and women. Until these requirements are fulfilled, we can’t say when the new centre will open,” he said.

However, he did say there were already plans to hold a course at the new centre during next year’s Thingyan Water Festival in April.

U Htein Lin said one purpose of establishing a centre at Thitcha Hill was so pilgrims travelling to and from Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda could meditate en route.
“Once the news about this centre is spread online via www.dhammagiri.com, all the old students of Mr Goenka across the world will be able to learn about it,” he said.

Mr Goenka began practicing vipassana (insight) meditation under guidance of late meditation teacher U Ba Khin, who had founded the International Meditation Centre in Yangon.

Mr Goenka and his followers have so far opened six branch centres in Myanmar – two in Mandalay and Mogok each, and one in Pyin Oo Lwin – and more than 180 centres in about 100 countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel.