VIPASSANA
a photographic essay by: roy james shakespeare
published in the uk on 6th January 2015
VIPASSANA MEDITATION
The UK International Meditation Centre was founded in 1978 to promote the practice of Buddhist Vipassana meditation as taught by the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The practice is aimed at developing a calm mind leading to the realisation of Nibbana. From the time of the Buddha, over 2500 years ago, Buddhist meditation has mainly been practised within the monastic order. Sayagyi U Ba Khin encountered the teachings as a layman and realised the importance of Buddhist meditation to modern man. He had a unique ability to teach lay people meditation. Sayagyi U Ba Khin became a highly respected meditation teacher in Burma (Myanmar). He taught students from all over the world until his demise in 1971. Since then, his leading disciple Mother Sayamagyi has carried on the tradition. She has taught meditation for more than fifty years and has established further International Meditation Centres worldwide. Ten-day residential meditation courses are usually held once a month at IMC UK. They begin on a Friday evening and end early on a Monday morning. The courses are led by Mother Sayamagyi or by a regional teacher. Anyone who comes with an open mind can gain the necessary confidence in the technique. The benefits will be proportional to the amount of balanced effort made. The students who attend the meditation courses are from all walks of life, professions, religions and cultural backgrounds.
photography: roy james shakespeare
With Special Thanks to: Mother Sayamagyi Debbie Young Susan Elbaum Sharon Snowball Grazia Cantoreggi Sara Freeman John Boughey David Young Roger Bischoff
International Meditation Centre Splatts House Heddington CALNE Wiltshire SN11 0PE Tel: 01380 850 238 Email: imcuk@internationalmeditationcentre.org