Message by President VMC (Singapore)

New Year season is an occasion of much celebration and merry-making. Yogis coming to this retreat have however defied this convention by capitalizing on the festive holidays to further their spiritual striving. Sadhu on your laudable decision and a big Welcome to VMC's first major retreat of the Year 2000.

Such noble intention to purify one's mind alone, is however, not sufficient to make this retreat a reality. The presence of other supporting conditions is equally important. Some of you are probably aware that sourcing for a retreat venue in Singapore is always an uphill task.  We are therefore filled with deep gratitude & appreciation when Venerable Ratanasiri & the Management Committee of  Ti-Sarana Buddhist Association consented to the use of Ti-Sarana premises for this retreat. Also of no small part are the contributions of time and hard work put in by the retreat organizing committee led by Kyaw Teza.

In this regard, we would like to urge all yogis to treasure this opportune occurrence of many congenial factors. As the Buddha's final words to us goes….

                      Strive On with diligence!


Ng Bee Wee
President
Management Committee, VMC.

Massage by Chairman of Organising Committee


Dear Dhamma Brothers & Sisters,

We wish you and your family a very happy lunar New Year.  May the year of the dragon brings much peace and prosperity to your household.

It is most difficult to come across the Buddha Sasana (Dispensation). To encounter the Buddha Sasana is the highest blessing. It is because a fully enlightened Buddha has arose in our world and because his teachings (Dhamma) is still extent, that today we are the heir to a most precious treasure. This treasure is nothing less than the path that leads to the end of all of all sufferings (dukkha) entailed by our ceaseless wandering in the vicious cycle of birth and death. This path is still open to us today, specifically in the form of Satipatthana Vipassana meditation.

To be able to participate in a Vipassana retreat is therefore a rare opportunity. A retreat of this nature would however, not be possible without a meditation teacher, a proper place and people's participation and contributions in term of material, ideas and efforts.

Therefore, we would firstly like to pay homage to The Lord Buddha for his compassion in bestowing us with his liberating Dhamma.  Our homage too, to his disciple, the Venerable Sayadaw U Kundala for consenting to assume the role of our meditation teacher in this retreat, providing the yogis with his much sought after guidance.

Secondly, we would like to express our gratitude to Resident Bhante and management committee of Ti-Sarana Buddhist Association for their kindness in sharing their premise and to Vipassana Meditation Centre for initiating and materializing this opportunity to strive for the realization the Dhamma.

Thirdly, we would like to express our appreciation to ALL the contributors and helpers for their collective wholesome thoughts, speeches and actions that has make this retreat possible.

Lastly, we would like to encourage the Yogis who dare to take this opportunity. We support you all the way in your striving. Happy journey.

"May this not be just an another retreat but the end of suffering for you."


On behalf of organizing team
With Metta, Kyaw Teza