Vipassana Meditation @ Doi Suthep Temple | 2. Environment
- Admin
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 20
Doi Suthep Temple and Meditation Centre is situated atop the mountain, which is one of the reasons I chose this meditation centre after seeing a beautiful picture of the temple (see below). This centre is recommended by a website dedicated to Forest Tradition Theravada Buddhism. Most importantly, it is easily accessible whenever I need a meditation retreat, especially due to the burnout I experienced in 2024!
The beauty of being in the mountains is that you must constantly climb stairs. Walking from my room to the meditation hall and dining hall required me to ascend steep steps to reach them. Although these locations were nearby, each shuttle ride between them became a form of exercise for a city dweller like me. Initially, my mind complained about the tediousness of moving around. However, three days into the retreat, I noticed an incredible change in my body. The fatigue I had been experiencing at home vanished. My prana (breath and energy) was restored, all thanks to the fresh air, stair climbing, walking, sitting meditation, and the vegetarian diet provided by the centre.
I arrived on December 1, 2024, which is one of the best times to visit Chiang Mai. It is their "winter" season (without snow), with temperatures ranging between 18 and 23 degrees Celsius. The pleasant weather creates perfect conditions for meditation. This experience was different from my previous retreat, where we occasionally struggled with the heat and mosquitoes. During my stay, I hardly encountered any mosquitoes at all.
Doi Suthep Meditation Centre has a very relaxed and open policy. The centre is accessible to the public at all times. In the middle of our meditation sessions, we often saw tourists wandering into the meditation hall. Initially, I was surprised to see them entering and "sitting" with us. I thought the centre had forgotten to put up a sign prohibiting public entry (something that would likely happen in Singapore). However, I later realized there was a sign welcoming the public to sit in, while reminding everyone to remain silent and respectful. Most tourists adhered to this guideline.
This situation added a bit of "drama" to the meditation hall as we witnessed tourists of various ages joining us. Their behaviors varied widely: some tried to mimic our walking, some sat quietly, others felt uneasy and left quickly, some appeared confused, and one person even ate inside the hall—this was quite hilarious! However, there was no need to worry; we still enjoyed ample quality time to meditate in peace, as these occurrences were not constant.
The meditation centre is simple and small. The few places we will visit daily are our living quarters, dining hall, meditation hall and main hall (for dharma talks and chanting). There is a small pagoda by the side; some students decided to meditate there instead.
We all have our private rooms with shared toilets. The centre is not very well maintained, so be prepared to encounter toilets and common areas filled with spider webs and ants roaming freely.
On the other hand, I make it a practice to remain equanimous about my environment. However, I have noticed a decline in my tolerance level, as my mental health is not at its best—I believe this is due to burnout
If you are keen to find out more about Doi Suthep Meditation Centre, you can visit their website.
A meditator classmate shared another temple with the same meditation technique at the Chiangmai city. If cleanliness and climbing the stairs are big hurdles for you. Wat Ram Poeng is a good alternative.
I visited Wat Ram Poeng to check it out. Indeed a lot more conducive environment.
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Vipassana Meditation @ Doi Suthep Temple | 4. My Practise
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