About the Buddhist meditation retreat at Ba Vang Pagoda

“Meditation is the best way to control our minds and lead us to a calm state, hence our lucid minds. Then, we will have a good memory and come up with new initiatives.” — Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh

Have you ever been unable to control your thoughts? Or have you ever felt like you even don't know about yourself and just want to find ways out of this? Or are you finding a peaceful corner for yourself in this life? Come join us for the meditation retreat at Ba Vang Pagoda to start a new journey, exploring your mind and enjoying peace in this beautiful and tranquil space.

Basic information

- Location: Ba Vang Pagoda, Quang Trung ward, Uong Bi city, Quang Ninh province (Northern Vietnam). 

- Time: 2 days (from Saturday to Sunday)

The upcoming retreat: On April 1-2, 2023. 

- Fees: You don't have to worry about any expenses during the retreat, as everything is provided free of charge. This includes the admission, parking, accommodation inside the Pagoda, food and drinks on campus, etc.

Easily find the way to Ba Vang Pagoda by using Google Maps: Ba Vàng Pagoda

Who to come

English-speaking foreigners currently living inside and outside of Vietnam. The Pagoda is open to anyone willing to attend, regardless of their backgrounds, cultures, financial status, gender, or nationality.

What to bring

- Pen & notebook: The most important items, to take notes of meditation lessons during the retreat.

- A water bottle: to keep your energy during the day. It is also a great choice to help the environment. 

What to wear

Simple and comfortable clothes are a good choice for retreatants. However, do not wear shorts, short dresses, or tight-fitting clothes because the Pagoda is a sacred place. Choose clothes that fully cover your shoulders, chest, back, belly, arms (to the elbows), and legs (past the knees). 

Small tips:

You should prepare sneakers to get ready for activities in the retreat, and a jacket as the Pagoda is quite cold in the early morning and at night.

Thay - a venerable master guiding us to the true Buddhist meditation

“Meditation is a basic practice in Buddhism, helping us gain wisdom,” said Thay. In Buddhism, meditation not only helps you calm your minds, but it is also where wisdom develops. Over 2,600 years ago, the Buddha meditated for 49 days under the Bodhi tree and attained perfect enlightenment. Following in his footsteps, Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh and the Sangha of Ba Vang Pagoda diligently practice meditation in the forest to tame their mind and then impart this knowledge to everyone. 

With many years of meditation practice, Thay is a venerable teacher who can give you the right meditation techniques, helping you enhance your mind and body, and answer every question about meditation and its practice. 

Thus, it is a great chance for you to join and get beneficial meditation lessons from Thay.

Precious moments for yourself

“Meditation is a technique to help our mind be calm and stable. Then, it will be clear and bright, just like the surface of a lake when there are no waves. When the water is transparent enough, the bottom can even be seen,”  taught Thay.

Participating in the meditation retreat, we practice calming our mind, that is to let go of every intention and evil thought. Everywhere and everytime, we can always dwell in comfort. Whenever a thought comes to our mind, let it go. When our mind is at peace, we will feel clear-sighted about our work. When we are stressed about many things, try to sit peacefully, let things go even for one or two minutes. With this practice, we will have a healthy body and a peaceful mind. 

More than an experience retreat

Does the retreat just have meditation sessions? The answer is no. Coming to the retreat, you will have a chance to join solemn Buddhist sessions and health-conducive activities such as sutra-chanting, prostrating to the Buddhas, and mountain climbing or hiking. Moreover, you can directly ask questions related to meditation, problems in life, work, inexplicable concerns, or anything, in the Q&A session, and Thay will give you the right answers and guidance according to the law of cause and effect.

“Second home”

Thay wishes that Ba Vang Pagoda will be a home for everyone. People coming to the Pagoda all receive a warm welcome, great care, and help and feel at home. Back to “home”, everything is well-prepared for you from the smallest things. We will have intimate and happy conversations together, even though we are strangers to each other. That is what the big house of Ba Vang is, always full of love, care, and help. 

Let's go to the “big home” Ba Vang Pagoda to experience this feeling yourself!

Excluded benefits

+ Airline tickets and transport fares to/from Ba Vang Pagoda.

+ External hotel accommodation fee at night. Unfortunately, under the law of Vietnam, the Pagoda is currently unable to arrange accommodation for foreigners to stay overnight. Therefore, you must rent a place downtown at night. If you need help, we will recommend some suitable hotels to help you save costs.

+ Other external services fee outside of the Pagoda.