Dear Sukhdev,

I think your name in Pali would be Sukhadeva (Happy Deva, or One who is happy and
shining). There are a number of places (like the Graduate School of Buddhist Studies
at the Buddhist Library here) that teach Pali. I occasionally run Pali courses, too.
However, my main current interest in the translation of the Pali Nikayas into English
and their comparative study with the Chinese Agamas.

I am in close touch with the Forest Meditation of Ajahn Chah, now propagated by
practitioners such as Ajahn Sumedho (UK), Ajahn Brahm (or Brahmavamso) (Perth,
Australia) and Ajahn Sujato (Sydney, Australia). Ajahn Brahm often visits Singapore
and Malaysia and is very popular there.

Ajahn Brahm or any teacher for Ajahn Chah's tradition are highly recommended as they
teach from personal experience. They are both very adept in the Sutta tradition and
meditation. Most importantly, they teach the pre-sectarian and pre-"Vipassana"
methods, and are visibly happy, calm, and patient people.

Happily, Ajahn Brahm is conducting a retreat now in Selangor (Chempaka Buddhist
Lodge), but which is in progress. His retreats are usually quickly full. His public
lectures are also well attended by Buddhists and non-Buddhists. I'm not sure if they
still accept any more retreatants, but I suggest you first meet Ajahn Brahm
personally. There is no formality except perhaps you might have to contact the centre
first:

DO GO TO THIS ADDRESS to meet Ajahn Brahm:
Chempaka Buddhist Lodge
60 Jalan SS 23/25, Taman Sea, 47400
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 03-7880-3936 / Fax: 03-7880-3927
Email: cblpj@...

In case of any difficulty, simply approach Ajahn directly.

If you are unable to meet any of these radiant monks of the forest, you might like to
contact any of these two here listed. However, as long as you keep an open mind, and
allow for a bit of sectarian peculiarities (simply noting them as "sound..sound" and
letting them go), you would find a good spiritual foundation in (1).

Ven Javapan~n~o (2) is a dear friend of mine (when I was a monk decades back in
Malaysia), but may be difficult to meet (as he often wanders around teaching).
However, you should keep a look out for him. I remember him as a resolute forest monk
of great compassion in his teachings, but he is a rhinoceros (lonely wanderer) who
stays above sectarianism and religious worldliness. He may however have settled down
at the address given below.

(1) SELANGOR BUDDHIST VIPASSANA MEDITATION SOCIETY (SBVMS)
29-b, Jalan 17/45
46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel/Fax: (603) 755 0596

Web site: members.xoom.com/sbvms
Email: sbvms@...

Programme:
Library: Daily 7:30 - 11:30 am (open if requested)

Activities:
Sanghikadana : 11:00 - 12:00 noon. (once a month - phone to check date)
Sutta Discussion : 2:30 - 4:00pm (Sunday - phone to check date)
New and Full Moon Paritta Chanting: 8:30 - 10:00 pm
Dhamma Talk and Short Sitting 8:00 - 10:00 pm (first Saturday. of month - phone to
check) - conducted by Bro. James Ong.

Meditation:
Every Saturday : Meditation Practice at 8:00 pm First half-of-year (phone to check
time and date)
Vipassana Meditation Course (8 sessions) for Beginners. - Second half-of-year (phone
to check time and date)
Metta Meditation Course (6 sessions) for Beginners. - Meditation Retreat at
Buddhirama, K.K.B (Tel/Fax. for information)

(2) VEN. JAVAPAN~N~O
Bukit Kecil Meditation Centre
Kampung Pasir Senor
18400 Temangan, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Teacher: Rev. Javana Panno
A Theravadin Buddhist Temple

Contact: Lai Yeong Choong

Email: Samanolai@...

With best wishes in your search for the truth.

Piya Tan



Sukhdev Singh wrote:

> Thank you Tan Bee Ean, but I do know the Maha Vihara
> in Brickfields and have visited a few times to pick up
> some literature. But there are no meditaion classes
> on Sunday, the only day I am free. Hopefuly the Kajang
> centre has meditation classes on Sunday. (And maybe
> Pali too)
>
> metta
>
> Sukhdev
> --- TAN BEE EAN <morbel_tns@...> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hello,
> > Great to hear that you are interested in Buddhism.
> > Buddhism is not a supertiscious religion. Buddha
> > taught us the way to free from rebirth and
> > sufferring. The cause of rebirth is due to
> > ignorance, craving and clinging.
> >
> > Buddha taught us to do offerrings, keep precepts and
> > practice meditation. These are the three main
> > things that we need to practice inorder to be free
> > from rebirth.
> >
> > You can go to Buddhist Missionary Society at
> > Brickfried, KL. to learn the teaching of Buddha. I
> > will try to get the address for you to visit a place
> > at Kajang where monks are practicing meditation.
> >
> > From.
> > R.A
> >
> >
> >
> > Sukhdev Singh <sukh2val@...> wrote:
> >
> > Respected members of this forum,
> >
> > My name is Sukhdev Singh, male aged 44, living in
> > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I learnt about this forum
> > through the Theravada-my (yahoo group) forum. I am
> > very intersted to learn Pali.
> >
> > I am new in the Dhamma, about just over three
> > months.
> > No one introduced it to me. I just happened to come
> > across some Buddhist literature while trying to seek
> > some facts of life by studying my native religion,
> > Sikhism, as well as some western philosophy.
> >
> > I think that it was the shockingly intelectual and
> > empirical nature of the Buddha's methods and
> > viewpoints that hooked me.
> >
> > Mentally, I have already rejected almost everything
> > about my native religion, Sikhism. It simply
> > doesn't
> > answer all the questions. All it tells you to do is
> > to be more obedient and more devoted to the "Guru".
> > To do that, you have to stop asking questions and
> > put
> > more effort into devotion, something I got
> > extrememly
> > tired of doing.
> >
> > Just these three months of reading of the Buddha's
> > methods and viewpoints has taught me more about life
> > than all the Sikhism (or even philosophy) I have
> > ever
> > studied and all the devotional practices that I have
> > ever carried out.
> >
> > Praise be to The Enlightened One
> > Praise be to The Path to Enlightenment
> > Praise be to The Community of The Enlightened
> >
> > Thank you
> >
> > Sukhdev Singh
> > Kuala Lumpur
> > Malaysia
>