Online Retreat with Classes in English, translated into Portuguese.
It is a great satisfaction for the Nalanda Center of Buddhist Studies to inform about our 2021 Carnival Retreat, which will be held fully online with the guidance of Ajahn Mae Chee Brigitte Schrottenbacher on February 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th. Enjoy 4 days of mindfulness and presence, in a virtual facilitating environment, suitable for beginners and experienced meditators.
Ajahn Brigitte is an old friend of many decades and for a long time we tried to unsuccessfully coincide our agendas so that she would come to Brazil during some of her visits to Europe. Now with the global situation of covid-19 several Buddhist centers are turning their regular activities, including retreats, to the online environment and we have seen the opportunity to have Ajahn Brigitte with us.
Ajahn Brigitte teaches vipassana meditation and other meditation techniques at the Wat Prayong Gittivanaram International Meditation Center in Thailand. She was ordained as Mae Chee in January 1990 at the Sorn Thawee Meditation Center Bangkhla, Chachoengsao, Thailand, and her first meditation master was Phra Ajahn Thawee Baladhammo — Abbot of the Sorn Thawee Meditation Center, based on the method of Mahasi Sayadaw. At the request of Ven. Phra Ajahn Thawee Baladhammo she began teaching meditation to foreigners in English and German in 1992.
In March 2009, Mae Chee Brigitte was honored with the UN Women’s Day International Award “Outstanding Woman in Buddhism 2009” and in December 2009, Mae Chee Brigitte was honored by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand for “Peace Building and Meritorious Actions for Humanity”. In addition to her kindness and loving disposition, and her skills in meditation and practical Dhamma, Ajahn Brigitte is known for her dedicated involvement in social works. See more about her biography at the bottom of this page.
Meditating with Ajahn Brigitte — a 4-day online retreat
A retreat is a way to practice meditation and contemplative vision in a more systematized way. By having pre-set schedules for dharma classes and meditation sessions, we are better able to calm the mind and stay in the present moment with clarity and concentration. Dhamma Classes serve to inspire us throughout the day, and group sessions strengthen our sense of community.
This will be a fully online retreat. Ideally participants should seek to participate as fully as possible in the retreat schedule, for their own benefit. We know, however, that not everyone can do it. In this way, choose those slots of time that you can be present and form the decision to be open-hearted and dedicated to the chosen activities. Even with partial participation we will be able to spend the four days of retreat with less distraction and worries, and with a mind focused on the Dhamma experience.
Some of the participants are preparing to be in a more secluded place during the retreat to participate fully. But each participant is free to adapt in the best way to their needs for food, family, work, etc. Try to abstain as much as possible from conversations and try to keep silence as much as possible during breaks, including meals.
Schedule for the 4 days of retreat (Germany Time – GMT+3)
10h00 — Open Room — Silent Meditation
10h30 ~ 11h30- Yoga
11h30 ~ 12h30 07h30 ~ 08h30 — Dhamma Class
12h30 — break
14h00 ~ 15h00 — Dhamma Class
18h30 ~ 19h30 — Dhamma class
19h30 — break
20h00 ~ 20:45 — Sitting Meditation
20h45 ~ 21h30 — Walking Meditation
21h30 ~ 22h15 — Sitting Meditation
22:15 ~ 22h45 — Yoga
22h45 — break
24h00 ~ 01h00 — Sitting Meditation
Ajahn Brigitte will be present at the times marked as Dhamma Class, which will be given in English and translated into Portuguese. Yoga Classes will be given by teachers Andrea Wellbaum and Paulo Klautau. In the other meditation times we will keep the rooms open for group practice.
The entire meeting will take place through the Zoom app. It is possible to participate via PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone, and camera and microphone installed are required. Access instructions will be sent after registration.
Choose a quiet place to participate in classes and meditation sessions. If with the video open, stay seated and in a dignified position. Do not eat, talk or do any other activity. Behave in the sessions as if you were present in person. Always keep the microphone off unless instructed otherwise.
Registration
The pandemic of the covid-19 severely affected Buddhist centers, which had to stop their face-to-face activities, while maintaining the costs of rent, light, maintenance, etc. Also for teachers who depend on their subsistence on the donations offered, the general economic crisis caused by the pandemic significantly affected their situation. We would like our online activities, and this particular retreat, to be able to contribute to the financial support of the Nalanda Center (as the organizing institution) and Mae Chee Brigitte, both personally and for the help she provides through various social projects. MC Brigitte lives exclusively on the generosity (dāna) of her pupils and friends, and as she is currently prevented from returning to her monastery in Thailand (due to pandemic and strict measures imposed by the Thai government) she has lived in various places in Europe in temporary places generously offered to her.
We are offering participation in this retreat through a flexible scale where the practitioner can choose any value within the scale. However, we would also like to offer extra financial assistance to those who cannot offer even the lowest value of the suggested flexible scale.
Flexible scale for this retreat: US$ 70.00 ~ US$ 95.00 / € 55.00 ~ € 78.00
Flexible scale is offered to enable:
a) an opportunity for those who are experiencing some difficulty that does not allow them to contribute full value. In this way, we offer the possibility of contributing a lower amount;
b) an opportunity for those who are in a financial position to collaborate more with the work of the teacher and the center, also allowing us to offer the activities with lower values to those in situation a) and in general.
The flexible scale allows each one, according to their conditions and consciousness, to choose the value within the scale presented. Donations above the suggested scale will be very welcome.
Scholarships for those who are not in condition to collaborate: 40%, 50% and 60% of the base value of US$ 75.00 / € 63.00. We ask that the scholarships be requested with conscience and real need. Full scholarships can be requested depending on the need and availability of seats. Only need to write to us.
Since we have a limited number of seats, in case the person forfeits participating after registering, there will be a fee of US$ 20.00 / € 15.00 non-returnable.
Upon receipt of the registration form and email with the deposit receipt, please allow up to 72 hours to receive a confirmation email with access instructions. Not receiving until 72 hours, please contact us again.
~ Non Brazilians or Brazilians living outside of Brazil can send their donations through Paypal to [email protected]
Registration Form
MORE ABOUT Ajahn Mae Chee Brigitte Schrottenbacher
Acharn MC Brigitte Schrottenbacher teaches Vipassana Meditation and other Meditation technics at Wat Prayong Gittivanaram International Meditation Center. MC Brigitte was ordained on January 4th, 1990 at Sorn Thawee Meditation Center Bangkhla, Chachoengsao, Thailand.
Her first Meditation Master was Phra Acharn Thawee Baladhammo – Abbot of Sorn Thawee Meditation Center. With the Venerable Phra Acharn Thawee MC Brigitte studied for 5 years Vipassana Meditation (Mahasi Sayadaw technique). On request of the Ven. Phra Acharn Thawee Baladhammo she started teaching Meditation to foreigners in English and German Language in 1992.
1994 she moved to Sam Chuk, Suphanburi to study Samatha-Vipassana (“Buddho” technique – as taught by the most Venerable Luang Poo Mun) with Phra Acharn Sangwahn Khemako for 7 years.
2001 she was asked to help teaching at Wat Thamkrissana Dhammaram. MC Brigitte continued her practice and teaching at Wat Thamkrissana Dhammaram in Khao Yai, Nakorn Ratchsima together with Phra Acharn Tippakorn Sukhito.
In 2002 MC Brigitte started to teach abroad in several countries in Europe, New Zealand, Russia, U.S.A., Malaysia and Singapore.
2006 MC Brigitte moved to Wat Pa Charoenrat Dhammaram in Pathumthani Province and continued to practice and teach with the Venerable Phra Acharn Veeranon until 2007.
From January 2007 to March 2009 MC Brigitte was leading Phra Sanghachai International Meditation Center in Bangkok.
On March 6th, 2009 MC Brigitte was honored with the UN International Women’s-day award “Outstanding Woman in Buddhism 2009”. On December 9th, 2009 MC Brigitte was honored by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn for “Peace-building and Meritorious Deeds Performed unto Humanity”.
Since April 2009 MC Brigitte teaches at Wat Prayong Gittivanaram International Meditation Center. MC Brigitte started teaching monthly courses at Wat Prayong – every 1st to 7th of the months. Every Year she organizes a New Years Retreat from 1st to 9th January in the Khao Yai mountains.
She frequently teaches retreats at other locations like the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Bangkok, at Chiangmai and Chiangrai Province in Thailand and was invited to give advice to “Monks in Training to go Abroad (Phra Dhammatut)” to spread the Dhamma .
From March to July she usually teaches abroad.
Several Social Projects where initialized through her:
- supporting less fortunate people with health care, food and working options.
- supporting the rebuilding of Jimthang monastery, Bhutan
- supporting students in Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan with school fees and school uniforms
- supporting the building of a Medititon Center in Phunaka Bhutan
- helping to get a water system for the Jimthang village and monastery in Bhutan
- helping fellow nuns (Mae Chee’s) in several temples in Thailand (Wat Prayong, Wat Sanghathan, Wat Thamkrissana Dhammaram, Wat Tungsammakee Dhamm and others) with monthly pocket money, health care issues, wheel chairs, spectacles, dental prostesis and doctor fees…(unfortunately nuns are not as well supported in Thailand, as monks are).
- supporting the AIDS temple in Lopburi
- supporting the drug withdrawal temple in Saraburi
- supporting orphanages (Manshushri orphanage in Nepal, Children protection center Pattaya)
- supporting victims of the earthquake in Nepal April 2015
- supporting Flood victims (2011/2012)
- supporting Tsunami victims by building four houses on Lhanta Island, a “Kindergarden” and a community Center in Puket (2004)
