Meditation center for ‘farangs’

By J.B. HOLDEN

MANY visitors and expatriates living in Thailand are interested in learning more of the spiritual aspects of Thailand. They are attracted to an environment that particularly welcomes foreigners new to meditation. On Samui the Osho Paramdham Meditation Center in Ban Tai (near Maenam) provides a peaceful environment for farangs (foreigners) who desire to learn meditation and other spiritual practices. Osho is an Indian master who, at age 21 in 1953, became enlightened. He is described as the greatest incarnation in India, after Buddha.

The center’s experienced meditation teachers—Ma Puja Sutra, Ma Prem Sarani and Sw. Atmo Prabuddha —state that the center is dedicated to the harmony of body, mind and spirit. The center is very intimate—surrounded by a serene Zen garden close to the sea. It is the only Osho Center in Thailand and is supplied with everything that can put meditation practitioners and “group-goers” at ease. The meditation hall is so in tune with the surroundings that it could be mistaken for a garden pavilion from the outside. It is very cozy and hospitable with not only meditation sessions held here but also spiritual exercises, body work, group experiences, visualizations, events, courses, presentations, projections and other kinds of session. 

The meditation hall, although simple, was created to purposely match the ancient Thai style. It contains two precious treasures: one of Osho’s robes and a beautiful bronze Buddha statue. Meditation teachers Sutra and Sarani point out that many parts of Thailand present two opposite aspects: those at the ensign of sexuality and those of spirituality.

They note that while the country has many “night places,” there is also a plethora of temples and places of meditation and spiritual energy including the Osho Paramdham Meditation Center. The center proposes a variety of practices and techniques that enhance and embrace the full spectrum of meditation and spiritual awareness through “awareness exercises, body work, spiritual practices, retreats, meditation camps and spontaneous creativity workshops.”

The individuals devising the spiritual programs at the meditation center are voluntaries devoted to Buddha, as well as to the Enlightened Indian Master, Osho. Visitors can be assured they will only be approached with a modest request for compensation, in the form of a minimum suggested donation for the “teachings” received and experienced at the center. 

The teachers say it is a worthwhile venture for those living on the island or visitors on holiday that this center can have a pleasantly intense effect on those seeking inner peace that wish to “take a vacation of the mind.” 

Sutra is a disciple of Osho for the past 26 years and has dedicated the major part of her life to the spiritual path, mainly in Oregon, India, Holland and Italy. She completed her studies of relaxation, visualization and introspective program in Milan, Italy. She is the author of Psycho Evolution (for self-healing). She is the founder of the Osho Axolotl Meditation Center in Cocquio (Varese), Italy and co-founder of the New Agers company.

Sarani was born in Germany and has been dedicated to dancing since her youth. She is a “Sannyasin” since 1986 and co-founder of the actual Osho Paramdham M.C.  A Sannyasin is an eclectic spiritual person who draws from all religions. A Sannyasin’s life is one of realization, not merely of theory or belief, much less of dogma.
Prabuddha is also a Sannyasin since 1988 and has mostly lived in Osho Centers. He is co-founder of New Agers and works as a specialized web master.

For an appointment or to announce a visit, call 077-447105 or 077-447104; mobile 084-4417818 or 087-8864905 or e-mail oshothailand@gmail.com.  For more information, visit www.paramdhamcenter.com.