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HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionNEW CENTREA New VipassanaMeditation Centre inHong Kong“Dhamma Muttā”Dhamma Mutt! on the RiseWe are glad to inform you that in September 2010, the Hong KongVipassana Meditation Centre Limited (HKVMC) bought a site fromthe Government of Hong Kong for the permanent Vipassana centre inHong KongOur respected Teacher S.N.Goenkaji has named the center “DhammaMutt!” meaning the Pearl of Dhamma.Chinese Naming to New CentreWe are opening for Chinese Naming to new centre.Welcome to submit your suggestion before 28 Feb., 2011To: timothycenter-dhamma@yahoo.com.hk
HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionWe are grateful to some old studentswho have donatedthe land premium. We also have received donation from these old students to complete thefirst stage of the construction, who also have promised to support the construction costs forcompleting the project. Though with the blessings and support from them, we wish to offerto all old students an opportunity to enhance their d!na p!ram" and to share this valuablemeritorious deed. You may wish to offer your d!na in one of following ways:D!na inMonetary formcash or cheque to HongKong VipassanaMeditation Centre Ltddesignated accountD!na inPhysically formD!na inintellectuallyformhelping in supportingsuch as landscaping,gardening, cooking etc.providing expertise indifferent aspects such asarchitectural, engineering,landscaping, buildingprocurement services etc.“Because we helped another person to become liberated, the resultant fruit will helpus to overcome the obstacles we face. All the hindrances to our liberation will beremoved”;“What greater delight could this land have than if even one person gets liberatedsitting in a cell or cave on this land, if even one person realizes nibbana meditating onthis land.:“What greater rupture could this land experience?”“What greater welfare could this land aspire to?”“Dhamma Land should be venerated.”2
123HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionBrief HistoryIn June 2004, Hong Kong Vipassana MeditationCentre Limited (HKVMC), submitted anapplication to the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) ofthe Hong Kong SAR Government for grant of landfor development of a Vipassana Meditation Centre(the Project). With the assistance of PlanningDepartment (PlanD), a site adjacent to the MokLaw Shui Wah School in Tung Wan, Lantau wasidentified.A Preliminary Land AssessmentReport for the site was submitted to PlanD inJanuary 2005. In the subsequent 6-month period,a study was conducted by Tung Wan ProjectManagement Committee (TWPMC) and thefindings were presented in the “Report onDevelopment of the Hong Kong VipassanaMeditation Centre at Tung Wan, Lantau” (TWReport) and submitted to HAB and PlanD in July2005.In the following year, throughthe discussion with variousGovernment departments, inparticular the Agriculture,Fisheries and ConservationDepartment, various changeswere made to the initialproposal including shifting ofthe site from the low land, amixed-woodland which hashigh ecological value, to theupper slope which is coveredmainly by grass, shrubs and afew trees.regarding the width andgradient of the internal road,the width of the drainagereserve, and requirements onbarrier free access for personsof disabilities etc.As advised by District LandOffice/Islands (DLO/Is), anEnquiry Submission with apreliminarymasterplanprepared by Adapa ent (BD) in July 2006for the purposed of identifyingwhether the proposed internalroad, fire fighting system andbuilding density etc, areacceptable to BD. In BD’sreply dated 4 September 2006,no in-principle objection wasreceived except the commentsSubsequent to the EnquirySubmission, a set of draftSpecial Conditions for thePrivate Treaty Grant (PTG)wasissuedbyLandsDepartment.After severalrounds of long and toughnegotiations with DLO/Is, whofinally in June 2008 offered aPTG to us at a premium ofHK 33.39M, which we foundvery expensive and had notconsider our genuine charitablecontributionstothecommunity.We thereforeimmediately applied for ourfirst appeal requesting theGovernment to lower thepremium. After almost 1 yearof further negotiation, DLO/Isin June 2009 made a secondoffer of PTG at a reducedpremium of HK 25.13M.Thoughaconsiderablereduction was made, thetrustees and old studentsviewed that it was still quiteexpensiveespeciallyinconsideration of the worldeconomy at that time, andconsensually agreed to launchanother appeal. With the helpof a consultant, LandEliteSurveyors Limited, we appliedfor appeal for the second time.Again, after 14 months ,DLO/Is offered on 18 August2010 a new premium ofHK 28.37M but was about13% more than the previous3
465HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special Editionoffer in 2009. Our consultantexplained that the increase inpremium was mainly due toproperty price increase inHong Kong during the appealperiod since late 2009,especially in Southern Lantauwhere the non-luxuriouspropertyhadincreasedalmost by 30%.Thoughreluctantly, the trustees andold students decided toaccept the premium ofHK 28.37M as it wasdifficult to predict theproperty price in HK in 1year time if another appealhad to be launched.LocationThe site is situated at a serenevalley in the southern part ofLantau Island, which is about7,540 sq.m. It is about 6 Kmfrom Hong Kong InternationalAirport, and is about 5 Kmfrom the nearest MTRCstation, Tung Chung. LantauIsland has been well known asits nature conservation andrecreation value. More to this,it has been a religious retreatisland in history.The site is within the zoning ofGovernment/Institution/otherCommunity uses (G/I/C). Twoneighbours are found, namelyMok Law Shui Wah School(formerly name was Tung WanLantau Island has been well known as its nature conservationand recreation value. More to this, it has been a religiousretreat island in history.Schoolformaladjustedstudents) and Hong Kong RedCross Shek Pik Camp.The site is elevated with gentleslopes. It is unique in itsserenity isolated from thecrowded city of Hong Kong,and preserves the natural ofwoodlands, valleys and creekssurrounded by the famousFung Wong Shan mountain.TransportationThe nearest Tung Chungtown has a good transportnetwork of Mass TransitRaiway, buses, taxis to theHong Kong InternationalAirport, other part of HongKong and Mainland China.4
123HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTREPreliminary Master PlanThe proposed centre canbroadly be divided into twomain areas: a Dhamma Areaand a General Area. Apartfrom these two main areas,there is also an Ancillary Areaintentionally to be separatedfrom the two main areas forhousing the supporting servicesneeded for the centre. It islocated in a more remote areaso that the students are lessdisturbed by the activities andnoise in this area.Dhamma AreaThe Dhamma Area includes theMeditation Area, the Male andFemale Dining Rooms, andMale and Female WalkingAreas. Within the MeditationArea, there are the MeditationHall, Mini Meditation Halls,2010 November Newsletter Special EditionTeacherResidences,CellStructure and Male and FemaleStudents’ Dormitories.Thesole function of the DhammaArea is to provide a secludedplace, free from, as far aspossible, any sudden orprolonged disturbance so thatstudents can learn, practice andadvanceinVipassanameditation properly. As shownon the PMLP, the DhammaArea is designed to be locatedat the inner part of the Site soas to provide more buffersfrom the disturbance of theoutside world.students, only the teachers andvoluntary workers are allowedto enter the Dhamma Area.The Male and Female Areasare separated and clearlydemarcatedwithintheDhamma Area during a course.Students are required to staywithin the Dhamma Areaduring the whole period of acourse which may be of 1 day,3 days, 10 days, 20 days, 30days, 45 days or longerperiods.Apart from theTheAncillaryAreaaccommodates the CentreManager Quarter, the carparks, the on-site sewagetreatmentplant,andmeter-room for electricity andwater supplies.General AreaThe Administration Building,the Kitchen and the VoluntaryWorker Quarters are all locatedin the General Area.Ancillary Area5
HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionProject Progress UpdateThe project is now in detailed design and groundinvestigation stage.TWPMC have invitedseveral consultant firms for tendering aconsultancy agreement for the design andsubmission to Building Department for approvalof the design and issuing permit for construction.It is expected the consultancy agreement will besigned in October 2010.Under the grantcondition, the project should be completed 48months from the date of issue of the PGT, whichis expected to be issue by the end of 2010.Financial SituationIn addition of the land premium (HK 28.37M), the total estimated cost ofthe project is about HK 37M, this including design fees, constructioncosts and supervision fees etc. We have received donation for the first stageof the project which is estimated to be about HK 17M. The trust requiresa further HK 20M to complete the project.May the Dhamma get firmly established in HongKong, the Pearl of the East.May all beings be happy!6
1HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionFrom a talk given by S.N. Goenka on January 15, 1976, on the occasion of the foundingof Dhamma Thali, Jaipur, Rajasthan.The taste of Dhamma surpasses all other tastes. Other tastes do not quench craving, theyincrease it. Only the taste of Dhamma puts an end to all craving. It quenches it. Hence it isthe best.The gift of Dhamma surpasses all other d!na. Giving d!na towards a persons worldlyneeds, although beneficial, gives a temporary benefit, a limited benefit. But the gift ofDhamma gives enormous benefit, boundless benefit. By this d!na, from whatever miseryone becomes freed, this freedom is forever. From whatever bondage one becomes freed, thisfreedom is forever. Hence the d!na of Dhamma is greater than any other d!na.The d!na of Dhamma is given by teaching the Dhamma. As well, any contribution wemake in any manner towards spreading the teaching of the Dhamma is dhammad!na.Therefore whatever contribution one makes towards having a meditation center built, fororganizing and maintaining it, serving courses or providing other requirements areall dhammad!na. Such d!na is superior to all other d!na.If we give food, the benefit is that the hunger of the recipient is appeased. And in return,the law of nature, or Dhamma, will automatically help appease our hunger when we arehungry. This is a benefit. Similarly, whatever other worldly d!na we give, the resultant fruitswill be of similar nature. They will give worldly benefit.When we help a person to come out of craving, aversion and ignorance, the resultantfruit is not ordinary because the d!na is not ordinary. The d!na of Dhamma issupramundane. Its resultant fruits are also supramundane. It is a d!na that will assist us incoming out of all worldly bondage.7
2HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionWhen we contribute towards this great cause, the kind of help we give is not significant.What is important is the volition with which we give. We should give with a Dhammavolition, thinking, I have this facility, this capacity, this resource. I shall contribute so muchof it for the well-being of people. May there be true well-being. Whatever well-being may beachieved by various other kinds of d!na, in comparison, the well-being achieved bythis d!na is boundless. There cannot be a better way to use my capacity, my resources, mywealth. When we give d!na with this Dhamma volition, we pave the path of our ownprogress. Whatever obstacles we face in our meditation, our practice, are the result of ourown past kamma. Because we helped another person to become liberated, the resultant fruitwill help us to overcome the obstacles we face. All the hindrances to our liberation will beremoved.What greater delight could this land have than if even one person gets liberatedsitting in a cell or cave on this land, if even one person realizes nibbana meditating onthis land? What greater rapture could this land experience? What greater welfarecould this land aspire to?This land shall be venerated. When construction work takes place, it will cause hardshipto the visible and invisible beings here. This will happen. But the work has begun withwholesome volition, with dhammadh!tu. The land has been venerated, all its inhabitantshave been venerated; they will be happy.Something constructive, beneficial and good will take place here. The people who workhere should generate good will towards all the visible and invisible beings whenever theywork. May no being knowingly be killed. We should not knowingly cause hardship to anybeing.The good of all, the welfare of all should be the volition. And if unknowingly somehardship is caused, then may those who suffer share our merits, our good deeds, theDhamma accumulated by us. May they also be happy.Make sure all work is done with such feelings of good will. Work shall be done with apure mind. The land is pure, the meditators who work are pure, their minds are pure. Thewealth that flows in is pure. The results will be pure, they are bound to be pure.8
HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionThe D!na of Financial SupportIt is an enormous gift of Dhammad!na to contribute financially to creating and maintaining ameditation center where the pure vibrations of Dhamma will support a meditator. In the 10-daydiscourses, Goenkaji tells the story of An!thapi"#ika, a multimillionaire in the days of theBuddha. This person was actually named Sudatta but he received the title An!thapi"#ikabecause he gave d!na so generously.The title An!thapi# ika comes from an!tha, meaning those who are very poor and pi# ika,meaning one who gives food. Because he gave so much food to all the hungry people, this washis title. He lived in %r!vast", which was the most populous city in India in those days. Butthere were branches of his business throughout the country and even beyond, in differentcountries. And he had a rule that wherever his office or branch was, nobody should go hungry,people should be given food. But still he didnt know Dhamma.One day he came into contact with Buddha. That means, he came into contact withDhamma, Vipassana. By practicing, he purified his mind and experienced a dip in the firststage of nibb!na. For the first time he experienced the truth beyond mind and matter andbecame altogether a changed person.The purpose of giving donation is not to build ones ego but rather to deflate it, to dissolveit. He now thought, All this money that has come to me is because of my good karmas from thepast that have ripened now. It must be used for the good of others. Of course, as a householder,I must make use of it for my own maintenance, for the maintenance of all those who aredepending on me. But the rest of it must go for the good of others, for the good of others. Henow understood this.The good of others,what is the real good of others? I give food to a hungry person. I shouldgive; this is good. But the next day, this person is hungry again. I give water to a thirsty person,but after some time again he becomes thirsty. I give medicine to a sick person but he maycontract another disease, or suffer a recurrence of the same disease. I may give clothes to anaked person but after some time the clothes become worn out, torn, and again he is naked. Iam not helping people to come out of all their miseries. If they get Dhamma, if they get thiswonderful technique of Vipassana, oh, they can come out of all their misery! They can becometotally liberated from misery, misery that they were encountering for life after life, life after life.They can come out of it. Dhamma should go to each and every suffering person. Besides, allthis giving of material d!na, this d!na is most important, the d!na of Dhamma is thehighest d!na.9
HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionThis man went toBuddha who at that time waslivinginRajgiri.An!thapi# ika paid respectsto him, and asked, Sir, whynot come to %r!vast"? A largenumber of people live there.All are miserable, rich orpoor. If you have ameditation center there,many people will benefit, sir.Please come.Buddha smiled, so heunderstood that Buddha hadagreed. He came back hometo look for a center, a placewhere Buddha could startteaching Dhamma to thepeople. A meditation centershould not be in the midst ofthe city, with much noise anddisturbance. It should not beso far away that peoplecannot go there. Looking fora proper place, peaceful andyet not very far from the city,he came across a garden, apark. It was very calm, veryquiet, very congenial formeditation. And he inquired:Who is the owner of this parkThe deal is done!.The purchase of Jetavana from abas-relief sculpture at Bh!rhutCredit: Cover photo for !r"vast#, ArchaeologicalSurvey of India, 1956He came to know thatthe owner was Prince Jeta.He went to him and said, Sir,I want to buy your park. Butthe prince became angry,replying, I am not looking tosell my park. It is for my ownamusement. I wont sell it.10
HONG KONG VIPASSANA MEDITATION CENTRE2010 November Newsletter Special EditionPlease, sir, I have to buy it, at any price.Just to get rid of him, the prince said, You know the price of this land? You have to spreadgold sovereigns over the entire land. This is the price.The deal is done. I will spread gold sovereigns. He brought cartloads of sovereigns, andstarted spreading them.When the prince saw what An!thapi# ika was doing he said, Have you gone mad? No landcan be this valuable. What are you doing?An!thapi# ika replied, No, I am not mad. This land is going to become so valuable.Buddha is going to come here and teach the wonderful Dhamma. All my wealth is nothingcompared to what is gained if one person gets Dhamma, gets Vipassana, and comes out ofmisery. And I know that not one but thousands upon thousands of persons will benefit.Very well, said the prince, persuaded. Let the rest of the price be my donation. The land isyours.In this place An!thapi# ika built a meditation center where 10,000 people could live,where they could stay and meditate, learning Dhamma.His volition was to serve others. He had been giving d!na even previously, before helearned Dhamma. Now his d!na was to help more and more people get the benefit of Dhamma.He was giving not to inflate his ego but to dissolve it, just to serve others.Later, because of some karmas of the past, for a short time this multimillionaire lost all hismoney. When he had been wealthy he would come to the center every morning and evening tomeditate. And as a householder, he understood, I should not go to the center empty-handed. Imust offer something for the meditators. Every time he came, he brought something for themeditators. Now he was a pauper; he had nothing to bring. Then something came to his mind.Behind his house, he had a small garden. In that garden he had accumulated fertile soil fromdifferent parts of India. Now he took two handfuls of that soil. He came to the center and put itat the foot of a tree, saying, May this tree grow, and under its shade may someone get Dhamma,may someone be able to meditate.Whether the gift is a handful of soil or millions of rupees, it makes no difference; it is thevolition that counts. After some time, An!thapi# ika regained his wealth and started givingdonations as before. But he understood, Whatever I give, the amount is immaterial. My volitionmust be a Dhamma-volition: I give for the good of others, for the benefit of others, notexpecting anything in return.11
香港內觀靜坐中心有限公司Hong Kong Vipassana Meditation Centre rofit making organization exempted from taxunder section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance)Postal address: GPO Box 5185, Hong KongTel: 2671 7031 Fax: 8147 3312Email: info@hk.dhamma.orgWebsite: www.hk.dhamma.org我願意捐款給 香港內觀靜坐中心有限公司 :I would like to make a contribution to the Hong Kong Vipassana Meditation Centre Ltd : ܆ ܆ 以購買東灣土地及興建新中心For purchase of land and development of the proposed Centre at Tung Wan以作課程及日常營運經費For course and operating expenses姓名 Name :聯絡電話 Phone No. 電郵 Email Address :連絡地址 Address:捐款形式 Donation: ܆ 一 次 過 捐 款 One-off DonationHK ܆ ẗ 月 捐 款HK Monthly contribution of捐款 法 Payment method: ܆ 直接轉帳 / By direct transfer ：!!!!恆生銀行 (024) / Hang Seng Bank (024) (Swift code: HASEHKHH)帳戶 / Account No. : 228 261715 883受款人 / Beneficiary: 香港內觀靜坐中心有限公司Beneficiary : Hong Kong Vipassana Meditation Centre Ltd ܆ 支票匯票 / By sending a cheque or money order ：!!抬頭: 香港內觀靜坐中心有限公司Payable to : Hong Kong Vipassana Meditation Centre Ltd超過港幣100 ��中心簽發收據之形式。Donations of over HK 100 are tax-deductible in Hong Kong. Please tick the appropriate box if youwish / or do not wish to receive any receipts. ܆ ẗ六個月 Bi-annually ܆ ẗ年 Annually ܆ 不需要 Not Necessary捐款請填妥 捐款承諾書 寄回本中心Please print clearly using BLOCK LETTERS and return to following address 地址 Address:香港郵政總局信箱5185 號 / Postal address: GPO Box 5185, Hong Kong查詢 Enquiry : Eva Kwok 郭小姐TEL: 9155-7688 EMAIL: evakwok2006@yahoo.com.hk
Vipassana Meditation Centre Limited (HKVMC) bought a site from the Government of Hong Kong for the permanent Vipassana centre in . From a talk given by S.N. Goenka on January 15, 1976, on the occasion of the founding of Dhamma Thali, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
