To Ipoh to meet Sayalay Dipankara

Lately, I've been using up my vacation entitlements. No, it's not for attending job interviews. Most of the time, it's due to the existing corporate top-down directive to take "short work week", which sort of helps clear annual leave balance by the end of the year (that's when annual leave "zerorization" occurs). This time though, I took a half day off plus the weekend to bring my family to Ipoh, for a rare chance to meet up with the great meditation teacher, Sayalay Dipankara (more information on here over at : http://www.cakkavala.org/SayalayDipankara.htm and http://www.bodhikusuma.com/metta/sayalay_dipankara.html)

This was a memorable occasion for us, as it was the first time that Charmaine would be traveling in a car for such a long journey. Setting off on a full tank of gas, we arrived at our destination some 5 hours later (adhering strictly to the legal limits, though I feel that I was the only driver that was doing so). Hah, Charmaine was quite excited, as she did not sleep at all through the journey. Consolation though is that she slept soundly all through the night...! :)

Wasn't any time to go sightseeing. We just managed to have a quick dinner at the Yishen Vegetarian Restaurant (co-ordinates N 04°35.932' E101°07.186') and put up a night at the Heritage Hotel. Incidentally, the Heritage Hotel underground car park does not have an elevator leading to the lobby, only stairs. If you have any elderly or disabled passengers, do drop them off at the front entrance before parking your car.

Anyway, the next day, I GPS-ed the way to the Pureland temple (that's what you have to type to find it on the map - actual name of Po Re Yan did not turn up on my Garmin Nuvi 300). Typical for temples in Ipoh, this one was built right up against a limestone mountain (some temples here were actually built INTO the mountains). Quite a distance off the main road (look for the sign that says "Taman Saikat"), it was quiet enough to serve as a serene mediation center to yogis.

We managed to meet up with the revered Sayalay Dipankara briefly after the yogis has their meal time, and made some offerings of dana. It was too dark to get a decent photo with my Lumix FX520 though. For occasions like these, I'd need my DSLR and sub F2.0 lens. By then, it was noon, so we had our lunch before setting off on our journey back home. Didn't want to leave too late, as that would have meant arriving late in the evening after sundown.

Just for reference and info, spending 90% of the time on the highway, my Vios (previous generation model, not the current one that looks like a "Dugong") managed to clock 620km on one full tank of BHP 95. This is with a full load of 5 adults + 1 child (and the trunk was full as well).

Well, for those of you who are interested, there will be a 10-Day Meditation Retreat by Sayalay Dipankara in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia from 16 to 25 December, 2009. Do contact them at the Cakkavala Meditation Center (Website is http://www.cakkavala.org/index.htm) if you wish to sign up. Depending on circumstances, I may sign up too, as it would be a pity to pass up such a golden opportunity to progress in one's meditation abilities....