About Baan Bhavana

This story is how events in my life led me to create the Baan Bhavana facility and its importance in many lives.

During 1997 the Asian financial crisis (Tom Yam Kung) started in Thailand was caused by monetary indiscipline.  It was at this time I thought that I needed to develop and educate myself for a better qualification so that I could survive in this more complicated world. In 1999 I undertook a two-year course, an Executive MBA.      I hoped that I could gain the business knowledge and improve my working ability and life skills. I graduated with an MBA in 2001 and secured a respected job in an international firm, but I was not happy as I expected.

During 2001 my wife insisted I attend a 7-day Vipassana (Insight Meditation) course. The course changed me; I quit smoking and drinking and I learnt the nature of the truth and saw things in a new light. Since then I have been practicing insight meditation and try to use the Buddhist theory of mindfulness whenever I can.  I realized that the MBA helped me secure employment to make a living, but it did not teach me the art of living in the spiritual world.  I am now continuing to practice insight meditation and seeing the happenings of the world as phenomena of nature.

In 2007, my wife had an operation and she suffered considerably from the medical treatments. She is a Catholic, but has been learning and practicing Vipassana (Insight Meditation) daily. Because of this she has handled the pain well and dealt with the suffering in a very calm manner. During my wife’s hospitalization I learnt that the illness is caused by the modern ways of living and our lifestyles. I also learnt that city lifestyle is not good for our health.  It was a fortunate that my brother in law shared part of his beautiful piece of land and I was able to build a vacation home at Khao Yai, where the world heritage Khao Yai National Park is located. According to the NASA ozone map, this area is ranked no. 7 in the world for the high content of oxygen.

In 2008, the sub-Prime crisis caused an economic downturn in the US. After the Yellow Shirt protests at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in December 2008, I was asked to leave the company. This did not upset me as I knew that I would leave the company sooner or later. I was lucky that I’d learnt and understood the nature of truth; I accepted this change with calmness.  I thought it was positive that I was out of a job because I had the time to build a family vacation home at Khao Yai.   Therefore, I sold my house in Bangkok and build a vacation home in Khao Yai in mid 2009.

Bhavana is a Pali and Sanskrit word which literally means development, becoming cultivated and productive within the concept of Buddhist practice.  The word Bhavana normally appears in conjunction with another word forming a compound phrase such as Citta-Bhavana (the development or cultivation of the heart/mind). At Baan Bhavana we like to develop and practice mindfulness and insight meditation. The retreat was built to accommodate our lifestyles and daily activities include morning/evening chanting, insight meditation, Cankama (walking meditation), reading Buddhist books, cooking healthy food, and organic gardening. We enjoy the nature and wish to live peacefully for the rest of our lives. This is a “Sappaya” (favorable) place for meditation practicing or just relaxes and enjoys clean air and beautiful nature.  This will be the place for me to stay and practice meditation after I retire from work and enjoy a fruitful and fulfilling life.  I am grateful to be fulfilling my dream and would like to share the facilities to whom have similar interests.

For the meditator

Today you have free accommodation and food from the kindest donation from others.  And to give other people the same opportunity, you are invited to donate by faith.

For reservation, please contact:

Phone: +66.8.646.3590 | +66.9.3124.5945

Email: v.songjarone@gmail.com; c.songjaroen@gmail.com;