About >> International Meditation Centre

International Meditation Centre

The International Meditation Centre (IMC) was founded to promote the practice of Theravāda Buddhist Vipassanā meditation as taught by the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The practice aims to develop a calm mind leading to the realisation of Nibbāna.

From the time of the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago, Buddhist meditation has mainly been practised within the monastic order. Sayagyi U Ba Khin encountered the teachings as a layman and realised the importance of Buddhist meditation to modern man. He had a unique ability to teach laypeople meditation. Sayagyi U Ba Khin became a highly respected meditation teacher in Burma (Myanmar). He taught students from all over the world until his demise in January 1971.

From then until her demise in January 2017 his leading disciple, Mother Sayamagyi, carried on the tradition. She taught meditation for more than sixty years. Together with her late husband, Sayagyi U Chit Tin, they established further International Meditation Centres worldwide.

Mother Sayamagyi and Sayagyi U Chit Tin taught the first ten-day course in Singapore in 1984. In 2022, the first ten-day course was held in Malaysia. Ten-day residential meditation courses are currently held at least once a year either in Singapore or Malaysia. They begin on a Friday evening and end early on a Monday morning. These 10-day courses are currently led by Mother Sayamagyi′s disciple Mr Roger Bischoff. Anyone who comes with an open mind can gain the necessary confidence in the technique. The benefits will be proportional to the amount of balanced effort made. The students attending the meditation courses come from all walks of life, professions, religions and cultural backgrounds.

Documentary on IMC Yangon in 1957