About MBMC

The Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre (MBMC) is a non-profit institution dedicated to the teaching of Vipassana meditation – the Buddha’s cure for all human mental maladies, the Way to the End of All Ills.

Vipassana is a Pali word often translated as Insight. Hence, Vipassana meditation is Insight or Wisdom meditation. In these times of hectic activities, pressure and competition; of greed and delusion; of envy, hatred and conflicts, Vipassana should be very much welcomed as a soothing balm to cool our burning hearts and minds. Through Vipassana, we can develop a mind that is always serene, fearless and unshakeable. More importantly, we can gain profound Insight or Wisdom that can liberate us from all suffering, the Wisdom of Non-Attachment, Non-Clinging.

MBMC was founded by the late Venerable Phra Khru Dhammabarnchanvud (Luang Por) on 11 February 1969 and the Centre was officially opened by him on 3 October 1982. It is located at 355 Jalan Masjid Negeri (formerly known as Green Lane), 11600 Penang, Malaysia. It is adjacent to the Convent Green Lane Secondary School. The Centre is a three-storey building with spacious meditation halls and a large compound. The ladies’ quarters are sited in separate buildings (called ‘kutis’) nearby.

There are various traditions of Buddhist meditation based on the Buddha’s Teachings, leading ultimately to the supreme goal of Liberation. In MBMC, we practise the method laid down by the eminent Monk and Meditation Master, the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw Aggamahapandita of the famed Mahasi Meditation Centre, Yangon, Myanmar.

MBMC has the good fortune to have many illustrious meditation teachers who visited and taught Vipassana meditation at the Centre. Among them are Tipitaka Sayadaw U Vicittasabhivamsa; Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa; Sayadaw U Wayaminda; Sayadaw U Thondara; Sayadaw U Nanaponika and Sayadaw U Pannathami. Besides the above visiting Sayadaws, MBMC is also fortunate to have Sayadaws who resided in the Centre as Religious Advisors and Meditation Teachers.

The worldly problems of MBMC are managed by the Board of Management, while the Sangha takes care of the religious and meditation matters. The Board with the excellent support from the devotees and guidance from the Sangha, had organised annual events such as the Wesak Day celebration; the Vassa Entry; the Kathina Robe Offering ceremony and the Novitiate for Samanera/Sikkhavati. Besides these events, the Centre also conducts the weekly Sunday Dhamma School for the young; Friday Evening Meditation Class; and runs a library which is well-stocked with Buddhist books and literature.

Biography of the Founder


Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre (MBMC) was founded on 11 February 1969 by the late Venerable Abhidhammapalanana Thera, (who was also known as Phra Khru Dhammabarnchanvud). The late Venerable was MBMC’s inaugural Chief Abbot. He was an able missionary who was sent to Malaya to propagate Buddhism in Penang. He established MBMC and constructed the main 3-storey building in Green Lane, Penang.

Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre owes immeasurable gratitude to the late Venerable. It was also his guidance, teaching and exemplary selfless devotion that the activities and publication of Dhamma books had been possible. He stressed on the practical application of the Dhamma in daily living to achieve liberation through the practice of Vipassana meditation. The late Venerable also taught Abhidhamma in MBMC. Hence, with the birth of MBMC, the teaching of Vipassana meditation took root and spread throughout the country. MBMC has since been recognised as the premier Vipassana meditation centre in the country.

The late Venerable Abhidhammapalanana Thera passed away on 20 March 2012 in Thailand.

History of Resident Sayadaws

MBMC is fortunate to have an illustrious line of Sayadaws residing in MBMC as Religious Advisors as well as Meditation Teachers to teach Vipassana meditation. Among the Sayadaws who resided in MBMC were:



No.SayadawFromTo
 1. Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Pannathami (Chief Religious Advisor)     1984 -
 2. Ven. Sayadaw Dr Ashin Dhammapiya           1985  1990 
 3. Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Rajinda  1990   1992
 4. Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Pandita 2000  2003 
 5. Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Vaṇṇissara 2002  2003 
 6. Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Thuzana 2003  2010 
 7. Ven. Sayadaw U Pannananda 2012 -

Sayadaw U Pannananda (Meditation Teacher)

Sayadaw U Pannananda was born in  1958. He received higher ordination at the age of twenty. He graduated with Sasanadhaja Dhammacariya and is a disciple of Ovadacariya Sayadawgyi U Panditabhivamsa of Panditarama Golden Hill Meditation Centre in Myanmar. Sayadaw studied and practised the Vipassana Meditation under Ovadacariya Sayadawgyi U Panditabhivamsa.

Sayadaw U Pannananda also taught Vipassana Meditation and gave Dhamma talks as an assistant meditation teacher while he stayed in the Panditarama Golden Hill Meditation Centre. He was  Dhamma lecturer in Myanmar from 1982 to 1994. While at Maha Bodhi Temple, he was a pariyatti teacher. He is also an experienced Abhidhamma teacher.

In 1997, he came to Malaysia under the instruction of Ovadacariya Sayadawgyi U Panditabhivamsa to teach Vipassana Meditation in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. He was the religious advisor cum resident monk of Vipassana Meditation  Centre in Singapore from 1999 to February 2012.  Sayadaw U Pannananda is presently the  Kammatthanacariya or meditation teacher in Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre, Penang

Board of Management

MBMC is managed by a 13-member board of management comprising  laypeople. Past chairmen of the board were the late Dr Yeoh Eu Hock and the late Mr Saw Choo Aik.

Regular Activities

Annually, the following activities are carried out in MBMC:-


  • Year-round intensive meditation for local and foreign yogis.
  • Weekly Friday part-time meditation classes.
  • One-Day meditation programme on every last Sunday of each month.
  • Sunday Dhamma School for children
  • Uposatha Day  (fortnightly)
  • Wesak Day  (A blood donation is usually done in conjunction with this Day.)
  • Vassa-Entry by members of the Sangha and Sayalays.
  • Kathina Day
  • Samanera / Sikkhavati Novitiate Programme  (This 2-weeks programme is usually held at the year-end school holidays.)

Others

MBMC offers reasonably comfortable accommodation and nutritious food to the resident Sangha, Sayalays and fulltime meditating yogis. MBMC library has a good collection of Lord Buddha’s Dhamma books. The library also has a complete set of the Pali Text. There is a very wide range of Dhamma books in English as well as in Mandarin. Dhamma talks in cassette tapes, CDs and video tapes are easily available in the library.

MBMC is a member of the national Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia.

MBMC Interior & Exterior Photo