The following comes directly from Ven. Moneyya at the monastery in Mawlamyine:
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Foreign meditators who enter Myanmar on a tourist visa have recently experienced difficulty in applying for an extension (stay permit).
It is therefore strongly recommended that all foreigners who wish to stay at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery for more than one month obtain a Pa-Auk Sponsorship Letter and use this Sponsorship Letter to apply for a one-month entry visa or a three-month meditation visa. Either one of these two types of visas can be used to apply for up to a one-year extension.
To obtain a Sponsorship Letter, please write directly to Pa-Auk Forest Monastery, attention U Kundadhāna or U Candimā, Mawlamyine – Mon State, Myanmar.
A message from a concerned colleague:
Kim,
I 've heard twice in the last two days that one can no longer enter Myanmar with a tourist visa and have it extended beyond the one month limit. In order to stay more than a month, a visitor must have either a meditation visa or an entry visa.
It seems this is being strictly enforced.
Take care,
jesse
Dear Friends,
Robert Cusick has landed safely in Burma, and was ordained on July 14th. His name is now Ven. Sunnata Gavesaka Bhikkhu. He is well.
Unfortunately his computer was stolen from his luggage during the trip over there, so all of the addresses he compiled are gone.
If you would like to be added to a list we are developing for him, please send your name and address and phone number, and email address to Owen Sayres at sayreot@excite.com. Owen will be compiling this information over the next few weeks and then send the list to Bhante.
Meanwhile, if you would like to write to our new American monk, his address is
Ven. Sunnata Gavesaka Bhikkhu
Pa Auk Tawya Monastery
Pa Auk Post Office
Mawlamyine (Mon State)
MYANMAR
With Metta,
Kim McLaughlin
Our colleagues in Singapore at the Visuddha Meditation Center have undertaken to build a new Meditation Hall in Singapore. We're posting this notice so that anyone interested will have the opportunity to contribute.
The Visuddha sitePlease see the "Donation" section at the Visuddha site for more details.
