International Meditation Centre - Calne

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I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to IMC (International Meditation Center) for opening up an incredible lifelong journey for me. I extend my sincere thanks to all the people who make their voluntary contribution to transforming individuals through the deep practice of Vipassana meditation. From the moment of arrival to departure, at every stage and minute, they did everything to ensure we were as comfortable as possible in this challenging, sometimes very difficult but incredibly rewarding transformation of the personality.

I would like to highlight the incredibly beautiful grounds of the center and the comfortable living conditions. Many thanks to everyone who prepared the wonderful food for us, through which I realized that one can eat without meat, and it is delicious! I want to thank every participant who walked this path with me and was a part of it.

A new path has been opened for me, and I have been given tools that I hope to carry through my entire life to be kinder, more loving, and attentive to everything around me. By doing so, I will make my life better, calmer, and happier!

This is an experience I can recommend to everyone, no matter what stage of life they are in! And of course, heartfelt thanks to our teacher Mr Roger Bischoff for his attentiveness, sincerity, support, and incredible sense of humor as we embarked on this journey!

I could write much more in detail, but it’s better to walk this path yourself without any expectations. Everything you need will be available to you after the course! Anicca!

Best wishes
Pavlo Rudomotov

Anwar Ravjani

I loved the place, the food, the meditation hall but I found the teachings problematic, I felt it lacked nuance and compassion and wasn't tailored to the people who were sitting.

Unnecessary literal reading of the scriptures mentioning abortion was immoral and homosexuality was immoral. Why even mention it on a retreat over Christmas where we all just came to meditate and experience ourselves. I just wanted to sit, the teaching ruined it for me. All they need to say was 'abstain from sexual conduct' while at the retreat. I felt sorry for any woman sitting there who had to hear abortion is immoral' there was just no need for it. I'll never go back. Zero compassion.

Clive Freeman

Spending ten days in silence, up at 4am, ten hours a day sat cross-legged on the floor paying intense attention to your own breath or your body's sensations is not going to everyone's cup of tea. Half of the new attendees on my course left before the end. But over two thirds were returnees, several having been here at least ten times. So if this is your thing - or you think it might be - then I can highly recommend the IMC and its teachers. Food was excellent (vegetarian), accommodation sparse but comfortable (you will be sharing a room with others). The instruction was quiet, limited, but excellent, with discourses twice a day seeming to be very timely, addressing just the things you were facing in your meditation. All in all, even though there were times I felt I wanted to leave, I didn't, and I'm so glad I didn't. Truly a life-changing experience.

Evelyne Morlot

Great experience on site, but problematic in many ways.

I have been a student of Roger Bischoff for many years. I cannot thank him enough for what meditation has brought to my life: a deep feeling of joy gained me after every course.

However, I find that IMC has not drawn a clear line between religion and secular in their practice of meditation. It is supposedly secular, yet the presence of a Pagoda, chanting prayers at the beginning of every course and discourses from the Buddha made it difficult for me, a western catholic person, to understand my place within this tradition. It has created and still creates a lot of tension in my mind.

The way people dress (traditional burmese skirt) is a form of cultural appropriation which has always bothered me.There is also a deification of the two members who made up the Vipassana course, SAYAGYI U BA KHIN AND MOTHER SAYAMAGYI.

IMC is a recent tradition if we compare it to the history of meditation and buddhism, and I hope they will make the necessary changes to be more true to the buddhist philosophy.

Despite all of that, I am forever grateful to IMC, but I have decided not to go back there.

Julia Hediger

Traditional Buddhist Meditation Centre with beautiful Pagoda. Kindly recommend you to have a ten day meditation course. The teacher, Roger Bischoff so confident and kind. The Vegetarian food all these 10 days just fantastic! I'm keeping coming here since 2010 and any season of the year here is always peaceful, cosy and beautiful. Keep calm, meditate in IMC UK, Heddington.

Surge_ Of_Change

If there were Heavens on Earth then this would be the place. You will find all the peace, calm and happiness here. Don't look anywhere else.
I did my 10 day vipassana retreat here and found my true blessings. To find such an amazing place on this planet is one of them.

Ruaridh Phillips

Stayed on a 10 day silent retreat here a couple of years ago. The teachers are very caring and sincere and teachings of great spiritual value. A very calming location with space and silence in which to reflect.
Plenty of meditation cushions and chairs were supplied also.
This Buddhist group seems much less dogmatic and strict than others I have visited previously.
They also served traditional Thai/Burmese food throughout the course, which was excellent!

Diane Bond

The course held at the Centre is very good you can expect to be up at 4 am and in bed by 9 pm to simply allow enough time to fit in 8 to 10 hours of Meditation per day.
This is a lot but it will mean you leave the Centre able to Meditate as every one wishes they could with out the Mind wandering.
The course is very well organised.
One person wrote on their review that a lot of the Class left? it was probably because the people only there for the weekend leave on the Monday whilst the people on 10 day course stay.
Because one is in Noble Silence during the stay chatting would not have made this obvious.
The food is very good and they try their best to help if there is some thing special you require.
This course is hard work, but worth the result.
DO complete your Covid test before setting off, a couple travelled from Scotland tested positive on arrival at the centre and was turned away.
Could you imagine if they had not been tested by the Centre?
Which is why Test before you set off as advised!
If you travel by car and have time visit the Chalk Horse at Cherhill 10 mins away and Avebury Circle 15 minutes away.
🙂