AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Tucked into the cool highlands of Puncak in West Java, Yayasan Satipatthana Indonesia—known as ISMC Bakom (Indonesia Satipatthana Meditation Center)—is a non-profit Buddhist retreat center dedicated to mindfulness meditation. Set on a two-hectare compound in the village of Bakom at 600–800 meters elevation, the center welcomes Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike for free, donation-supported retreats ranging from three to ten days. With its Dhamma Hall accommodating up to 150 practitioners, simple kuti cabins, and the quiet embrace of Sundanese hill-country, it offers a genuine digital-detox and spiritual immersion just a few hours from Jakarta.↗↗↗
What Is Satipatthana?
The word satipatthana means foundations of mindfulness and refers to the Buddha's own instructions in the Satipatthana Sutta on how to develop awareness. At ISMC Bakom, the practice is deceptively simple: you observe the body in its four postures—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—and note what arises at the six sense doors (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking). Teachers, called Sayadaws, guide participants step by step through the process. The method is open to everyone regardless of religious background; its aim, the center explains, is simply to expand consciousness and bring practitioners face to face with their own mind.
