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Vipassana: Notes from Spiritual Boot Camp
I recently returned from a ten day meditation "retreat" at one of S.N. Goenka's Vipassana Centres. This was no relaxing vacation. At Vipassana, I delved into the dark depths of my psyche and came out with a profound attitude adjustment that helped me to find the root cause of a mysterious illness and improved my ability to stay calm. Making the choice to attend Vipassana was one of the most important things I have ever done. This essay is my attempt to encourage readers to consider giving it a try. Courses are offered all over the world for free on a donation-only basis (including room and board!) Though the enthusiasm of attendees is sometimes so strong that others wonder if it's a cult, there is no dogma involved and nothing to join. There is no need to give up any worldly possessions or your current religion. There are no rites, rituals, ceremonies, or scripture. The purpose of Vipassana is simply to share a powerful and effective meditation technique. Attendees are asked to follow a code of discipline which includes the precept of noble silence. There is no talking, gesturing, or eye contact with other students until the last day of the course (though you can talk to a teacher if you need to.) There are no books, no music, no writing, no computers, and almost no distractions to keep you from really going inside yourself. The first few days are spent simply sitting while attempting to clear the mind of thoughts by focusing on natural breath and the physical sensation of it going in and out through the nostrils. There are no mantras or visualization techniques like with other forms of meditation. The focus is simply on observing reality as it is. Clearing the mind of thoughts isn't easy, and students are asked to calmly observe the thoughts that do come up without reacting emotionally to them. This also isn't easy, and emotional outbursts are normal. I cried in pain and joy many times but found my ability to stay equanimous (a word used frequently during the course) improved each day. The idea behind equanimity is that every physical sensation, every thought, and every situation in life is temporary, so why react? If we can learn to stay balanced emotionally (through both highs and lows!) we are happier. A strong focus is put on locating and dissolving sankharas, a word that's difficult to translate but roughly means mental defilements. Any craving or aversion to anything is considered a sankhara, because wanting what you don't have at this moment or not wanting what you do have at this moment is essentially a non-acceptance of reality as it is. When we stop feeling cravings and aversion (and thus accept reality) the old sankharas start peeling off like layers of an onion. On the fourth day a new meditation technique is introduced which involves simply scanning the body mentally observing any physical sensations along the way whether they be pleasant or painful, subtle or intense. When pain is experienced, students are encouraged to simply sit still with it and observe how it feels as closely as possible. Most people do their best to avoid pain (or hide from it using painkillers) but really soaking in the reality of it brings up difficult emotional truths. When these truths are truly faced honestly and head-on, real healing can begin. The first day of focusing on the reality of the body was very difficult for me because I was experiencing a lot of pain in my belly from a long-standing (and frustratingly mysterious) intestinal disorder. I was upset about the sounds my digestive system was making and my mind spiraled downward in aversion and embarrassment. At this point, we were reminded to fully accept reality at is ("not as you would like it to be") and I decided to simply give into the truth of the pain and anxiety I was experiencing. The attitude shift towards total acceptance of the reality of my condition was the beginning of its healing (something no doctor or special diet could help me with!) I realized that the illness was initially created by stress but persisted because of the stress that the condition itself caused. Shame turned into tender self-acceptance and I could feel things shifting internally. This experience felt miraculous and I continue to recover beautifully. Everyone has a different experience at Vipassana, but by the seventh day I was feeling great and could sense bioelectric currents racing up and down through my body during meditation. I needed less sleep and felt cleared of many deep seated childhood issues that I hadn't been aware were affecting my life so much. It's liberating to realize how many aspects of the "personalities" we are so identified with are really just dysfunctional defense mechanisms that we can change through honest observation! I also felt a deeper connection to the oneness of everything and further understanding of reality that makes it far easier to accept everything (and everyone!) as is. These are concepts that I understood intellectually, but meditation has helped me experience these truths to the point where I developed real faith in the perfection of the Universe (despite all the apparent chaos here on Earth.) These truths are hard to explain in words and the aim of Vipassana isn't to tell anyone what to believe. Instead, it presents a valuable technique anyone can use to discover (and experience) healing and profound truths first hand. Vipassana is truly a gift to humanity. I feel blessed to have discovered it. Links: Vipassana Meditation Website http://www.dhamma.org the official homepage of Goenka's Vipassana organization, including more information about where to where to attend a course. The Art of Living http://www.dhamma.org/art.htm an article adapted from Goenka's talks that gives the basics of Vipassana philosophy. Wholehealthmd.com: Meditation http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,717,00.html an article from a medical website with more information about the medically and scientifically proven benefits of meditation, including relief from stress and pain.
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