Monday 17 March 2008

Vipassana


Vipassana is a technique of introspection preserved by monks. This Indian origin type of meditation has been used and passed on for years together. Its detailed history is available on any search engine and if anyone wishes to take this course, you can log on their website http://www.dhamma.org/.

Its main branch (referred as “Pagoda of Dhammagiri”) is at Igatpuri: a small town between Mumbai and Nashik cities. This technique requires minimum of 10 days stay away from your routine life. Out of curiosity and honestly, to some extent because it was totally non-religious and non-traditional, I choose to take this course.

One has to resist all types of communications and keep mute during all these days. Those who know me are in for a shock! I did that!!! I didn’t utter a word, nor did I communicate through actions for all the 10 days. You start your day as early as 4.30 a.m. and have only one meal per day. It sounds difficult but when you have nothing to do, even this is at times more than required. In my opinion, no activities, no communication, 10-12 hours meditation per day leaves you with nothing but introspection.

They say vipassana is so powerful that when you get it right, your concentration doubles, your endurance for physical pain increases and your temper gets chilled. I would be lying if I refuse even one of these effects. And in case there has been a guilty past, or unfortunate tragedy, or a failed venture, one finds solutions because of thorough peace of mind.

I am too young to experience any of these possibilities. But now am not apprehensive about any if at all it happens. I could inculcate very positive changes in myself after this course. I would recommend everyone to experience the happiness you get when everything seems so clear and simple even if it isn’t! :-)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

happiness you get when everything seems so clear and simple even if it isn’t! :-)

I have never been to Vipasana but something about your concluding line (italicised text above) does not seem right.

Happiness we get

that means happiness we GET from outside... the source of it is somewhere else and we GET it from somewhere?

No.

We discover happiness with in us. Its not about getting, its about finding something thats there with in us ... just that we didnt know it.

everything seems so clear and simple even if it isn’t


No

we find ... we start seeing the simplicty in everything that seemed not so simple...

It's actually very simple, just that we made things too complicated and complex applying our own minds (intellectualising).

Its the same difference thats there between using your intellect and intellectualising.


When we go to Vipasana, we are quite, because that cuts us off external disturbances, something thats important to connect to the inner self, you connect to the inner self and you find happiness and simplicity. These are inherent ... just that we didnt see these...


Thanks,
Infinite

Snigdha Shevade said...

I agree that most of the times we make things complicated.Thats the reason why I said the sentence in italics! Actually, we are so classically conditioned to sympathise ourselves that we seldom realise the problems arent problems at all. And in case there are problems then there is no point cribbing about it being difficult to tackle, coz if it werent that, it wouldnt be a problem in the first place! :-D

And in my opinion, happiness is more a state of mind. And we systematically kill it by sympathy or cursing our luck or some fatal ways like that! "Everything seems so clear and simple even if it isnt" is actually a taunt to the people who have these tendencies!! ;-) :-D

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