Vipassana - 2

Hi folks!

Ever tried being aware of your breath?!

Just your normal, natural breath will do.

Try now with three continuous breaths.

1-2-3 !


Now let's see what we covered in the last blog.


In a 10-day Vipassana course, in the first three days, one learns to be aware of one's natural breath as it comes in and goes out.

The mind runs away every now and then to pleasant and unpleasant memories.

One brings it back gently.

Again.

And again.

One also learns that the body experiences physical sensations like heaviness, numbness, pain etc. etc. all the time and learns to feel this phenomenon on a given spot on the body.

This is called ANAPANA.


In VIPASSANA, one is taught to go all over one's body experiencing the sensations and learning NOT to react to them.

Thoughts and sensations come together.

Both come uninvited and unasked.

Thoughts swing us like a yoyo, enslave us.

It is difficult to control them because they have no body.

So one concentrates on the physical sensation which accompanies it on the body and remains equanimous to it.

This effectively weakens it and the stranglehold of emotions on oneself loosens.

Yes, it does!


The mind, unburdened, lives in peace and experiences harmony.

Honestly, it does!


On the 10th day, one is taught the third part of this technique called METTABHAVANA.

It means loving kindness.

In the entire course, one works only on ones own body, removing the impurities of thought as they appear in the form of sensations on its surface and inside.

One feels light and joyous and forgiving and calm.

In METTA, one meditates and distributes these happy vibrations to everyone, going beyond ones body, giving freely to friend and foe, whoever comes in front of your mind's eye.

It is an extremely powerful and moving meditation, made all the more so because here one is giving away merits earned by very hard work.

It is sheer pleasure and a new experience to come out of the course feeling empty, not even burdened by righteous thoughts and feelings of having collected merits or done great good deeds for the world.

All one does if one follows the instructions correctly is to get rid of ones own toxic emotional baggage and feel peaceful.

The surroundings and world at large automatically benifits because one starts to give out calm, happy, peaceful vibrations.


During a 10-day course, one learns a lot about oneself.

One of the pre-requisites is that one has to maintain Noble Silence for 9 days out of 10.

That is, no communicating with ones eyes or signs.

No writing or reading is allowed.

What is required, to put it simply, is to live with oneself, dig out those root causes which hamper ones progress in every field and come out lighter, aware and equanimous.

The arrangements are such that there is no need to talk at all.

I follow the one taught by Shri. Satyanarayan Goenka.

It has branches in many countries.

He follows The Buddha's dictats completely, does not waver in the teaching or the discipline.

I will give you the sites.

If you wish, and I do hope you do, you can do a course.

The most important part of Goenkaji's courses is, that they run on voluntary donation.

There is no fixed charge for boarding or lodging or the teaching.

How would one put a value on such a teaching, anyway?!



Now can you discern a difference between the Buddha's teaching and Hinduism as it came to be practised?

Even The Buddha's Teaching became an 'ism' when people stopped practising it and started merely talking about it.

Many local rituals got added to it wherever it went and the main task of going within, identifying sensations and remaining equanimous slowly took a back seat.

The practise of VIPASSANA ensures liberation to the person who practises it.

Other religions talk of saints and gods and godesses who would take one into heaven however nastily one behaved, by merely praying to them.

Vipassana definitely teaches self-accountability, therefore, it forever empowers one to be self-reliant and positive and peaceful.

Now for the sites. Do read the code of conduct before committing.

http://www.vri.dhamma.org/

For online application for 10-day courses-

www.dhamma.org/schvia.shtml



So long for now and METTA to all of you.