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From: ridgerunner (socks.xmission.com)
Subject: Just completed a 10-day meditation retreat
Date: June 17, 2005 at 10:56 am PST
At the California Vipassana Center (there are many other centers all over the world). This was my 4th course completed. Attending a meditation retreat is a wonderful experience for those who wish to work seriously towards purifying their minds to become more happy, peaceful and harmonious people. This tradition of Vipassana Meditation (see: www.dhamma.org) is non-sectarian - that is, there is no "ism" associated with its practice. Anyone from any background can practice. Buddha did not wish to start a new religion - out of compassion he wanted to show people a simple technique they can use to achieve liberation like he did. This tradition keeps things pure and simple. The 10-day retreats are designed to provide proper training in the Vipassana meditation technique. During the course, you must follow the Code of Discipline - Here are some highlights... - You maintain noble silence for the first 9 days. No communication of any kind (verbal or otherwise) between students is allowed. However, you may ask questions of the teacher regarding the technique and you may ask questions of the management regarding facilities and accommodations.
- All students must follow five moral precepts: Abstain from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct and taking intoxicants.
- Complete segregation between men and women is maintained for the duration of the course. Although they do meditate together in the same hall, they are on separate sides. Separate living and eating quarters are provided.
- The courses are free. That is, they are run purely on donations from old students who have completed a course and have decided to give so that future students may also benefit. None of the teachers or management receive any money for their work. The "servers" who do all the work (cooking, cleaning, etc) are old students who freely give their service expecting nothing (but Dhamma) in return. Its a non-profit, donation-funded, all-volunteer organization.
- The technique is very simple: For the first three days, you calm and concentrate your mind by focusing awareness on the simple natural breath in the area in and around your nostrils. For the remaining days, you focus on becoming aware of physical bodily sensations while maintaining equanimity - that is, you practice observing sensations without generating craving or aversion. Once you are equanimous and no longer generating new mental defilements, old stores of mental defilements arise from the depths of the subconscious, manifest as physical sensations, then are eradicated once and for all once observed with no craving or aversion. In this manner, the mind gradually becomes purified. This technique uses no imagination - no mantra, no chanting, no visualizations to aid in concentrating the mind (although the teacher does chant at certain times during the day to provide good vibrations). The object of the focus of your mind is simply the true reality of what is actually going on inside your body from moment to moment - as it is. Although simple, its not easy! But it is universal and acceptable to everyone.
- The 10-day course focuses on actual work (meditation) and the schedule is quite rigorous with more than 10 hours of meditation per day. A one hour "Dhamma talk" discourse is given each evening to explain various aspects of the technique (why we use breath and sensations, problems that arise, the four noble truths, the eightfold noble path, the five aggregates, the importance of awareness and equanimity, etc). This is in the form of DVD video recordings of S.N. Goenka taken from a course he taught back in 1991. I can say from personal experience that these talks are absolutely wonderful and make a whole lot of sense when you hear them.
- The food is 100% vegetarian (and is also vegan friendly). If you are vegan like me, you can notify the staff before the course and they will label the foods that are non-vegan so there is no doubt. Every breakfast includes a cooked hot cereal (oatmeal, etc) with fruit and every lunch includes a leafy green salad and usually cooked greens as well (Fuhrman-friendly!). The bottom line: the veggie-only grub is excellent!
After reading the recent flurry of activity here on the Buddhism forum, I couldn't help but want to share my experience with this wonderful Buddhist tradition. For an overview of this Vipassana Meditation technique, check out the excellent article: "The Art of Living". May all beings be Happy!
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