Zen Meditation Chairs

Vipassana Meditation?

Is it worth it to do a 10 day Vipassana course?

Yes. It is good. I attended a 10 day retreat in Illinois. First of all, it is not a wacky cult. It is a meditation technique that can be used by people of all religions. You will be fed VERY well. OMG, the food is fabulous. You will be safe. The boys and girls paths never meet. You meditate in the same room, but you dont look at one another. As far as it being intense…well…it is different from what we are accustom to. You check your cell phone at the door, and there are no books to read – no tv – no talking…not even gesturing to one another. If you have ever been intriqued by the life of monks (as I have) then this is a taste of that lifestyle. Very peaceful.

In Illinois, you share a room with a roomate (same sex of course). You share a bath and toilet (though it has a locking door) and in a shared space you have a sink and closet space. Then, you have your own room (with closing door) which has a bed, a chair, and room for your suitcase. In Texas I understand you have totally private “cells.” I say cells – not because its like a prison, but because its like a monk’s cell.

There is nothing “coming in” for you to see or dwell on. You are taught to concentrate on your breath rather than dwell on the myriad of things the mind constantly chatters about. You learn the technique to concentrate on the breath, and you do nothing but that for four or five days….meditating for many hours per day. It is not hard. It is not at all intense. If anything, its boring. But if you are serious from the beginning and work hard to return to concentration of the breath when your mind drifts off to think of other things – and it will – then you might reach your goal.

On about the 5th day, you start to learn the technique. Again, its not at all hard, nor intense. You just follow the directions. In a couple of days, the technique is taken to its final step. And I have to tell you, it is freakin awesome. The mind is a powerful thing. In 10 days I learned to do things with my mind that I thought would take a lifetime to master. It is way cool and it is most definately worth it. It is only intense because no one thinks they can stay quiet that long. And many people cant stand a quiet room. I always loved the silence. But then I learned that most people really dont like the constant chatter in their minds…but instead of turning it off, they choose to drown it out – with their tv or ipod. But Vipassana teaches you how to turn that off so you can connect with your true self…and some say, with God.

At your age, if you started meditating now and kept up the practice, you would have a tremendous advantage over most people who are the slaves to an unconscious ego driven chattering monkey mind.

When you are ready to go, email me and I will give you some more pointers that will help you to reach your goal…the highest you can hope to attain in 10 days. Feel free to email me at any time with any questions. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry. Some of the criticism I have read says it was cultish because they wont let you wander off, and they know where you are at all times. This is just for safety. They do watch you, and come looking for you if you are not where you are suppose to be. Some people dont like that, but it should give your parents some reassurnce that you will definately be safe.

Do I have criticisms? Yes, I do…I thought Goenka was annoying and liked to hear the sound of his own voice. I also did not agree with everything he said. But that is no reason to avoid Vipassana.

One more thing. I am being initiated in Kriya Yoga this week-end. Goenka said some people are just seekers going from one technique to the next – and never making progress in any of them. He said, whether it is Vipassana or another path, just do it. Start a meditation practice and continue on it so thet you can master your mind, rather than the other way around. I agree with that. However, after reading The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, and 2 books by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, I am intrigued by this other path. I suspect I will go the way of Kriya Yoga. But I will try it in earnest and then decide between the two. If you are interested, I will compare them for you. But read Yogananda’s autobiography too, since you have a while before you go on your 10 day. It is fascinating.

Western science is finally catching up and starting to prove what the Eastern sages have known for centuries. You are on the right path, Grasshopper.

Vipassana Meditation Short Intro

The Discourse Summaries: Talks from a Ten-Day Course in Vipassana Meditation… $6.78

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