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A discussion board with past participants, whether they finished the course or not.
Vipassana retreats
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Chin-Chin
- Posts: 269
- https://cutt.ly/meble-kuchenne-wroclaw
- Joined: Thu 20 Apr 2006 20:51
- Location: France
Chin Chin:
Thanks a bunch! The text from the blog was very interesting, and gave me a good picture about what to expect from the Vipassana retreat. Some of the posts in the discussion thread you are referring to were interesting as well, although I get the feeling that a lot of the critics in that thread simply did not have the discipline it takes.
Please keep us posted on whatever other Vipassana findings you come across!
Thanks a bunch! The text from the blog was very interesting, and gave me a good picture about what to expect from the Vipassana retreat. Some of the posts in the discussion thread you are referring to were interesting as well, although I get the feeling that a lot of the critics in that thread simply did not have the discipline it takes.
Please keep us posted on whatever other Vipassana findings you come across!
There is definitely something to be said about completing a Vipassana course.
You need to have the discipline and determination and then it is exactly the right thing at the right time.
I've also noticed that all people with a negative attitude towards it did not complete a 10 day course... They weren't ready for it and since they didn't stay they did not reap the benefits which sometimes only appear on the last day or even once you get back to the real world!
You need to have the discipline and determination and then it is exactly the right thing at the right time.
I've also noticed that all people with a negative attitude towards it did not complete a 10 day course... They weren't ready for it and since they didn't stay they did not reap the benefits which sometimes only appear on the last day or even once you get back to the real world!
The registrator of the Swedish Vipassana organization called me up a couple of days ago, and I got a chance to ask her some questions about the retreat and how I could prepare myself for it. She recommended the book "The art of living" by William Hart, which I have been reading over and over again during the last days. What a great read! Anyone who is interested in Vipassana should definitely pick it up, as each chapter is finished with a Q&A section with Mr Goenka, and these are all very straight forward and interesting.
Yes Andyville, "the Art of Living" is a great book! I bought it after my first course but it would have been great to have it before!
Something you could do is get and watch the video "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana". It's a documentary about the biggest prison in India where the director decided to introduce vipassana for the prisoners. The results are amazing. The video is very touching.
In some cities there are informal Vipassana sitting groups that show the video now and then. You may also join these groups to reinforce your practice once you have completed a 10 day course.
Something you could do is get and watch the video "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana". It's a documentary about the biggest prison in India where the director decided to introduce vipassana for the prisoners. The results are amazing. The video is very touching.
In some cities there are informal Vipassana sitting groups that show the video now and then. You may also join these groups to reinforce your practice once you have completed a 10 day course.
Corinne:
I'm currently on my third read through of "The art of living", and it makes more and more sense. In fact, the whole philosophy of Vipassana is very appealing to me. Some quotes that I've found particularly interesting so far:
"Meditators develop the faculty of concentration not in order to experience bliss or ecstacy, but rather to forge the mind into an instrument with which to examine their own reality and to remove the conditioning that causes their suffering. This is right concentration."
"In fact we are drunk with our own ignorance and illusions, and so we keep straying into past or future, craving or aversion. We cannot remain on the straight path of sustained awareness."
"If we are unaware of our present actions, we are condemned to repeating the mistakes of the past and can never succeed in attaining our dreams for the future."
I was aware of the film you mentioned, but I haven't been able to find it. However, I know that there are informal meetings here in Stockholm every now and then, and as soon as I've finished my retreat I think I'm going to start attending these, especially if they will show the film. There's no such thing as seeing a movie for free, right?
Maybe if you've come a long way on the path of the Buddha, they'll give you free popcorn as well....
*faints from excitement*
I'm currently on my third read through of "The art of living", and it makes more and more sense. In fact, the whole philosophy of Vipassana is very appealing to me. Some quotes that I've found particularly interesting so far:
"Meditators develop the faculty of concentration not in order to experience bliss or ecstacy, but rather to forge the mind into an instrument with which to examine their own reality and to remove the conditioning that causes their suffering. This is right concentration."
"In fact we are drunk with our own ignorance and illusions, and so we keep straying into past or future, craving or aversion. We cannot remain on the straight path of sustained awareness."
"If we are unaware of our present actions, we are condemned to repeating the mistakes of the past and can never succeed in attaining our dreams for the future."
I was aware of the film you mentioned, but I haven't been able to find it. However, I know that there are informal meetings here in Stockholm every now and then, and as soon as I've finished my retreat I think I'm going to start attending these, especially if they will show the film. There's no such thing as seeing a movie for free, right?
Maybe if you've come a long way on the path of the Buddha, they'll give you free popcorn as well.... *faints from excitement*
Corinne:
Do you know about any other books that might be good reading before a retreat? I found this one on Amazon, which is supposed to be a collection of writings by Goenka. Since it has no reviews whatsoever, I'm a bit suspicious...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/192870 ... 17?ie=UTF8
Do you know about any other books that might be good reading before a retreat? I found this one on Amazon, which is supposed to be a collection of writings by Goenka. Since it has no reviews whatsoever, I'm a bit suspicious...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/192870 ... 17?ie=UTF8
Hi Andy,
I haven't read any of these books...But good for you that you bought them.
I went relativly unprepared to the Vipassana.
My inspiration?
The experience of a dear friend.
LEt me say though that a Vipasana course will give you exactly what you need at the moment you need it whether prepared or not before hand.
No matter what it will be a unique and new experience to be lived in the present.
Live the adventure of Dhamma.
I haven't read any of these books...But good for you that you bought them.
I went relativly unprepared to the Vipassana.
My inspiration?
The experience of a dear friend.
LEt me say though that a Vipasana course will give you exactly what you need at the moment you need it whether prepared or not before hand.
No matter what it will be a unique and new experience to be lived in the present.
Live the adventure of Dhamma.
Corinne:
Thanks a lot. I must say that since I slowly started to accept the path of dhamma, after going through extreme phases of skepticism, my life has changed quite drastically, and I believe this is just the beginning. I believe that Vipassana might be the turning point my life has needed so badly for a long time.
Thanks a lot. I must say that since I slowly started to accept the path of dhamma, after going through extreme phases of skepticism, my life has changed quite drastically, and I believe this is just the beginning. I believe that Vipassana might be the turning point my life has needed so badly for a long time.
Corinne:
Again, thanks a lot. My couirse is running from July 26 - August 6. I will definitely post my experiences here, for anyone who might be interested to read. Until then, I am trying to get through as much as possible of the litterature that I have mentioned in previous posts. Some of the concpepts of dhamma are obviously quite hard to grasp, but I have a feeling that everything will come together once one starts practicing. That seems to be one of the most fundamental laws of dhamma; that everyone must experience truth by themselves, by walking the path. I wish you the best of luck as well, Corinne.
Again, thanks a lot. My couirse is running from July 26 - August 6. I will definitely post my experiences here, for anyone who might be interested to read. Until then, I am trying to get through as much as possible of the litterature that I have mentioned in previous posts. Some of the concpepts of dhamma are obviously quite hard to grasp, but I have a feeling that everything will come together once one starts practicing. That seems to be one of the most fundamental laws of dhamma; that everyone must experience truth by themselves, by walking the path. I wish you the best of luck as well, Corinne.
I guess I will just keep all my Vipassana related posts in this thread, thus not risking to hijack anyone else's diet related threads.
I previously recommended William Hart's "The art of living" to anyone who would like to learn about dhamma (the laws of nature according to The Buddha) and Vipassana meditation (or insight meditation). I would still recommend it to anyone who is very dedicated about understanding these topics, but if you are just looking for a very easy to understand introduction, then "Mindfulness in plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana might be a better choice. Gunaratana comes across as very knowledgable, yet uses a very simple language to get his ideas across.
On another note, I have decided to go completely celibate. Having broken up with my girlfriend this does not feel like a very big decision - I am not enjoying casual sex anymore, and I do not feel like starting a new relationship right now. At this time I do not know how long the celibacy will last; if it will help with meditation in the way that I have heard, then I might stay celibate for quite a long time.
I come to think of the Seinfeld episode "The contest":
Jerry: But are you still master of your domain?
George: I am king of the county.
Hopefully I will be able to discipline myself a bit longer than those guys.
I guess before becoming somewhat serious about Vipassana, I would have found celibacy quite an extreme solution. However, I think anyone who has started to see the benefits of meditation would be happy to give up on all sexual activity for a while, in order to deepen one's understanding. And again, I am not too crazy about casual sex with no feelings involved anyway.
Haha, I have a feeling that within a couple of months all my posts on this forum will be heavily decorated by pictures of naked women, due to understimulation. Should this situation actually occur, and I seem to be unaware of it, please give me a warning.
I previously recommended William Hart's "The art of living" to anyone who would like to learn about dhamma (the laws of nature according to The Buddha) and Vipassana meditation (or insight meditation). I would still recommend it to anyone who is very dedicated about understanding these topics, but if you are just looking for a very easy to understand introduction, then "Mindfulness in plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana might be a better choice. Gunaratana comes across as very knowledgable, yet uses a very simple language to get his ideas across.
On another note, I have decided to go completely celibate. Having broken up with my girlfriend this does not feel like a very big decision - I am not enjoying casual sex anymore, and I do not feel like starting a new relationship right now. At this time I do not know how long the celibacy will last; if it will help with meditation in the way that I have heard, then I might stay celibate for quite a long time.
I come to think of the Seinfeld episode "The contest":
Jerry: But are you still master of your domain?
George: I am king of the county.
Hopefully I will be able to discipline myself a bit longer than those guys.
I guess before becoming somewhat serious about Vipassana, I would have found celibacy quite an extreme solution. However, I think anyone who has started to see the benefits of meditation would be happy to give up on all sexual activity for a while, in order to deepen one's understanding. And again, I am not too crazy about casual sex with no feelings involved anyway.
Haha, I have a feeling that within a couple of months all my posts on this forum will be heavily decorated by pictures of naked women, due to understimulation. Should this situation actually occur, and I seem to be unaware of it, please give me a warning.