Vipassana (an ancient Pali word) means to see in a special way (‘passana’ is ‘to see’ and ‘Vi’ is ‘in a specific way’).
What are we seeing? “The Truth or Reality As It Is” (not as it seems or appears to us).
While entering the Vipassana International centre Hyderabad India, I’d no idea what I was venturing into.
I had been a student of meditation for many years and followed different kinds of meditation. I was looking for a technique that could help me connect with my inner self even deeper.
I’d heard about Vipassana from my family & friends and always wanted to do it. So when in December last year, my husband was happy to manage the home and children without me for 11 days, also my younger daughter (who is 10 yrs now) was ok to stay without me for that long (knowing she won’t be able to speak with me on phone too), I was so happy and immediately booked the course in Jan 2017.
I’d no idea that this’s going to be the most challenging and difficult course I’d ever done in my life.
The course duration was eleven days. Vipassana is taught with a strict code of conduct and there’s a genuine reason for that.
We’re not allowed to have any contact with the outer world (phones were submitted with office staff on the day of arrival).
We’d to maintain noble silence for 10 days, which means no communication with fellow participants – whether verbal, through eyes or gestures.
Ideally, we’d to strive for silence of mind too.
We’re allowed to ask from the teacher, if we’d any questions.
We’re woken up by a bell at 4 am every day, which was followed by more than 10 hours of meditation (with small breaks in between and a long break for lunch).
Day used to end with about an hour lecture on teachings of Vipassana and art of living. The lectures delivered by Guru S N Goenka were played on screen in three different languages to choose from. His style of teaching was quite funny and full of deep insights.
Since I’ve come back from VIpassana, I haven’t stopped telling my friends and family that they must attend at least once.
I’m happy to share with you, my understanding and experience of Vipassana.
What is Vipassana?
Vipassana is the technique through which Gautam Buddha experienced enlightenment and found the cause of human suffering.
He taught this technique in a step by step process to others. His teaching was kept intact for thousands of years by teachers in Burma and was brought to India by Teacher S N Goenka.
What it is not?
It is NOT just a Meditation Course to teach meditation, but is a course on learning the art of living life – living every moment with complete peace and bliss, without any reaction.
Vipassana is not a course on self-reflection or introspection of your life though you’ll learn and realise a lot about yourself.
What is the goal or ultimate purpose of Vipassana?
Complete Mental Purity – hence end of suffering!
What does Vipassana help us to experience?
The truth of our body, mind and soul.
What is our Dharma (our true nature).
100% acceptance – how not to react or resist anything in life.
How Vipassana is different from other techniques of meditation and healing?
In my life journey, being a Life Coach and doctor I’ve come across many different techniques to understand mind and body like Neurostrategy, NLP, EFT, psychology and more… they are all good.
What was different about Vipassana – “It’s all about self-experience”.
As Buddha said,
“You can never experience the truth from someone else’s experience. You’ve to experience it yourself.”
Vipassana teaches you a process of experiencing the truth. But it’s you, who experiences the reality within yourself.
You learn continuously for 10 days how to meditate deeply, to observe every physical sensation, thought, feeling with equanimity (no judgment of good or bad, at all).
Practising this helps you learn how to live your life, without any resistance and reaction.
Everybody attending the course, had insights and learnings about themselves whether a beginner or a meditator. As we’re allowed to speak on last day, we shared our experiences with each other.
Here are the insights I had:
1. Things are not as it seems to us!
Things in this world, me, my body, all of them are not as it appears to be.
Quantum physics has proved recently which was experienced by Buddha many sanctuaries ago.
Everything , including our body is made of subatomic particles which are constantly in motion, being destroyed and created over and over again many million times every moment.
During the process of Vipassana, during deep meditation when we focus on our body; we come very close to this experience of our cells being energy waveforms and their impermanent nature.
2. All sensations, thoughts and emotions are temporary
From 5th day of Vipassana, we’d to practice an hour Samadhi, three times in a day where we’d to sit still in meditation (in just one position) and not move our arms or legs at all.
It was very difficult but interesting experience.
There would be intense discomfort in one of my knee or thigh and then in other one, itching at nose or ears, pain in neck, an intense urge to move. But if I persisted without reacting or feeling bad about the urge, it will just pass and go away naturally.
All we’d to do was “Observe with equanimity” which means without feeling bad or reacting or resisting to the discomfort, without labelling it, just let it be.
3. I’d no control over my mind
It was so quiet outside, that internal noise became very clear.
On 6th and 7th day of Vipassana, I found myself completely gripped by my mind and thoughts. Though nothing in particular, just continuous random thoughts. Thoughts about home, my children, family, work, writing this blog, etc. etc.
The more I tried to focus, the more difficult it became to concentrate on my breath and body.
I felt frustrated, scolded my mind, requested, even begged to not think but nothing worked.
It was such an eye opener for me. Completely opposite to what I used to believe, I realised how little control I’d on my mind.
4. How bizzare and unrealistic it is to expect
One of the my biggest “AHA” happened when I was struggling to control my thoughts and mind on 7th day.
I so vividly remember sitting in my meditation cell, the insight that hit me like a huge stone was – “If I can not expect ‘my own mind’ to follow what I want, how can I even think of expecting anyone else to follow what I expect.”
That was a light bulb moment 🙂
5. Moments of indescribable bliss
The last day, we’re taught Metta Bhawna meditation with focussing on sharing our joy and praying for everyone, for liberation of every being.
This was a very emotional and compassionate experience.
Vipassana meditation works on deepest layers of mind known as Sanskaras which carry the defilements of this lifetime and many lives you might have’d before.
I’m sure, like any any other practice it’ll take consistent practise and perseverance to realise and experience the truth.
It’s recommended in the course, to sit in practice of 2 hours of Vipassana meditation every day (one hr morning and one in the evening), and more importantly stay in that meditative state throughout the day, which is the real purpose of doing vipassana meditation.
My intention is to practise Vipassana for at least for one full year and see. I would love to share about this year’s journey with you, next year.
Bhawtu Sabba Mangalam! May everybody be Happy! (Vipassana Mantra)
Much Love.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing your experience Bhavesh. I’m glad you’re practising daily, would suggest you add 10 min for Mangal Maitryi as well, that creates beautiful energy in and around. It’s available on youtube, if you need. Let me know how can I support you in this, would be happy to do so.
Dr Shonali ji thks a lot for sharing & explaining experience. I am 61 planning for Vipassana will be right decision? Can I learn NLP at this stage & adopt as a profession. I am retired govt. server pl guide me.
Dear Ram Niwas ji. You can surely go for Vipassana experience at any age. I wouldn’t recommend NLP, Rather I would suggest you go for Jeevan Vidya Workshops – which is about Understanding the truth about whole existence. You can check their website http://www.madhyasth-darshan.info to get info about workshops near your place.
Yes you can learn NLP
Dear mam
Was planning to do meditation but training Camp are to taking more days pls suggest any short way