Vipassana changed my life. It was a beautiful way to start building mindfulness and a mind-body connection. It’s about forming a relationship with yourself.
"Buddha’s way was Vipassana - vipassana means witnessing. And he found one of the greatest devices ever: the device of watching your breath, just watching your breath. Breathing is such a simple and natural phenomenon and it is there twenty-four hours a day. You need not make any effort. If you repeat a mantra then you will have to make an effort, you will have to force yourself. If you say, “Ram, Ram, Ram,” you will have to continuously strain yourself. And you are bound to forget many times. Moreover, the word ‘Ram’ is again something of the mind, and anything of the mind can never lead you beyond the mind .Buddha discovered a totally different angle: just watch your breath - the breath coming in, the breath going out. There are four points to be watched. Sitting silently just start seeing the breath, feeling the breath. The breath going in is the first point. Then for a moment when the breath is in it stops - a very small moment it is - for a split second it stops; that is the second point to watch. Then the breath turns and goes out; this is the third point to watch. Then again when the breath is completely out, for a split second it stops; that is the fourth point to watch. Then the breath starts coming in again… this is the circle of breath. If you can watch all these four points you will be surprised, amazed at the miracle of such a simple process - because mind is not involved. Watching is not a quality of the mind; watching is the quality of the soul, of consciousness; watching is not a mental process at all. When you watch, the mind stops, ceases to be. Yes, in the beginning many times you will forget and the mind will come in and start playing its old games. But whenever you remember that you had forgotten, there is no need to feel repentant, guilty - just go back to watching, again and again go back to watching your breath. Slowly, slowly, less and less mind interferes .And when you can watch your breath for forty-eight minutes as a continuum, you will become enlightened. You will be surprised - just forty-eight minutes - because you will think that it is not very difficult… just forty-eight minutes! It is very difficult. Forty-eight seconds and you will have fallen victim to the mind many times. Try it with a watch in front of you; in the beginning you cannot be watchful for sixty seconds. In just sixty seconds, that is one minute, you will fall asleep many times, you will forget all about watching - the watch and the watching will both be forgotten. Some idea will take you far, far away; then suddenly you will realize… you will look at the watch and ten seconds have passed. For ten seconds you were not watching. But slowly, slowly - it is a knack; it is not a practice, it is a knack - slowly, slowly you imbibe it, because those few moments when you are watchful are of such exquisite beauty, of such tremendous joy, of such incredible ecstasy, that once you have tasted those few moments you would like to come back again and again - not for any other motive, just for the sheer joy of being there, present to the breath. Remember, it is not the same process as is done in yoga. In yoga the process is called pranayam; it is a totally different process, in fact just the opposite of what Buddha calls vipassana. In pranayam you take deep breaths, you fill your chest with more and more air, more and more oxygen; then you empty your chest as totally as possible of all carbon dioxide. It is a physical exercise - good for the body but it has nothing to do with vipassana. In vipassana you are not to change the rhythm of your natural breath, you are not to take long, deep breaths, you are not to exhale in any way differently than you ordinarily do. Let it be absolutely normal and natural. Your whole consciousness has to be on one point; watching .And if you can watch your breath then you can start watching other things too. Walking you can watch that you are walking, eating you can watch that you are eating, and ultimately, finally, you can watch that you are sleeping. The day you can watch that you are sleeping you are transported into another world. The body goes on sleeping and inside a light goes on burning brightly. Your watchfulness remains undisturbed, then twenty-four hours a day there is an undercurrent of watching. You go on doing things… for the outside world nothing has changed, but for you everything has changed."
Before Vipassana, I'd never meditated at all, not a single second, so I was entirely unprepared. Since then I've done seven 10-day courses, in Australia and India. I'm not inclined to do any more as I've moved in another direction. But the retreats transformed my mind which therefore shaped my life. Definitely worth the days of struggle. And it's not all struggle. There are days of joy too.
Well said Tobias. My husband and brother in law and other friends have been doing Vipassana for years. It really helps them in their lives. Like you say - it's very difficult - and there are casualties - like in any seriously difficult endeavour - but it is an ancient practice - and absolutely not the dangerous culty thing that those Financial Times podcasts seem to want to imply.
My first Vipassana 10 day retreat was hard. I felt I was failing... I seemed to lose all concentration, and wriggled and squirmed during the hours of sitting. Only when we spent time meditating in front of the class, with our meditation teachers did my mind feel really calm and peaceful. No-one left though. Every last one who entered, met together at the end to discuss our experiences. On the day of the forgiveness meditation, first one person cried, then we all did! I imagine they are well used to it! But the real benefit came when I got back to normal life. Suddenly I was more peaceful, calmer.... walking along the street i would automatically step aside for other people, and my meditation practice was so much deeper. Now I know what to expect I don't go through all this stuff... but then again, I don't have the massive leap forward that I took with the first one.
At several of mine, people have been taken away in ambulances due to massive energetic and emotional upheavals. They are good stuff, but proceed with caution and know the risks.
@@squamish4244 there are no risks. Buddha said its "adi mahi kalyani, madhya mahi kalyani, ant mahi kalyani" that means it is beneficial in the start, in the middle and in the last". It is true that in this meditation because of your previous health problems or due to mind negativities, in the process of uprooting sometimes they get elevated or comes to surface but on the metta day they get healed and their intensity get diminish slowly that is depended on how rightly we are practicing. During courses if one got sick then understand that this technique is working for them.
In regards of clothing, people is requested to dress "with modesty", being so, wearing long pants/trousers/skirts, not wearing see-through or tight revealing clothes, wearing sleeved T-shirts/shirts. This is in order to help others to maintain their mind focused without unnecessary triggers 🙏🏼 Every norm or rule in the Vipassana centers, is to benefit the meditation procces but many people fail to understand it. The best advise to go for a 10 day Vipassana retreat, it's to surrender for that period. You are there to experience the process of deflection of the ego. It's beautiful to watch how much you (your ego) wants to fight revolve resist and refuse go by those small basic simple seemingly unimportant "rules". Surrendering for those 10days, makes your life so much easier. Understand also that, Vipassana is a technic to learn to see and accept the reality of the present moment as it is, remain equanimous to it; Well, the reality is that there's a code of conduct to which you (your ego) is reacting, and by doing so, you fail to accept the reality as it is 😊
Yeah, I just assumed the ruling on clothing was to try to cut down on distractions - and let's face it, sexual attraction is a BIG distraction for most people.😂
My first was in 2012, and remember it vividly. The discourse toward the end when goenka described the change in demeanor common between arriving and the last day, where the students change to a lighter and loving existence is so clear. I attended a second one, and then began trying to serve a course and sit a course every 12 to 18 months, which I found very helpful in keeping the benefits and practice during regular daily life. As a volunteer server, which is often in the kitchen, it requires interacting with the other servers and the three main group meditation sittings each day. There is some other meditation time besides the group settings, and the rules outside the kitchen are just as is expected of new and old student practicing Nobel silence. This is a great video and does a excellent job laying out the expectations and traditions goenka maintains for anyone planning to attend. I'm out of practice now and from the pandemic restrictions I'm definitely overdue to attend a retreat. Thanks.
They don’t follow you when you leave the retreat. They don’t ask for money. They don’t solicit. It’s more like sweat lodges in that it’s hard to face one’s self especially when it’s something new for a person. A cult takes over your life and doesn’t allow you freedom when you want to do something else. In Vipassana it really isn’t about beliefs or sticking to a way of life, it really isn’t even about the method of meditation, it’s about being a more fully alive and authentic person. That is not “cult like”. Vipassana wasn’t controlling for me. Yes there were requirements like silence and sitting but they were not enforced. If one went outside of the requirements, they were gently guided and not forced to leave or comply. The one thing you said I agree with is that some people are not ready for something intensely personal and perhaps transforming whether it be through meditation or some other intensive spiritual pursuit. The retreat organizers for Vipassana do not screen. Everyone is welcome. If something comes up for someone, the organizers will reach out to obtain outside professional assistance. I’m glad you got so much benefit. It’s one more step in life’s journey when you do these types of inner experiences. In the case of Vipassana it’s not an effort to recruit or take advantage of one’s sincere intentions. One is there meditating with guidance and food and sleep quarters and afterword the retreatant simply leaves. I applaud all who improve themselves by becoming more of themselves. 🥂 🙏 👊
I went to one of their retreats several years ago and it was at first difficult but you do adjust. It is not that bad. I did have a room mate at the retreat that completely broke down and had to leave. I got to have the cabin all to myself which was great. The meals were okay and were vegetarian with two meals per day. No coffee but tea was allowed. It is great to get away from cell phones and computers and television. I view it as a positive experience and will do it again and as I look back really enjoyed it.
Thank you for making this video. I've the utmost respect for anyone who does a 10 day course. It was the hardest thing I ever did and maybe the most important thing. I walked away feeling like I was shining from being purified from the technique. It seated me in meditation so I am always in that space. I found my center. All invaluable, but not for the faint of heart. Your energy feels bright and clear so kudos to you!
I did mine about a year ago sometime in April 2022 and it is really helpful. I didn't get to do the adult course as I am not an adult but I tried out the 3 day one they do for minors. Its an eye-opening experience. Our schedule wasn't as strict as adults (which my dad had done) and we were allowed to talk to other people but it was still an eye-opening experience. And as you said after you do it, there is a sort of negative thought spiral for some time after. I never tried to meditate again ironically until today - 1 day before my first GCSE. It is an interesting process. I am definitely going back again so I can incorporate into every part of my living.
This is the most succinct explanation of what one is supposed to achieve through meditation -- detaching oneself from the story running in our heads and simply observing our lives as they are so that we don't have to live in misery -- that i've watched in a long while. The delivery is on-point too. Nice work!
This 10 days silent course of Vipassana is path of truth from gross to the subtlest , it is logical, scientific, result giving, here and now, not asking for money, available at 200+ places in the world, one must try it at least once in lifetime, you may learn mini-Anapana at home through online audio by Goenkaji, But to learn Vipassana one must apply to proper Centre. I always found the flow of infinite Compassion and loving kindness at all centres. Thank god I got this technique in my twenties. Heading for 10 days special.
Vipassana meditation 🧘♀️ saved my life. It was the way taught by the Buddha, and is absolutely terrifying and difficult, and at the same time, it's incredible, healing, and you evolve more doing Vipassana in a week than in 5 years of having your face stuck in a phone or on social media arguing about everything and getting offended by everything, then play video games for 10 hours and watch TV for another 10 hours...what evolving can happen in that life? I couldn't recommend anything more in this life. I used to be angry, stuck in the past, irritable, and constantly victimizing myself. Now, I'm positive, peaceful, and present. META is a beautiful practice as well. ❤ It helped me overcome so many, many, many traumatic times... Wonderful 😊😢❤
I signed up for my first course without knowing much, including the schedule. I had no expectations and gave it a fair trial. I also had been told by my friend that it was pure torture. So I was prepared. I had a great course! Second course I had expectations, and it was quite a difficult course. But of course, in the end it was worth all the pain and effort. My best course was one I attended after meditating daily one hour a day for a year, it was easy to sit and I uprooted some deep stuff. Serving a course full time is just as beneficial and definitely makes one more mature in their practice.
Thank you for sharing your experience. The deeper you delve, the more you know that you don't know anything. Your 83 year old friend is correct and wise. There is nothing to attain. Nowhere to go. Just learning how to be. here. now.🙏🙏🙏
Great Video.... It was great pleasure to meet Thomas, who is 84years now. Met him today at my serving. He is going to Sit his next 10 day course from this Friday. What a man. I am very fortunate to talk and take some important information from this young senior. Metta to you.
I've found the technique and courses to be invaluable. One drawback with it though, is that once you really get what is, you realise that everything else is a waste of time. And I mean EVERYTHING.
After my vipassana retreats (not in style of Goenka, but different ones) I always seriously start pondering to become a monk yes. But difficult to leave behind my parents and ambitions of writing a book.
Changed my life - best thing I ever done. Good on you for trying, Vipassana helps you to understand you better and understand that life is constantly changing. I have been in many other retreats that are a bit of a cult - idealise a person or a guru. This is not like that, you are on your own discovery and the silence assist with this.
Hi all Im a hindu and this silent retreat is not a cult or religious thing. Its been pratised thousands of years thru mayan age. We call it 'mouna virtham'. It means getting detached from all negativities. Rejuvenating our body, mind and soul. It brings us towards consciousness. If you are near any hare rama hare krishna centres I would like you to go and attend some events to understand how the hindus practice unity, harmony and kindness. These good qualities embraces you as you practise silent retreat, get connected to nature and meditate to find out who you really are.
What the Buddha taught has some commonality in Vedic practices but also some important differences. The Buddha (re)discovered the technique taught on these courses and Vipassana is beyond Janas and absorption states. It's three-fold set of practices, sila (moral conduct, right speech, right livelihood etc), samadhi (right concentration, right mindfulness, right effort) & panna (right view, right understanding). Its the wisdom practice of Vipassana which is unique to all Buddhas and fully enlightened beings who escape the cycle of rebirth, whether they teach it or not.
Hello I’m a Pakistani is there any chance I could take part in such a retreat? Sadly because how things are between our countries I am scared but I would love to connect with my Hindu ancestry and its culture.
Above all, there's 1 thing that must be remembered - you enter the course on your own will, it is your choice to stay there and its your choice to adhere to the rules and regulations. Ultimately, if you do not wanna be there - no one (and I mean no one) can and will force you to stay. No one expects you to donate anything after the course has ended, no one will follow you anywhere or tell you off because you did something wrong. It's 100% on you, the student. Is it hard? very hard. Is it strict? by all means. Is it for everyone? I don't think so. For some its just too much. BUT - when the meditation works and daily practice is adhered to, it is a true life saver. A real gem.
I am considering doing a Vipassana Retreat and I’m glad I got to watch your video. I align with your vision on so many levels and it was helpful to hear from someone who has done it before. Thank you for taking the time to record your thoughts! 🙌🏻
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius Thanks for the video, it was well done. A couple of questions, 1) Did you meditate this week and if so how many days in the week and at what average duration each day? 2) Was the 83 year old man someone who completed the 10 day retreat also? If so, did you make it through the whole 10 days and conclude he felt terrible by the end of it? If this is what happened after you laughed he smiled, seemingly not feeling so terrible as to have lost the ability to to laugh. I am curious about this guy
Anyone contemplating a 10 day retreat should first prepare themselves with a daily meditation practice at home. Begin with a few minutes, then a few minutes longer. You would be foolish to attempt a marathon unless you've first run 100 metres. Apart from Goenka's retreats, Buddhist temples are always open and conduct free meditation classes. May all beings be happy. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu! 🙏
I had a terrible experience. Its hard to watch people talk about how amazing it is when my experience was so bad. I watched your video before going and felt motivated and at ease. Now, I feel like it ruined my life. Guess i'm just a "casualty" as you say. Using your metaphor, maybe knowing risks shouldn't deter people from "exercise" but there are things people can do to better prepare themselves, and a good coach isn't gonna allow someone to deadlift 500 lbs first day in the gym which is what this is basically. I think Vipassana centers need to do a better job of informing people of the serious risks, and be specific, and not accept people who do not have a regular practice. They kind of brush over it, and give a superficial sort of vague allusion to possible risk. Another thing I wish I was informed of was that repressed traumatic memories may surface (that you may not even be aware of, hence "repressed") and they also believe past life traumas can also arise. After my experience I believe there is a duty to inform participants that is not being met. Also if you have a bad experience, in my experience, they send you on your way. There is no support. People should know that they are not qualified or equipped to assist you psychologically or medically, and they won't. If you are a "casualty" you are left to fend for yourself. Part of the reason for this is that there is no living master teacher. You are learning from recordings of a teacher who has passed on. There is no room for adaptation, growth or personalized advice in that. The AT's may not even be equipped to guide anyone who has an experience they haven't had themselves, and thus may look at your experience as "faulty" and not on the path. They also have no oversight, talk to you in private, and will exercise their ego on you, in my experience. While there may be benefits, certainly don't fool yourself, and take a serious look at your life. Is it THAT bad? Are there smaller steps you can take right now? Can you commit 2 hours a day to meditating as it is now? Because this is what they say you need to do to maintain the "benefits" And in the sub-communities of Vipassana, while some people offer kindness and help, there is also a lot of bullying that happens when you criticize any aspect of the experience. Im not trying to discourage anyone from going, but just saying if you go, stay alert. Not just to the technique but the pitfalls of the organization. May all beings be safe, sovereign, and compassionate to the suffering of others.
Sorry to hear you had that difficult experience & hope you can find a way to heal from it eventually. Your comment was a great read I think it's all really well put. All the best for your journey in the future
I am sorry to hear that you had a difficult experience. I personally hesitated two years to take the course, because I knew, being 10 days without distraction and without talking (which makes you feel isolated of course as you cannot exchange your experiences and thoughts with others) would be tough and I personally was very aware that it is unpredictable what will reveal from your subconscious. But finally, the wish for at least a chance to get a little bit more peace and maybe a technique to „handle misery“ better made me attend my first course a few years ago. From what I can say is, yes, the centers don’t tell you in particular what might happen during your meditation, because it is very individual and of course, it is tough for everyone. And the work is not done after a retreat of course. I personally had to face a lot of hurtful and traumatic memories and am seing a therapist. But I don’t see it as a bad thing. I got the chance to deal with things, I was not aware of and my life is improving with this work. As the centers only operate with volunteers, the center informs the students before the retreat that there is no psychological and/or medical service. Part of the experience is to find a way to deal with yourself and your mind without depending on someone else. Yes, the teachers will help you with the technique, but you have to deal with your own pain and misery yourself as it is also in „real life“. Maybe, Vipassana is not for everyone and you are always free to quit a 10day course, even if it is not recommended (and I would also suggest to try to make the full course to get also the benefit out of it at the very end). But in my opinion, it is worth a try, if you feel stable enough to deal with everything, your mind and body has to offer.
recorded teachings are of learnt master of Vipassana ,every ordinary person can't awaken every other person only an enlightened person can show the way and his organisation which is spreading message of Buddha so Beautifully, and they take suggestion from all people who join retreat.
About the part where he speaks about sleeping. I think that must be very individual. I slept more than normal. I kept falling asleep during meditations, I slept at every longer break we had (after breakfast and after lunch), i fell asleep when we were allowed to meditate in our room, I couldn’t get enough sleep, I was so tired! So I wouldn’t rely on this info. I felt really horrible that it was happening to me and was beating myself up for it, fearing that I’ll not get all the benefits from being there but when I came out I realised it doesn’t matter. I gained a lot, a lot anyway and that just thought me to accept it how it is. I guess I was panicking that this amazing thing won’t help me because I was in a low place in my life before going there and in a way this was my last hope. It worked.
i am glad that i accidentally found yours, i also had 10 days experience of meditating at retreat many years ago , 8 hours and about 2 hours of listening to masters teaching every day. it was really exhausting, you are right, even I was just sitting, i just could not sit with crossed legs on floor anymore as days went by no matter what kind of cushion i changed, hahaha. but the experience throughout that process was amazing, it was really eye-opening wow experience , that i really want to go through again and again. and as times go by, i think i am also getting wiser, :) listening to teachings of all these Buddhist meditation masters and many meditation sessions. and i found out that all these so called sufferings, pains are just labels our mind projects unconsciously to the emotions and sensations which is also the way of habits we are bought up since birth or other previous life cycles. letting go and being relaxed truly helps a lot, it is also deeply related to the breathing method and postures. S.N Gonenka is truly amazing meditation teacher, I also read some about his mother regarding how meditation changed her life, it was amazingly wonderful and impressive !
TY for your story. A Vipassana meditation i did in Thailand was a bit different. We were isolated in individual cabins, but met with the Nun 1:1 daily for 10 mins. The suggestion was to observe the body as an object with its desires. Not to fend or resist but to observe the changes via the 4 positions, thru lying, sitting, standing and walking as one willed. Just observing and noting the suffering inherent at the point of desiring to change position. It brought me more compassion for my dear human vessel! Time, suffering and change became synonymous. Fascinating but not my most pleasant meditation experience. Lots of relief at having a break from my IRL experience with pressures and others' expectations. I slept most of the first 3 days. Quite depressed and bored at times. Then a bit psychadelic for a couple of days. Especially with roosters crowing under the cabin from 3am. Then in a strange wakeful dreamlike state for a couple more days. Unsure if i was mainly microsleeping on and off fhru the night. Yet, overall a good challenge and life contemplation from a different perspective. 😅
me, who had the 10 day vipassana course one time, benefit the vipassana meditation and 10 day vipassana course in a very positive way. Now I will go to give a service. ı recommend it to everyone. I promise you will be more focused, more feeling "right now" and happier and healtier.
Facing the old distress feelings that I long avoided has been processed through crying. Those were just old feelings, baggage I was unloading, not present time distress. My body has been waiting a long time to get this gift of relief.
I went to my first ever meditation retreat about year ago. I was very anxious going in because we were in the middle of nowhere in South Georgia. The first two or three days were difficult and I contemplated leaving but I was determined to stay because it was that or live everyday the way I was (mentally bogged down, feeling anxious and depressed most of the day everyday, panic attacks). I had been prescribed anxiety/depression medication that made me feel like a zombie and suicidal, which I had never felt in my life; it was the scariest feeling I’d ever felt. So, for me, it was do or die, literally and figuratively. The retreat was “magical” for me as well, however, I will say spiritual. I felt lighter mentally and in my body. The waves of anxiety were not there anymore. I felt genuinely happy and peaceful. I have not maintained the technique because my day-to-day life does not support 10 hours of meditation a day. I feel the difference now. I am starting to feel like I’ve slowly took all the negativity of life back and I feel it. So, I truly agree with you that it is worth it. I would also advise those who go to find a consistent schedule to maintain the peace and mindfulness you gain at a silent retreat. I plan to go to another 10 day, but I will be mindful of maintaining a consistent schedule when I return home. Protect your peace ❤
Keep Meditating and Be Happy. Don't forget to continue 1 hour Morning and Evening Vippassana Session after 10 days Discourse. This will be really helpful in long-run.
I think it’s worth noting there are different vipassana (insight) meditation retreats that are less stringent than a S.N. Goenka retreat. The others still follow the same original teachings but are less into the strictness of sitting so very still. Other retreats of the same tradition are more relaxed in that if you are in pain you can move. No one follows you around, it’s a practice of your own volition. And being asked to wear ‘modest’ clothing is not cultish. In some cultures shorts on men are immodest. But again there are other teachers of the same tradition that don’t emphasize this as much… they are more in the ‘middle way’. Please note, this guy is only speaking of one particular teacher’s style- there are others. May I suggest you look up ‘insight’ retreats. In North American you can find them at places such as Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, Insight LA, etc. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Yeah the attire strictness is just to minimise all distractions so people can focus on the meditation. When you have so few distractions, even little things can be quite impactful. It’s basically the equivalent of asking the kid to turn their loudspeaker music off on the bus 😛
The hardest thing in life, I think, is dealing with the feeling that you are never good enough. Alfred Adler says that true happiness comes with the feeling of being useful (or important). This is probably the same thing as one's purpose in life. Sometimes, I think it could be just as simple as being a good friend to someone.
Zazen changed my life! Based on my reading, I quickly attained Stream Enterer and it was wonderful! I can never thank Uchiyama Roshii and Koborii Roshii enough for giving me a chance and safe place to sit at Antei-ji in Kyoto. It doesn't exist anymore! I was there just in time! I quickly left for India and Dalhousie to Goenka-ji, but he sent me away when he found out I'd been sitting Zen. He didn't know what Zen was, but he assumed, and I was so young, just months out of college, that I didn't know I should argue with him. He sent me to HHDL in Dharamsala, and the rest is history. I should have studied under Goenka-ji.
Wow, just - wow. What. A. Freaking. Experience. Came back Sunday August 27 from Montebello, Quebec in Canada and it was marvelous. Learned a tool and technique that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Mark my words. 12/10 would recommend - saaaaaduuuuuuh 🙏🏼
7:51 the stories running in our heads arent just exclusive to the negativity you mention here, its also applied to the positive story we run. Stories like “if I go to a retreat, that is said to grant me *this state of mind*, I will level up on my journey”. This retreat is a valuable tool for a person’s path, but it is ultimately a permission slip for the ego mind, the part of all of us that loves a good story. Sometimes that story is not as in our control as we perceive it to be.
My first meditation retreat was this year. The fourth day was rough for me; there were mental fights inside. On the eighth day, I cried a lot while listening to the evening discourse and in my bed when I retired because I recognized myself as a superior and intelligent person, even though I thought I was not. Between those days, I felt happy, sad, and depressed when I couldn't follow the technique the right way. I experienced so many emotions. But on the last day, I was so grateful that I couldn't even find a word to describe my feelings. I have fixed my life, and I know how to manage it now. I never miss the daily meditation because I get many more benefits.
It was physically a challenge. Yeah, its hard to sit I can totally identify with that. I didn't feel sad, it was one of the most peaceful time, so peaceful that I didn't want to leave. I didn't even feel like talking as you said it was magical ....I had to cancel my second course, but I'm planning to do it soon. Thank you for sharing this
Many thanks for your honesty. I was considering a 3 day silent retreat, and I now realize that would be a mistake. Even sitting in a chair without moving for an hour is impossible. I will just continue to use guided videos from Plum Village. Cheers.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts & experiences with the world ('hello back!"). When I look at your date of publishing your video, it was the same time I finished my first Vipassana-retreat. A life changing experience for sure!
Thank you so much for this video. I’m looking into going to a vipassana retreat myself and found this video so inspiring and exciting. I’m hoping to go in August!
I got this opportunity to be the part of 10 day vipasana retreat first time in my life in may month 2024. 7Months ago. at the age of 28. I successfully completed 10 days course in my first attempt only. I must say it was truly life transformative expertise for me.
What a great account of the process. Just a note: it's far easier for women to sit crossed legged due to an increased hip angle, higher oestrogen receptors at tendon sites and lower weigh distribution. This just gives men a whole other level of challenge to deal with.
nice video, I sometimes cringe when I watch these "my 10-day Vipassana course reaction video" RUclipss! this was a refreshing change and told with humility. well done.
"narrow shouldered granola boys" 😂 you are so funny! But honestly, thanks for your well articulated experience of these retreats. Your video is definitely thought provoking!
Contemplating doing a second vipassana retreat after my first 4 years ago. This was such an articulate expression of the experience - loved it! Thanks for sharing. I think I’m tempted to go for it lol.
That's a great review. It sounds honest and on point. It didn't sound partial at all (I confess that when I read the title a was doubting about the integrity of the content). I think you did a great job and I hope many people get benefit from it. Nice🙃
I did a couple of Goenka style retreats in the past, and your vid is making me want to do another. Thank you. A couple of points: I've never seen anyone "flip out" from this type of meditation but yes, it is possible. This is not the only form of vipassana meditation, and I'd advise anyone with serious mental health issues not to do a Goenka retreat, but to seek out a local vipassana group, such as the IMS ones, and explore that rather than plunging into a Goenka retreat. Also, the managers may not want you to leave the retreat, but since the Buddhist path is non-violent, I don't imagine anyone would physically try and stop you from leaving if you wanted to. Also, the retreats I went on cost nothing beforehand. While they made a big pitch for donations at the end, the donation was entirely up to you, and you didn't have to give anything if you were so inclined.
Just came out of Vipassana yday and totally agree with you!!! I feel such a relief lightness liberation! And yess the sitting it’s tedious sitting! But worth it!!! This was my second time and oh boy soooo much deeper and the benefits are so profound!
Thanks for your video- you may love doing a loving kindness retreat- each day is focused on a different category to offer metta to. My metta retreat changed the course of my life.❤
It's not a cult. It is amazing to be skeptical about it and about the technique they teach as well. If you blindly follow it all you will probably not actually understand or experientially learn it. Also keep in mind that the results (heightened awareness, mental clarity, enhanced morality, mental sensitivity to vibration and everything else that they say) needs to be experienced and you can't convince yourself that you've experienced it, you will 100% know it when you experience the changes. After experiencing those changes I personally decided to keep going to the retreats and practice two hours a day just like keeping up with my progress at the gym. If I ever find the technique harmful or disturbing I will definitely stop doing it. The reason why they insist on you finishing the course is the fact that it is a process that affects your mind a certain way and leaving at the middle can be harmful to your mind.
@@Samana-Recluse maybe SN Goenka's Vipassana retreat can be considered a cult(which I personally don't think so) but Vipassana itself is just a meditation technique that you can learn from different teachers. There are many different meditation techniques that just work with your breath and sensations of your body(Anapana/Vipassana and others). These retreats just teach this technique.
@@arI-Yabs Yes I understand. Vipassana is very technique. When we are learning from teachings of Buddha, it's always good to praise Buddha, not someone else who claims to be Buddha predicted person. It's always good to double check the teachings with SUTTAs. It's always good to change your meditation with different methods(Buddha's). It's good to change the teachers sometimes too. But my main point is we have to understand 4 noble truths, noble eithfold paths, Kamma, Dependant Origination, 3 marks of existence DEEPLY DEEPLY DEEPLY. Without having very good knowledge of these things, doing meditation is really nonsense thing. Also cults never lead to good things. But i understand lots of people study vipassana at Goenka training and later on they understand lots of things and move on to pure Buddha's teachings. In that sense, goenka training is good. because it's helping people. but when it becomes cult and leading people to things that Buddha didn't teach, that's very sad. I hope you understand my point. With Metta.
@@HumanBeing-jv8dp maybe its not your time yet to realize it's cult. And cult is no good. In that case, i can't make you understand. We need more parami hey? 😂🙏♥️👍👌
@@Samana-Recluse that's what I'm saying, it's basically Goenka's gym😂. You go workout your mind and if you find something more pure you're always very welcome to leave. I think due to how powerful the technique is a lot of people get attached to it easily.
My first was about '87 and it was with Surya Das, who was underwhelming and self-absorbed. However, it opened my eyes to the fact that there were retreats here in the country and that one didn't have to trek to the Himalayas to get instruction.
The best "thing", "advice", "pre-course alert" I got was from a friend who had taken a course. He told me "Just follow the bells :) The daily schedule was made available to me at the time I signed up. Take advantage of the opportunity to have a conference with the Assistant Teacher (the person who is in charge of the course) at any or even every noon hour. My experience in having attended five, ten day courses, that the Teacher on site was always very willing to talk with me. For me it was very well worth struggling through the rough patches during the course. I have been practicing twice a day, most every day, since I did my first course in 2001.
If you travel to any country, or enlist in a club, or sport- heck, the military… there are rules or guidelines to help you zone in as well as identify if you have respect for the experience. In this case, no shorts, etc is for a reason of course. I lived an an ashram for 1.5 years. I remember people would leave in the middle of the night claiming the place was a cult. No, there were boundaries for men & women’s interactions, i.e.: respectable attire, etc., because the idea is to eliminate as much mental/emotional/sexual/personal distraction as possible and keep everyone safe. It’s not actually about your attire, attraction, nor limitations, it’s about creating a safe and easy space for you to clear your mind and sit deep within yourself- and to make it easy for others who interact with you. The sages and monks throughout history advise certain practices for the monkey-mind very intentionally. Just keep an open-mind when you jump into any new experience..
Thank you for this great informative post! I canceled my upcoming Goenka Vippassana due to family circumstances but certainly hoping to sit my first one this year. You are so amazing with words and the way you describe things, I was watching you in awe 👌🏻🌷💚🦋
Enlightenment is “Knowing “ just like a child who learns to stand for the very first time, or riding a bicycle for the first time, or skating or swimming. It all comes in a fraction of a second which you can never forget and then you will never unlearn it and never be the same again, you actually go to another plane, now when you open that unknown faculty that you have which enables you to experience the fourth and fifth dimensions and perhaps many more it will be impossible for you to explain or describe it to others. Vipaasna Meditation will help rid you of the ignorance and darkness that you unknowingly live in. It has nothing to do with religion or cult, it’s all about your individual self. It’s mind over matter so to speak. Just jump into it if you get a chance, it’s life changing for sure.
My experience with Vipassana is somewhat unlike the people here. I lived 30 years in Thailand and was exposed to Buddhism and did one silent meditation retreat but it wasn’t Vipassana. I moved back to the west in 2021. As I age, currently 68, I needed some thing to spiritually ground me. I came across Goenka’s meditation video (the Dhamma talks of his 10 day course). They were recommended by the historian Israeli Yuval Harari (he wrote Sapiens and other great books). His mental clarity is excellent and attributes it to meditation. I listened to the dhamma talks by myself and then tried regular 1 hour morning meditation sessions. Sitting completely still for 1 hour is difficult let alone several hours. I don’t feel the need to sit several hours per day in a retreat. The thought of that is itself painful. I prefer the gentle way and taking it slowly. I’m not trying to be excellent at it because that would belie a certain mindset. What draws me to Vipassana and Buddhism in general is that they’re about direct experience. The proof that it “works” is that you as an individual directly discover the truth. No one can get inside your head and tell you what is right and wrong for it. I recommend meditation in a retreat or on your own as something that is healthy and beneficial in life. All the best!
I did it in Peru. No dress restrictions, men and women were not separated, to me the silence was the main selling point, there were no chairs for the weaklings, but lots of pillows. I loved the experience and learned at least one thing that I will value through life. I had negative thoughts but that's who I am, they did not emerge from the meditation.
I lost my 18 yr son in hit n run case.. till one year i didn't do anything except my job.. even i don't want to prepare food.. I am a atheist person.. i was so confused its a destiny or a human mistake.. recently I attended 10days Vipassana.. sometimes it was very difficult to sit continuously 10-12 hrs.. back pain..legs pain.. at last i achieved 1 hr sitting without moving.. now i do at home 2 times for 1/2 an hour.. hope it will help to be strong and come out of misery..
There's a big difffernece between trying to do things and letting go of trying to do anything. I appreciate your sharing about your experience here. Thanks and much love
For those who can't stand sitting meditation, I strongly suggest tai chi, qi gong or sports which forces you to stay focussed. The Wim Hof method is also great for those who want to jump into meditation without any prior experience. 🥰😆🙏
Thank you for your insights. Im looking forward partcipating in a 10 day retreat myself in two days and this video helped me shaping my expectations a lot :)
I'm usually critical of "hippy talk" or "unconciously repeating dogma" but nah this sounded like your genuine experience and perspective, so thanks for sharing!
Life is suffering - see it like it is - let go and come to peace! Stop looking for it! Happiness is an Illusion! Vipassana is a great mirror into the BS in yourself - what you experience depends alone on what you hide before yourself. Run if you like but you won‘t escape yourself!
Love this brother, I had a difficult course and I felt totally broken after it. I honestly think for some people there’s just a certain amount of suffering they need to go through before before the can learn to detach and transcend the thinking mind. Wish you the best on your journey 🙏
Been with Goenka in Igatpuri in the 80s for some 10 day retreats. Had lucid dreams, saw the Earth turning away from the Sun (not the Sun setting)…and long pants is just a rule which you obey when you sign in. No big deal. The hardest part was the shallow chatter of people after 10 days of Noble Silence 😂
The ten-day retreats are very demanding, indeed. I sat about 30 of them. I never saw "80" of either men or women leave. Very few leave if they insist on it. You are encouraged to stay and keep going because a certain emotional/mental barrier comes up for people at a certain time, usually on days two and six. Once you get over that barrier, the smoothes out.
I enjoyed my retreat a few years ago in north fork California where it was filmed. Good learning about the risks so I don't lead people into it without a disclaimer. Love the guy at the end, he became Socrates lol
It’s fascinating our ability to identify with the story and victim role that sitting quietly is expected (and manifested to be) something to any degree “dangerous”
I did a Vipassana retreat few years back. I definetly agree with the casualties part. I think I was not very stable going in and it had some negative effects on my mental health. Perhaps an existential anxiety of not really knowing who i am. Alot of it is a very clutterish type of self talk, and i do think that the path of meditation is still very important ti maintain, even though the perceived traumatic events that we sometime experience due to immature understanding
100%. The casualties don't usually talk about it either. Retreats are hyped up so much that people probably feel broken or abnormal for having a bad experience.
@@tobiasdecimusmeridiusin indian culture the parts you didnt like are expected as spiritual practise is considered a different level of operating and it not not done casually as in the West for example with the shorts or talking while walking...
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius "bad experience" is a subjective reaction to the course. outside of a psychotic episode (which is extremely rare amongst the millions of courses sat by people over decades) any "bad reaction" is just your subconscious mind resenting the experience. that's the point of these courses, to see that reaction for what it is. what did you lose by having a "bad experience" sitting a course?
Bro, you go to a retreat where you become like a monk for 10 days. Do you see monks wearing shorts? Your not going to the beach, if you complain about the attire at Vipassana youve missed the point... Also friend, they counsel you away from leaving because as you start instrospecting you start to observe you demons, your suffering, IF you LEAVE instead of staying there and doing the work of observing your suffering and remaining equanimous to it then you simply create an aversion to the entire practice, an aversion to Vipassana ! An aversion to that which helps in liberation! Can you imagine how terrible that is? However I am so happy for your realisations especially the one where you realise that we use a lot of external things to escape from our hardships. Of course its hard to look at your problems, but thats the work and if you persists you change and your perception of the work changes. Oh and no pain no gain, that's right! All in all nice job man! Keep up the practice, it's only by keeping it up that you really see the benifits, or else its just a ritual or a rite or an experience that is ephemeral.
Thank you for the insights. From my experience, I would suggest practicing meditation for at least a year regularly before entering a retreat. As every muscle the brain needs to be trained before going to a marathon. Ten days of meditation without any kind of preparation is simple dangerous.
It's like cinema running on a screen. They come and go,you cry,you laugh with what's happening on the screen. But without the substratum of the screen,moving picture won't work. Your consciousness is like that screen. It lights up negative and positive thoughts. They come and go. Be a witness.
I love how you just randomly make an awesomely high-quality video with articulated thoughts and over-the-top delivery, then stop posting any other serious video. Such a G 😂
I just completed my first 10 day course. The silence and meditation were no problem for me but the sitting was incredibly painful and my only real challenge. Although by the end I could sit for one hour without moving. I actually thought a lot of what felt like physical pain was actually mental and it felt good to work through and overcome it.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Vipassana changed my life. It was a beautiful way to start building mindfulness and a mind-body connection. It’s about forming a relationship with yourself.
Happy to hear it
And yet, not based on any scientific evidence that it actually works! Placebo + self delusion work miracles!
Absolutely life changing
"Buddha’s way was Vipassana - vipassana means witnessing. And he found one of the greatest devices ever: the device of watching your breath, just watching your breath. Breathing is such a simple and natural phenomenon and it is there twenty-four hours a day. You need not make any effort. If you repeat a mantra then you will have to make an effort, you will have to force yourself. If you say, “Ram, Ram, Ram,” you will have to continuously strain yourself. And you are bound to forget many times. Moreover, the word ‘Ram’ is again something of the mind, and anything of the mind can never lead you beyond the mind
.Buddha discovered a totally different angle: just watch your breath - the breath coming in, the breath going out. There are four points to be watched. Sitting silently just start seeing the breath, feeling the breath. The breath going in is the first point. Then for a moment when the breath is in it stops - a very small moment it is - for a split second it stops; that is the second point to watch. Then the breath turns and goes out; this is the third point to watch. Then again when the breath is completely out, for a split second it stops; that is the fourth point to watch. Then the breath starts coming in again… this is the circle of breath.
If you can watch all these four points you will be surprised, amazed at the miracle of such a simple process - because mind is not involved. Watching is not a quality of the mind; watching is the quality of the soul, of consciousness; watching is not a mental process at all. When you watch, the mind stops, ceases to be. Yes, in the beginning many times you will forget and the mind will come in and start playing its old games. But whenever you remember that you had forgotten, there is no need to feel repentant, guilty - just go back to watching, again and again go back to watching your breath. Slowly, slowly, less and less mind interferes
.And when you can watch your breath for forty-eight minutes as a continuum, you will become enlightened. You will be surprised - just forty-eight minutes - because you will think that it is not very difficult… just forty-eight minutes! It is very difficult. Forty-eight seconds and you will have fallen victim to the mind many times. Try it with a watch in front of you; in the beginning you cannot be watchful for sixty seconds. In just sixty seconds, that is one minute, you will fall asleep many times, you will forget all about watching - the watch and the watching will both be forgotten. Some idea will take you far, far away; then suddenly you will realize… you will look at the watch and ten seconds have passed. For ten seconds you were not watching. But slowly, slowly - it is a knack; it is not a practice, it is a knack - slowly, slowly you imbibe it, because those few moments when you are watchful are of such exquisite beauty, of such tremendous joy, of such incredible ecstasy, that once you have tasted those few moments you would like to come back again and again - not for any other motive, just for the sheer joy of being there, present to the breath.
Remember, it is not the same process as is done in yoga. In yoga the process is called pranayam; it is a totally different process, in fact just the opposite of what Buddha calls vipassana. In pranayam you take deep breaths, you fill your chest with more and more air, more and more oxygen; then you empty your chest as totally as possible of all carbon dioxide. It is a physical exercise - good for the body but it has nothing to do with vipassana. In vipassana you are not to change the rhythm of your natural breath, you are not to take long, deep breaths, you are not to exhale in any way differently than you ordinarily do. Let it be absolutely normal and natural. Your whole consciousness has to be on one point; watching
.And if you can watch your breath then you can start watching other things too. Walking you can watch that you are walking, eating you can watch that you are eating, and ultimately, finally, you can watch that you are sleeping. The day you can watch that you are sleeping you are transported into another world. The body goes on sleeping and inside a light goes on burning brightly. Your watchfulness remains undisturbed, then twenty-four hours a day there is an undercurrent of watching. You go on doing things… for the outside world nothing has changed, but for you everything has changed."
Beautiful instruction brah thanks for sharing. Source?
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius from a talk by Osho.
This problematic for me. I get lost when my consciousness expands. I need Jesus as my bro.
@@DylanDenaliSullivan how can consciousness ever expand or contract. It has no shape, no size. It's beyond space and time
So well explained. I just finished my first 10 day course..
Before Vipassana, I'd never meditated at all, not a single second, so I was entirely unprepared. Since then I've done seven 10-day courses, in Australia and India. I'm not inclined to do any more as I've moved in another direction. But the retreats transformed my mind which therefore shaped my life. Definitely worth the days of struggle. And it's not all struggle. There are days of joy too.
nice job brother
Sadu sadu sadu❤
Can I ask? What another direction did you go?
I would also like to know. @@vyrsh0
@@vyrsh0yes I’d love to know as well
Well said Tobias. My husband and brother in law and other friends have been doing Vipassana for years. It really helps them in their lives. Like you say - it's very difficult - and there are casualties - like in any seriously difficult endeavour - but it is an ancient practice - and absolutely not the dangerous culty thing that those Financial Times podcasts seem to want to imply.
I really think that you have understood meditation. Wish you all the best. I am from India, a 77 year old grand mother of a 24 year-old boy.
My first Vipassana 10 day retreat was hard. I felt I was failing... I seemed to lose all concentration, and wriggled and squirmed during the hours of sitting. Only when we spent time meditating in front of the class, with our meditation teachers did my mind feel really calm and peaceful. No-one left though. Every last one who entered, met together at the end to discuss our experiences. On the day of the forgiveness meditation, first one person cried, then we all did! I imagine they are well used to it! But the real benefit came when I got back to normal life. Suddenly I was more peaceful, calmer.... walking along the street i would automatically step aside for other people, and my meditation practice was so much deeper. Now I know what to expect I don't go through all this stuff... but then again, I don't have the massive leap forward that I took with the first one.
At several of mine, people have been taken away in ambulances due to massive energetic and emotional upheavals.
They are good stuff, but proceed with caution and know the risks.
This is the one of the many great benefits meditation brings to our lives! Glad you enjoyed the experience, happy cultivation!🙏👍✌💪
@@squamish4244 there are no risks. Buddha said its "adi mahi kalyani, madhya mahi kalyani, ant mahi kalyani" that means it is beneficial in the start, in the middle and in the last". It is true that in this meditation because of your previous health problems or due to mind negativities, in the process of uprooting sometimes they get elevated or comes to surface but on the metta day they get healed and their intensity get diminish slowly that is depended on how rightly we are practicing. During courses if one got sick then understand that this technique is working for them.
In regards of clothing, people is requested to dress "with modesty", being so, wearing long pants/trousers/skirts, not wearing see-through or tight revealing clothes, wearing sleeved T-shirts/shirts. This is in order to help others to maintain their mind focused without unnecessary triggers 🙏🏼 Every norm or rule in the Vipassana centers, is to benefit the meditation procces but many people fail to understand it. The best advise to go for a 10 day Vipassana retreat, it's to surrender for that period. You are there to experience the process of deflection of the ego. It's beautiful to watch how much you (your ego) wants to fight revolve resist and refuse go by those small basic simple seemingly unimportant "rules". Surrendering for those 10days, makes your life so much easier.
Understand also that, Vipassana is a technic to learn to see and accept the reality of the present moment as it is, remain equanimous to it; Well, the reality is that there's a code of conduct to which you (your ego) is reacting, and by doing so, you fail to accept the reality as it is 😊
Yeah, I just assumed the ruling on clothing was to try to cut down on distractions - and let's face it, sexual attraction is a BIG distraction for most people.😂
I'm appalled that people fought this rule. If you don't like the rules don't attend.
@@niccicanada❤
Wonderful words of wisdom from such a young man. You can see that meditation has really influenced his growth.
He is handsome too God too his time with him 🤭
My first was in 2012, and remember it vividly. The discourse toward the end when goenka described the change in demeanor common between arriving and the last day, where the students change to a lighter and loving existence is so clear. I attended a second one, and then began trying to serve a course and sit a course every 12 to 18 months, which I found very helpful in keeping the benefits and practice during regular daily life. As a volunteer server, which is often in the kitchen, it requires interacting with the other servers and the three main group meditation sittings each day. There is some other meditation time besides the group settings, and the rules outside the kitchen are just as is expected of new and old student practicing Nobel silence.
This is a great video and does a excellent job laying out the expectations and traditions goenka maintains for anyone planning to attend. I'm out of practice now and from the pandemic restrictions I'm definitely overdue to attend a retreat. Thanks.
There are other types of vipassana retreats than those of goenka. Look for example for Mahasi Sayadaw inspired retreats.
Vipassana is the best thing that I have ever done. Changed my life forever. Thank you for sharing your story.
They don’t follow you when you leave the retreat. They don’t ask for money. They don’t solicit. It’s more like sweat lodges in that it’s hard to face one’s self especially when it’s something new for a person. A cult takes over your life and doesn’t allow you freedom when you want to do something else. In Vipassana it really isn’t about beliefs or sticking to a way of life, it really isn’t even about the method of meditation, it’s about being a more fully alive and authentic person. That is not “cult like”. Vipassana wasn’t controlling for me. Yes there were requirements like silence and sitting but they were not enforced. If one went outside of the requirements, they were gently guided and not forced to leave or comply. The one thing you said I agree with is that some people are not ready for something intensely personal and perhaps transforming whether it be through meditation or some other intensive spiritual pursuit. The retreat organizers for Vipassana do not screen. Everyone is welcome. If something comes up for someone, the organizers will reach out to obtain outside professional assistance. I’m glad you got so much benefit. It’s one more step in life’s journey when you do these types of inner experiences. In the case of Vipassana it’s not an effort to recruit or take advantage of one’s sincere intentions. One is there meditating with guidance and food and sleep quarters and afterword the retreatant simply leaves. I applaud all who improve themselves by becoming more of themselves. 🥂 🙏 👊
Oh, they don't "ask" for it, but they brainwash you so subtly so that you do it "on your own volition"
Have you heard of BITE model?
@@lotuspoints behavior, information, thought, and emotion.
I went to one of their retreats several years ago and it was at first difficult but you do adjust. It is not that bad. I did have a room mate at the retreat that completely broke down and had to leave. I got to have the cabin all to myself which was great. The meals were okay and were vegetarian with two meals per day. No coffee but tea was allowed. It is great to get away from cell phones and computers and television. I view it as a positive experience and will do it again and as I look back really enjoyed it.
Thank you for making this video. I've the utmost respect for anyone who does a 10 day course. It was the hardest thing I ever did and maybe the most important thing. I walked away feeling like I was shining from being purified from the technique. It seated me in meditation so I am always in that space. I found my center. All invaluable, but not for the faint of heart. Your energy feels bright and clear so kudos to you!
Do you still meditate daily?
Yes, but I use a different technique. I'm committed to growing as much as I can spiritually since that is what we take with us.@@donovana2861
I did mine about a year ago sometime in April 2022 and it is really helpful. I didn't get to do the adult course as I am not an adult but I tried out the 3 day one they do for minors. Its an eye-opening experience. Our schedule wasn't as strict as adults (which my dad had done) and we were allowed to talk to other people but it was still an eye-opening experience. And as you said after you do it, there is a sort of negative thought spiral for some time after. I never tried to meditate again ironically until today - 1 day before my first GCSE. It is an interesting process. I am definitely going back again so I can incorporate into every part of my living.
This is the most succinct explanation of what one is supposed to achieve through meditation -- detaching oneself from the story running in our heads and simply observing our lives as they are so that we don't have to live in misery -- that i've watched in a long while. The delivery is on-point too. Nice work!
This 10 days silent course of Vipassana is path of truth from gross to the subtlest , it is logical, scientific, result giving, here and now, not asking for money, available at 200+ places in the world, one must try it at least once in lifetime, you may learn mini-Anapana at home through online audio by Goenkaji,
But to learn Vipassana one must apply to proper Centre. I always found the flow of infinite Compassion and loving kindness at all centres. Thank god I got this technique in my twenties. Heading for 10 days special.
Agree with everything you say!
Vipassana meditation 🧘♀️ saved my life. It was the way taught by the Buddha, and is absolutely terrifying and difficult, and at the same time, it's incredible, healing, and you evolve more doing Vipassana in a week than in 5 years of having your face stuck in a phone or on social media arguing about everything and getting offended by everything, then play video games for 10 hours and watch TV for another 10 hours...what evolving can happen in that life?
I couldn't recommend anything more in this life.
I used to be angry, stuck in the past, irritable, and constantly victimizing myself.
Now, I'm positive, peaceful, and present.
META is a beautiful practice as well. ❤ It helped me overcome so many, many, many traumatic times...
Wonderful 😊😢❤
I signed up for my first course without knowing much, including the schedule. I had no expectations and gave it a fair trial. I also had been told by my friend that it was pure torture. So I was prepared. I had a great course! Second course I had expectations, and it was quite a difficult course. But of course, in the end it was worth all the pain and effort. My best course was one I attended after meditating daily one hour a day for a year, it was easy to sit and I uprooted some deep stuff. Serving a course full time is just as beneficial and definitely makes one more mature in their practice.
Thank you for sharing your experience. The deeper you delve, the more you know that you don't know anything. Your 83 year old friend is correct and wise. There is nothing to attain. Nowhere to go. Just learning how to be. here. now.🙏🙏🙏
Great Video....
It was great pleasure to meet Thomas, who is 84years now. Met him today at my serving. He is going to Sit his next 10 day course from this Friday. What a man. I am very fortunate to talk and take some important information from this young senior. Metta to you.
That's so cool, he's a great man. Much love bro
I've found the technique and courses to be invaluable.
One drawback with it though, is that once you really get what is, you realise that everything else is a waste of time. And I mean EVERYTHING.
After my vipassana retreats (not in style of Goenka, but different ones) I always seriously start pondering to become a monk yes. But difficult to leave behind my parents and ambitions of writing a book.
Ikr
It's so painful to go back to the world of stories and stress. I've been thinking of becoming a nun
no but you find habits which bring truly happiness in you.
Changed my life - best thing I ever done.
Good on you for trying, Vipassana helps you to understand you better and understand that life is constantly changing.
I have been in many other retreats that are a bit of a cult - idealise a person or a guru. This is not like that, you are on your own discovery and the silence assist with this.
1000%
Hi all Im a hindu and this silent retreat is not a cult or religious thing. Its been pratised thousands of years thru mayan age. We call it 'mouna virtham'. It means getting detached from all negativities. Rejuvenating our body, mind and soul. It brings us towards consciousness. If you are near any hare rama hare krishna centres I would like you to go and attend some events to understand how the hindus practice unity, harmony and kindness. These good qualities embraces you as you practise silent retreat, get connected to nature and meditate to find out who you really are.
What the Buddha taught has some commonality in Vedic practices but also some important differences. The Buddha (re)discovered the technique taught on these courses and Vipassana is beyond Janas and absorption states. It's three-fold set of practices, sila (moral conduct, right speech, right livelihood etc), samadhi (right concentration, right mindfulness, right effort) & panna (right view, right understanding). Its the wisdom practice of Vipassana which is unique to all Buddhas and fully enlightened beings who escape the cycle of rebirth, whether they teach it or not.
Hey..dont play Hindu card with Vipassna. Keep Hindu nonsense away with it
that was a bit unkind@@sgrhwl2706
@@margaretnash6403 thats how a degraded religion want a side of some buddhist technique which actually thrash all religions today including buddhism.
Hello I’m a Pakistani is there any chance I could take part in such a retreat? Sadly because how things are between our countries I am scared but I would love to connect with my Hindu ancestry and its culture.
Above all, there's 1 thing that must be remembered - you enter the course on your own will, it is your choice to stay there and its your choice to adhere to the rules and regulations.
Ultimately, if you do not wanna be there - no one (and I mean no one) can and will force you to stay. No one expects you to donate anything after the course has ended, no one will follow you anywhere or tell you off because you did something wrong. It's 100% on you, the student.
Is it hard? very hard.
Is it strict? by all means.
Is it for everyone? I don't think so. For some its just too much.
BUT - when the meditation works and daily practice is adhered to, it is a true life saver. A real gem.
I am considering doing a Vipassana Retreat and I’m glad I got to watch your video. I align with your vision on so many levels and it was helpful to hear from someone who has done it before.
Thank you for taking the time to record your thoughts! 🙌🏻
What a wonderful video. Your description, storytelling, and analogies were so crisp, concise, and clear. Thank you
Thank you friend
Nicely shared
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius Thanks for the video, it was well done. A couple of questions,
1) Did you meditate this week and if so how many days in the week and at what average duration each day?
2) Was the 83 year old man someone who completed the 10 day retreat also?
If so, did you make it through the whole 10 days and conclude he felt terrible by the end of it? If this is what happened after you laughed he smiled, seemingly not feeling so terrible as to have lost the ability to to laugh. I am curious about this guy
Anyone contemplating a 10 day retreat should first prepare themselves with a daily meditation practice at home. Begin with a few minutes, then a few minutes longer. You would be foolish to attempt a marathon unless you've first run 100 metres. Apart from Goenka's retreats, Buddhist temples are always open and conduct free meditation classes. May all beings be happy. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu! 🙏
I agree, Metta meditation at the end of a Vipassana session feels SO lush, a soothing balm as S N Goenka described it.
I had a terrible experience. Its hard to watch people talk about how amazing it is when my experience was so bad. I watched your video before going and felt motivated and at ease. Now, I feel like it ruined my life. Guess i'm just a "casualty" as you say.
Using your metaphor, maybe knowing risks shouldn't deter people from "exercise" but there are things people can do to better prepare themselves, and a good coach isn't gonna allow someone to deadlift 500 lbs first day in the gym which is what this is basically. I think Vipassana centers need to do a better job of informing people of the serious risks, and be specific, and not accept people who do not have a regular practice. They kind of brush over it, and give a superficial sort of vague allusion to possible risk. Another thing I wish I was informed of was that repressed traumatic memories may surface (that you may not even be aware of, hence "repressed") and they also believe past life traumas can also arise. After my experience I believe there is a duty to inform participants that is not being met.
Also if you have a bad experience, in my experience, they send you on your way. There is no support. People should know that they are not qualified or equipped to assist you psychologically or medically, and they won't. If you are a "casualty" you are left to fend for yourself.
Part of the reason for this is that there is no living master teacher. You are learning from recordings of a teacher who has passed on. There is no room for adaptation, growth or personalized advice in that. The AT's may not even be equipped to guide anyone who has an experience they haven't had themselves, and thus may look at your experience as "faulty" and not on the path. They also have no oversight, talk to you in private, and will exercise their ego on you, in my experience. While there may be benefits, certainly don't fool yourself, and take a serious look at your life. Is it THAT bad? Are there smaller steps you can take right now? Can you commit 2 hours a day to meditating as it is now? Because this is what they say you need to do to maintain the "benefits"
And in the sub-communities of Vipassana, while some people offer kindness and help, there is also a lot of bullying that happens when you criticize any aspect of the experience. Im not trying to discourage anyone from going, but just saying if you go, stay alert. Not just to the technique but the pitfalls of the organization. May all beings be safe, sovereign, and compassionate to the suffering of others.
Sorry to hear you had that difficult experience & hope you can find a way to heal from it eventually. Your comment was a great read I think it's all really well put. All the best for your journey in the future
@@luukluchtloper2800 Thank you.
I am sorry to hear that you had a difficult experience. I personally hesitated two years to take the course, because I knew, being 10 days without distraction and without talking (which makes you feel isolated of course as you cannot exchange your experiences and thoughts with others) would be tough and I personally was very aware that it is unpredictable what will reveal from your subconscious. But finally, the wish for at least a chance to get a little bit more peace and maybe a technique to „handle misery“ better made me attend my first course a few years ago.
From what I can say is, yes, the centers don’t tell you in particular what might happen during your meditation, because it is very individual and of course, it is tough for everyone. And the work is not done after a retreat of course. I personally had to face a lot of hurtful and traumatic memories and am seing a therapist. But I don’t see it as a bad thing. I got the chance to deal with things, I was not aware of and my life is improving with this work.
As the centers only operate with volunteers, the center informs the students before the retreat that there is no psychological and/or medical service. Part of the experience is to find a way to deal with yourself and your mind without depending on someone else. Yes, the teachers will help you with the technique, but you have to deal with your own pain and misery yourself as it is also in „real life“.
Maybe, Vipassana is not for everyone and you are always free to quit a 10day course, even if it is not recommended (and I would also suggest to try to make the full course to get also the benefit out of it at the very end). But in my opinion, it is worth a try, if you feel stable enough to deal with everything, your mind and body has to offer.
recorded teachings are of learnt master of Vipassana ,every ordinary person can't awaken every other person only an enlightened person can show the way and his organisation which is spreading message of Buddha so Beautifully, and they take suggestion from all people who join retreat.
@@radhey_87 okay thanks for your input. I respectfully disagree with you. Best regards.
About the part where he speaks about sleeping. I think that must be very individual. I slept more than normal. I kept falling asleep during meditations, I slept at every longer break we had (after breakfast and after lunch), i fell asleep when we were allowed to meditate in our room, I couldn’t get enough sleep, I was so tired! So I wouldn’t rely on this info.
I felt really horrible that it was happening to me and was beating myself up for it, fearing that I’ll not get all the benefits from being there but when I came out I realised it doesn’t matter. I gained a lot, a lot anyway and that just thought me to accept it how it is. I guess I was panicking that this amazing thing won’t help me because I was in a low place in my life before going there and in a way this was my last hope. It worked.
i am glad that i accidentally found yours, i also had 10 days experience of meditating at retreat many years ago , 8 hours and about 2 hours of listening to masters teaching every day. it was really exhausting, you are right, even I was just sitting, i just could not sit with crossed legs on floor anymore as days went by no matter what kind of cushion i changed, hahaha. but the experience throughout that process was amazing, it was really eye-opening wow experience , that i really want to go through again and again. and as times go by, i think i am also getting wiser, :) listening to teachings of all these Buddhist meditation masters and many meditation sessions. and i found out that all these so called sufferings, pains are just labels our mind projects unconsciously to the emotions and sensations which is also the way of habits we are bought up since birth or other previous life cycles. letting go and being relaxed truly helps a lot, it is also deeply related to the breathing method and postures. S.N Gonenka is truly amazing meditation teacher, I also read some about his mother regarding how meditation changed her life, it was amazingly wonderful and impressive !
This video seemed so simple yet it had so many jewels for those who paid attention.
I also just did it & that was easily one of the most powerful experiences of my Life thx 4 sharing🙏🏽
Congrats!! Happy for you
TY for your story. A Vipassana meditation i did in Thailand was a bit different. We were isolated in individual cabins, but met with the Nun 1:1 daily for 10 mins. The suggestion was to observe the body as an object with its desires. Not to fend or resist but to observe the changes via the 4 positions, thru lying, sitting, standing and walking as one willed. Just observing and noting the suffering inherent at the point of desiring to change position. It brought me more compassion for my dear human vessel! Time, suffering and change became synonymous. Fascinating but not my most pleasant meditation experience. Lots of relief at having a break from my IRL experience with pressures and others' expectations. I slept most of the first 3 days. Quite depressed and bored at times. Then a bit psychadelic for a couple of days. Especially with roosters crowing under the cabin from 3am. Then in a strange wakeful dreamlike state for a couple more days. Unsure if i was mainly microsleeping on and off fhru the night. Yet, overall a good challenge and life contemplation from a different perspective. 😅
I like the sound of this retreat, what's the name of the retreat centre?
I'm also looking for retreats in Thailand and your experience sounds amazing. Would you mind sharing the name of the retreat?
me, who had the 10 day vipassana course one time, benefit the vipassana meditation and 10 day vipassana course in a very positive way. Now I will go to give a service. ı recommend it to everyone. I promise you will be more focused, more feeling "right now" and happier and healtier.
Facing the old distress feelings that I long avoided has been processed through crying. Those were just old feelings, baggage I was unloading, not present time distress. My body has been waiting a long time to get this gift of relief.
I went to my first ever meditation retreat about year ago. I was very anxious going in because we were in the middle of nowhere in South Georgia. The first two or three days were difficult and I contemplated leaving but I was determined to stay because it was that or live everyday the way I was (mentally bogged down, feeling anxious and depressed most of the day everyday, panic attacks). I had been prescribed anxiety/depression medication that made me feel like a zombie and suicidal, which I had never felt in my life; it was the scariest feeling I’d ever felt. So, for me, it was do or die, literally and figuratively.
The retreat was “magical” for me as well, however, I will say spiritual. I felt lighter mentally and in my body. The waves of anxiety were not there anymore. I felt genuinely happy and peaceful. I have not maintained the technique because my day-to-day life does not support 10 hours of meditation a day. I feel the difference now. I am starting to feel like I’ve slowly took all the negativity of life back and I feel it. So, I truly agree with you that it is worth it. I would also advise those who go to find a consistent schedule to maintain the peace and mindfulness you gain at a silent retreat. I plan to go to another 10 day, but I will be mindful of maintaining a consistent schedule when I return home. Protect your peace ❤
Keep Meditating and Be Happy. Don't forget to continue 1 hour Morning and Evening Vippassana Session after 10 days Discourse. This will be really helpful in long-run.
sounds like you're just regurgitating talking points
I think it’s worth noting there are different vipassana (insight) meditation retreats that are less stringent than a S.N. Goenka retreat. The others still follow the same original teachings but are less into the strictness of sitting so very still. Other retreats of the same tradition are more relaxed in that if you are in pain you can move. No one follows you around, it’s a practice of your own volition. And being asked to wear ‘modest’ clothing is not cultish. In some cultures shorts on men are immodest. But again there are other teachers of the same tradition that don’t emphasize this as much… they are more in the ‘middle way’.
Please note, this guy is only speaking of one particular teacher’s style- there are others. May I suggest you look up ‘insight’ retreats. In North American you can find them at places such as Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, Insight LA, etc.
Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Yeah the attire strictness is just to minimise all distractions so people can focus on the meditation. When you have so few distractions, even little things can be quite impactful.
It’s basically the equivalent of asking the kid to turn their loudspeaker music off on the bus 😛
Thanks Tobias for this video, I am sure it will encourage others to go for the retreat. I am a Vipassana meditator for last ten years and loving it.
The hardest thing in life, I think, is dealing with the feeling that you are never good enough. Alfred Adler says that true happiness comes with the feeling of being useful (or important). This is probably the same thing as one's purpose in life. Sometimes, I think it could be just as simple as being a good friend to someone.
Zazen changed my life! Based on my reading, I quickly attained Stream Enterer and it was wonderful! I can never thank Uchiyama Roshii and Koborii Roshii enough for giving me a chance and safe place to sit at Antei-ji in Kyoto. It doesn't exist anymore! I was there just in time! I quickly left for India and Dalhousie to Goenka-ji, but he sent me away when he found out I'd been sitting Zen. He didn't know what Zen was, but he assumed, and I was so young, just months out of college, that I didn't know I should argue with him. He sent me to HHDL in Dharamsala, and the rest is history. I should have studied under Goenka-ji.
Wow, just - wow. What. A. Freaking. Experience. Came back Sunday August 27 from Montebello, Quebec in Canada and it was marvelous. Learned a tool and technique that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Mark my words. 12/10 would recommend - saaaaaduuuuuuh 🙏🏼
Congrats bruuu
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius thank you kindly!! 🙏🏼
7:51 the stories running in our heads arent just exclusive to the negativity you mention here, its also applied to the positive story we run.
Stories like “if I go to a retreat, that is said to grant me *this state of mind*, I will level up on my journey”.
This retreat is a valuable tool for a person’s path, but it is ultimately a permission slip for the ego mind, the part of all of us that loves a good story. Sometimes that story is not as in our control as we perceive it to be.
My first meditation retreat was this year. The fourth day was rough for me; there were mental fights inside. On the eighth day, I cried a lot while listening to the evening discourse and in my bed when I retired because I recognized myself as a superior and intelligent person, even though I thought I was not. Between those days, I felt happy, sad, and depressed when I couldn't follow the technique the right way. I experienced so many emotions. But on the last day, I was so grateful that I couldn't even find a word to describe my feelings. I have fixed my life, and I know how to manage it now. I never miss the daily meditation because I get many more benefits.
Learning to live with oneself and ones thoughts is bliss.
It was physically a challenge. Yeah, its hard to sit I can totally identify with that. I didn't feel sad, it was one of the most peaceful time, so peaceful that I didn't want to leave. I didn't even feel like talking as you said it was magical ....I had to cancel my second course, but I'm planning to do it soon. Thank you for sharing this
This video makes me miss New Zealand. That's where I did my first Vipassana Retreat. I'm inspired to do another retreat now. Thanks. 🙏🏻
Many thanks for your honesty. I was considering a 3 day silent retreat, and I now realize that would be a mistake. Even sitting in a chair without moving for an hour is impossible. I will just continue to use guided videos from Plum Village. Cheers.
Yeah even sitting and hour is so hard....and we think we are in control of ourselves
Thank you for sharing your thoughts & experiences with the world ('hello back!"). When I look at your date of publishing your video, it was the same time I finished my first Vipassana-retreat. A life changing experience for sure!
Thank you so much for this video. I’m looking into going to a vipassana retreat myself and found this video so inspiring and exciting. I’m hoping to go in August!
I got this opportunity to be the part of 10 day vipasana retreat first time in my life in may month 2024. 7Months ago. at the age of 28.
I successfully completed 10 days course in my first attempt only.
I must say it was truly life transformative expertise for me.
I've completed Vipassana many times now. Best thing I ever did and continue.
What a great account of the process. Just a note: it's far easier for women to sit crossed legged due to an increased hip angle, higher oestrogen receptors at tendon sites and lower weigh distribution. This just gives men a whole other level of challenge to deal with.
nice video, I sometimes cringe when I watch these "my 10-day Vipassana course reaction video" RUclipss! this was a refreshing change and told with humility. well done.
Ty bro
Just about to embark on my first Vipassana course and really appreciate this video thanks for sharing
Exciting! Hope it goes well for you
@ thank you!
"narrow shouldered granola boys" 😂 you are so funny! But honestly, thanks for your well articulated experience of these retreats. Your video is definitely thought provoking!
Contemplating doing a second vipassana retreat after my first 4 years ago. This was such an articulate expression of the experience - loved it! Thanks for sharing. I think I’m tempted to go for it lol.
Congratulations on completing the retreat despite the difficulties that you have described.
Thank you
Very candid!!! Beautiful video Tobias!! Lots of love to you and God bless you!
That's a great review. It sounds honest and on point. It didn't sound partial at all (I confess that when I read the title a was doubting about the integrity of the content). I think you did a great job and I hope many people get benefit from it. Nice🙃
I did a couple of Goenka style retreats in the past, and your vid is making me want to do another. Thank you.
A couple of points: I've never seen anyone "flip out" from this type of meditation but yes, it is possible. This is not the only form of vipassana meditation, and I'd advise anyone with serious mental health issues not to do a Goenka retreat, but to seek out a local vipassana group, such as the IMS ones, and explore that rather than plunging into a Goenka retreat.
Also, the managers may not want you to leave the retreat, but since the Buddhist path is non-violent, I don't imagine anyone would physically try and stop you from leaving if you wanted to. Also, the retreats I went on cost nothing beforehand. While they made a big pitch for donations at the end, the donation was entirely up to you, and you didn't have to give anything if you were so inclined.
I agree, from what I’ve heard IMS retreats sound far less intense and a little less dogmatic
Just came out of Vipassana yday and totally agree with you!!!
I feel such a relief lightness liberation!
And yess the sitting it’s tedious sitting!
But worth it!!!
This was my second time and oh boy soooo much deeper and the benefits are so profound!
It's so true what you said... when you are growing pain is unavoidable!
Mate this is well said. Just finished a retreat today and needed to hear this perspective. Loved what you said about metta
Glad you found value bro. much love
Hi Tobias, thank you so much for this video. So authentic, so interesting, so wise, thank you.
Thanks for your video- you may love doing a loving kindness retreat- each day is focused on a different category to offer metta to. My metta retreat changed the course of my life.❤
Where can you do this?
I just got back from one this week and I dont know of anyone leaving we all made it.
It's not a cult. It is amazing to be skeptical about it and about the technique they teach as well. If you blindly follow it all you will probably not actually understand or experientially learn it. Also keep in mind that the results (heightened awareness, mental clarity, enhanced morality, mental sensitivity to vibration and everything else that they say) needs to be experienced and you can't convince yourself that you've experienced it, you will 100% know it when you experience the changes. After experiencing those changes I personally decided to keep going to the retreats and practice two hours a day just like keeping up with my progress at the gym. If I ever find the technique harmful or disturbing I will definitely stop doing it. The reason why they insist on you finishing the course is the fact that it is a process that affects your mind a certain way and leaving at the middle can be harmful to your mind.
IT IS CULT.
@@Samana-Recluse maybe SN Goenka's Vipassana retreat can be considered a cult(which I personally don't think so) but Vipassana itself is just a meditation technique that you can learn from different teachers. There are many different meditation techniques that just work with your breath and sensations of your body(Anapana/Vipassana and others). These retreats just teach this technique.
@@arI-Yabs Yes I understand. Vipassana is very technique. When we are learning from teachings of Buddha, it's always good to praise Buddha, not someone else who claims to be Buddha predicted person. It's always good to double check the teachings with SUTTAs. It's always good to change your meditation with different methods(Buddha's). It's good to change the teachers sometimes too. But my main point is we have to understand 4 noble truths, noble eithfold paths, Kamma, Dependant Origination, 3 marks of existence DEEPLY DEEPLY DEEPLY. Without having very good knowledge of these things, doing meditation is really nonsense thing. Also cults never lead to good things. But i understand lots of people study vipassana at Goenka training and later on they understand lots of things and move on to pure Buddha's teachings. In that sense, goenka training is good. because it's helping people. but when it becomes cult and leading people to things that Buddha didn't teach, that's very sad. I hope you understand my point. With Metta.
@@HumanBeing-jv8dp maybe its not your time yet to realize it's cult. And cult is no good. In that case, i can't make you understand. We need more parami hey? 😂🙏♥️👍👌
@@Samana-Recluse that's what I'm saying, it's basically Goenka's gym😂. You go workout your mind and if you find something more pure you're always very welcome to leave. I think due to how powerful the technique is a lot of people get attached to it easily.
My man ,you are brave facing yourself is good.Respect.
My first was about '87 and it was with Surya Das, who was underwhelming and self-absorbed. However, it opened my eyes to the fact that there were retreats here in the country and that one didn't have to trek to the Himalayas to get instruction.
The best "thing", "advice", "pre-course alert" I got was from a friend who had taken a course. He told me "Just follow the bells :) The daily schedule was made available to me at the time I signed up. Take advantage of the opportunity to have a conference with the Assistant Teacher (the person who is in charge of the course) at any or even every noon hour. My experience in having attended five, ten day courses, that the Teacher on site was always very willing to talk with me. For me it was very well worth struggling through the rough patches during the course. I have been practicing twice a day, most every day, since I did my first course in 2001.
If you travel to any country, or enlist in a club, or sport- heck, the military… there are rules or guidelines to help you zone in as well as identify if you have respect for the experience. In this case, no shorts, etc is for a reason of course. I lived an an ashram for 1.5 years. I remember people would leave in the middle of the night claiming the place was a cult. No, there were boundaries for men & women’s interactions, i.e.: respectable attire, etc., because the idea is to eliminate as much mental/emotional/sexual/personal distraction as possible and keep everyone safe. It’s not actually about your attire, attraction, nor limitations, it’s about creating a safe and easy space for you to clear your mind and sit deep within yourself- and to make it easy for others who interact with you. The sages and monks throughout history advise certain practices for the monkey-mind very intentionally. Just keep an open-mind when you jump into any new experience..
Thank you for this great informative post! I canceled my upcoming Goenka Vippassana due to family circumstances but certainly hoping to sit my first one this year. You are so amazing with words and the way you describe things, I was watching you in awe 👌🏻🌷💚🦋
Thanks and good luck with your first retreat
I am a recovering attention seeker. You did your research before you went to the retreat, very intelligent after the events....😮
Enlightenment is “Knowing “ just like a child who learns to stand for the very first time, or riding a bicycle for the first time, or skating or swimming.
It all comes in a fraction of a second which you can never forget and then you will never unlearn it and never be the same again, you actually go to another plane, now when you open that unknown faculty that you have which enables you to experience the fourth and fifth dimensions and perhaps many more it will be impossible for you to explain or describe it to others.
Vipaasna Meditation will help rid you of the ignorance and darkness that you unknowingly live in.
It has nothing to do with religion or cult, it’s all about your individual self.
It’s mind over matter so to speak.
Just jump into it if you get a chance, it’s life changing for sure.
My experience with Vipassana is somewhat unlike the people here.
I lived 30 years in Thailand and was exposed to Buddhism and did one silent meditation retreat but it wasn’t Vipassana.
I moved back to the west in 2021. As I age, currently 68, I needed some thing to spiritually ground me. I came across Goenka’s meditation video (the Dhamma talks of his 10 day course).
They were recommended by the historian Israeli Yuval Harari (he wrote Sapiens and other great books). His mental clarity is excellent and attributes it to meditation.
I listened to the dhamma talks by myself and then tried regular 1 hour morning meditation sessions. Sitting completely still for 1 hour is difficult let alone several hours. I don’t feel the need to sit several hours per day in a retreat. The thought of that is itself painful.
I prefer the gentle way and taking it slowly. I’m not trying to be excellent at it because that would belie a certain mindset.
What draws me to Vipassana and Buddhism in general is that they’re about direct experience. The proof that it “works” is that you as an individual directly discover the truth. No one can get inside your head and tell you what is right and wrong for it.
I recommend meditation in a retreat or on your own as something that is healthy and beneficial in life.
All the best!
I did this once. It was scary, transformative, life changing for me.
I did it in Peru. No dress restrictions, men and women were not separated, to me the silence was the main selling point, there were no chairs for the weaklings, but lots of pillows. I loved the experience and learned at least one thing that I will value through life. I had negative thoughts but that's who I am, they did not emerge from the meditation.
If you think that people who require chairs are weaklings then I'm not confident you really learned much regarding loving kindness.
I lost my 18 yr son in hit n run case.. till one year i didn't do anything except my job.. even i don't want to prepare food.. I am a atheist person.. i was so confused its a destiny or a human mistake.. recently I attended 10days Vipassana.. sometimes it was very difficult to sit continuously 10-12 hrs.. back pain..legs pain.. at last i achieved 1 hr sitting without moving.. now i do at home 2 times for 1/2 an hour.. hope it will help to be strong and come out of misery..
sending you love!
I am so sorry. You are brave to sit with this. Most of us run away.
Thanks for this video. Has been beneficial. Looking forward to mine.
There's a big difffernece between trying to do things and letting go of trying to do anything. I appreciate your sharing about your experience here. Thanks and much love
For those who can't stand sitting meditation, I strongly suggest tai chi, qi gong or sports which forces you to stay focussed. The Wim Hof method is also great for those who want to jump into meditation without any prior experience.
🥰😆🙏
Thank you for your insights. Im looking forward partcipating in a 10 day retreat myself in two days and this video helped me shaping my expectations a lot :)
How did it go for you ? I’m going into the centre in a fortnight.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am heading into my first 10 day retreat in a few days and am excited and nervous!
I'm usually critical of "hippy talk" or "unconciously repeating dogma" but nah this sounded like your genuine experience and perspective, so thanks for sharing!
Life is suffering - see it like it is - let go and come to peace! Stop looking for it! Happiness is an Illusion! Vipassana is a great mirror into the BS in yourself - what you experience depends alone on what you hide before yourself. Run if you like but you won‘t escape yourself!
Love this brother, I had a difficult course and I felt totally broken after it. I honestly think for some people there’s just a certain amount of suffering they need to go through before before the can learn to detach and transcend the thinking mind. Wish you the best on your journey 🙏
Completely agree, cool to hear you pulled those insights out of the mud 𑁍
Been with Goenka in Igatpuri in the 80s for some 10 day retreats. Had lucid dreams, saw the Earth turning away from the Sun (not the Sun setting)…and long pants is just a rule which you obey when you sign in. No big deal. The hardest part was the shallow chatter of people after 10 days of Noble Silence 😂
The ten-day retreats are very demanding, indeed. I sat about 30 of them. I never saw "80" of either men or women leave. Very few leave if they insist on it. You are encouraged to stay and keep going because a certain emotional/mental barrier comes up for people at a certain time, usually on days two and six. Once you get over that barrier, the smoothes out.
So enjoyed listening to you! Just listening to this was enlightening! Thanks so much.
Happy to hear it man
I enjoyed my retreat a few years ago in north fork California where it was filmed. Good learning about the risks so I don't lead people into it without a disclaimer. Love the guy at the end, he became Socrates lol
Hahahah truly a modern day Socrates
Hey man, thanks for taking the time posting this, valuable insight, many thanks!
It’s fascinating our ability to identify with the story and victim role that sitting quietly is expected (and manifested to be) something to any degree “dangerous”
I did a Vipassana retreat few years back. I definetly agree with the casualties part. I think I was not very stable going in and it had some negative effects on my mental health. Perhaps an existential anxiety of not really knowing who i am. Alot of it is a very clutterish type of self talk, and i do think that the path of meditation is still very important ti maintain, even though the perceived traumatic events that we sometime experience due to immature understanding
100%. The casualties don't usually talk about it either. Retreats are hyped up so much that people probably feel broken or abnormal for having a bad experience.
@@tobiasdecimusmeridiusin indian culture the parts you didnt like are expected as spiritual practise is considered a different level of operating and it not not done casually as in the West for example with the shorts or talking while walking...
@@tobiasdecimusmeridius "bad experience" is a subjective reaction to the course. outside of a psychotic episode (which is extremely rare amongst the millions of courses sat by people over decades) any "bad reaction" is just your subconscious mind resenting the experience. that's the point of these courses, to see that reaction for what it is. what did you lose by having a "bad experience" sitting a course?
Bro, you go to a retreat where you become like a monk for 10 days. Do you see monks wearing shorts? Your not going to the beach, if you complain about the attire at Vipassana youve missed the point...
Also friend, they counsel you away from leaving because as you start instrospecting you start to observe you demons, your suffering, IF you LEAVE instead of staying there and doing the work of observing your suffering and remaining equanimous to it then you simply create an aversion to the entire practice, an aversion to Vipassana ! An aversion to that which helps in liberation! Can you imagine how terrible that is?
However I am so happy for your realisations especially the one where you realise that we use a lot of external things to escape from our hardships. Of course its hard to look at your problems, but thats the work and if you persists you change and your perception of the work changes. Oh and no pain no gain, that's right!
All in all nice job man! Keep up the practice, it's only by keeping it up that you really see the benifits, or else its just a ritual or a rite or an experience that is ephemeral.
Thank you for the insights. From my experience, I would suggest practicing meditation for at least a year regularly before entering a retreat. As every muscle the brain needs to be trained before going to a marathon. Ten days of meditation without any kind of preparation is simple dangerous.
It's like cinema running on a screen. They come and go,you cry,you laugh with what's happening on the screen. But without the substratum of the screen,moving picture won't work. Your consciousness is like that screen. It lights up negative and positive thoughts. They come and go. Be a witness.
I love how you just randomly make an awesomely high-quality video with articulated thoughts and over-the-top delivery, then stop posting any other serious video. Such a G 😂
I just completed my first 10 day course. The silence and meditation were no problem for me but the sitting was incredibly painful and my only real challenge. Although by the end I could sit for one hour without moving. I actually thought a lot of what felt like physical pain was actually mental and it felt good to work through and overcome it.
agree the sitting is excruciating