A slow dance with silence

Reji Varghese shares his experience at a ten-day-long Vipassana meditation boot camp

If I knew how tough it was going to be, I would have chickened out, but my friend said, “Think of it as a slow dance with silence.” With that thought in mind, I checked into the meditation center in a rural area about six km from Pallavaramon a sultry Wednesday evening and surrendered my phone, my wallet and myself for ten days.

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For ten days, I see-sawed between silence and pain, the pleasant and unpleasant, and I did what I was asked to do — observe. The last morning, we were getting ready to go back to the real world; a world of noise, phones, emails, texts, arguments and the constant struggle of just trying to get by. My mind felt as if it had been put through a washing machine and all the muck had been cleaned out.

I looked around to say goodbye to silence, my elusive dance partner, and I couldn't find her. It took a while to realize that she was with me. At the end of ten days, I realized that the dance and dancers had become one.


Complete Article: https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/vipassana-meditation-is-a-boot-camp-for-the-mind/article7645474.ece

More Info: http://www.dhamma.org/ 

My 10-Day Marathon of Total Silence

My 10-Day Marathon of Total Silence

Two months ago, I went for my latest vipassana course in a beautiful small village in Chengannur, Kerala. I was hesitant, not fully ready to undertake rigorous 14 hours of being seated in meditation in a closed cell or a humid hall, or just one meal a day, the voluntary work of cleaning dishes, toilets, and laundry. But then I needed mental strength, clarity of purpose and the skill to be emotionally unaffected while carrying on with whatever life required of me. So I pushed myself and was pushed by my husband, who has observed the difference vipassana brought about in me in the last year.

My apprehensions melted away as I made my way through the beautiful backwaters of Alleppy district and as I finally reached the centre, I was ready. I made my one last phone call home, handed over my mobile, books, pens and writing material to fully be with myself and my surroundings for the next ten days. I was quite happy as I came out of the dhamma mediation hall on the first night, having taken my vows to live a monk's life during my stay there. It's easy to do it under noble silence in those beautiful surroundings and moreover, they are simple and rational vows - I will not kill, steal, lie, imbibe intoxicants, and engage in sexual misconduct.

I sat at the doorsteps of the hall, looking onto the paddy fields and coconut trees which provided the backdrop for the love dance of the fireflies, feeling content. I followed this with a cold shower in the common bath area and went to my dorm and was asleep by 10 pm. I was to wake up at 4.30 am to start my journey within.

More Info: https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/my-10-day-marathon-of-total-silence-748213

More info: http://www.dhamma.org/

Kerala Center : http://www.ketana.dhamma.org/index.html

15 Crazy Things People Ask You When You're Going For Vipassana

15 Crazy Things People Ask You When You're Going For Vipassana

Vipassana meditation is a secular meditation technique based on the principles of Gautam Buddha. Vipassana courses are taught all over the world at various meditation centres at 10-day camps. The camps are pretty intense, and the meditators have to observe noble silence for 10 days (which means no form of communication at all) and continue meditation from 4:30 AM to 9:00 PM, following a strict schedule of sattvik diet and no food post 5:00 PM. Being a Vipassana meditator is difficult enough but sometimes, answering people's ridiculous questions when they realize where you're going, is tougher!

1. And you got leave?!

2. But what problems can you have in life?

3. Can you stay alone that long?

4. How will you survive without your phone or the internet?

5. Aren't you too young for such things?

... and more.

More Info: https://www.indiatimes.com/lifestyle/self/15-crazy-things-people-ask-you-when-youre-going-for-vipassana-230825.html

Clearing the garbage in my head at a 10-day silent retreat

Light-hearted description of a 10-day course at Dhamma Java, by a well-known Singapore journalist.


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I plan to go back in a few years. To have every hour of your day scheduled, from waking to bedtime, is liberating, not confining, I've found. I cannot say for sure if I am meditating correctly, but I can say that sitting for hours lets me clear out a lot of garbage in my head. I plan to sit still for at least a few minutes a day. I will, however, do it with back support.


Complete Article: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/clearing-the-garbage-in-my-head-at-a-10-day-silent-retreat

More Info: http://www.dhamma.org/