I went for 10 days Vipassana meditation course. Its
been long time that I wanted to do this course. At last, I did this
course in Canada and not in India. My father started Vipassana six month
back. He again recommended me to go for it as early as possible. It is
wonderful opportunity for those who like to understand mind and gain
control over emotional stress. Most importantly what amazed me is that
it is free course. It is completely run using donations and volunteers. I
completed this retreat at Ontario Vipassana Centre (
http://www.torana.dhamma.org/)
named as Dhamma Torana. At the center, I talked with course
participant on the first day and asked them why they have interest in
this. I was curious to know that what are the possible reason for a
person to come for 10 days long meditation course. I was surprised to
see the participants from different countries and various religion. It
is written on the website about introduction to Vipassana as it is one
of India's
oldest techniques of meditation, first taught 2,500 years ago. It is a
practical method of self-awareness that allows one to face the tensions
and problems of daily life in a calm and balanced way. It is based on
the Gautam Budhha's teaching. You have to follow few code of discipline.
It is rrequires hardwork. You need to have patience and determination
to learn to have calm and balanced mind. Everything is changing, it is
"Anitya" which you will hear every now and then during the course. The
main teacher of Vipassana Meditation is Mr. S.N. Goenka. All the
instructions and discourses are given by him. His voice is commanding. I
liked all the discourses mainly because it resembled my opinion about
all those subject which were discussed. However, I did not believe in
few things which were discussed in the discourse.
My
experience in that 10 days course was wonderful. First three days were
annoying. I kept on struggling with unwanted memories and thoughts. It is
challenging task to force your mind to concentrate on certain task without
remembering or thinking about any other thing. Second challenge is to develop
ability to sit for long hours. How wonderful it is to think that both these
challenges are only linked with your mind! You have to be determined and
patient to overcome both these challenges. Within three
days, I was able to gain control
of my mind to certain extend. I was able to sit for 1 hour without
moving. I
realised that we work based on what we tell our mind. Before starting
meditation, I was telling my mind that I have to sit for 1 hour. Once
that hour
was finished, I couldnot resist to change my position. I told myself
that I
will do 5 rounds of task and then I will stop. I did not count it. I
realised
that it automatically force me to change the position after 5 sets. I
started defining non-time frame task. It helped me to improve my
sitting. Its profound
realization that what you tell to yourself or others tells you has deep
impact
on your performance. We know this very well, it was demonstration to
myself.I understood this lesson through my own experience.
We
were given instruction about the meditation technique and how it works.
Everyday there were some chanting and repetition of few concepts such
as everything is changing. Your reaction causes suffering, you can
achieve balanced and equanimous mind through this meditation technique.
First day it self, I was stuck with one thought that when Gautam Bhdhha
were searching reason for unhappiness. He started wandering and met few
saint who taught him meditation. He was looking for the truth. He found
it for himself. He passed his understanding to other people. Now, if
this meditation technique were taught without telling what a person is
going to experience. How it will work in that scenario? Before starting
of each meditation sitting, I was told again and again that any reaction
generate craving or aversion. I have to learn to control reaction which
in turn will stop craving and aversion. If I was told that you have to
experience the sensation in your body. Learn to focus your mind on the
sensations and dont react on these sensation. With this information, if I
was told to spend those ten days then I guess that I might have had
something different experience.
When you meditate
that time you go through different stages. At one point you feel energy
flow through out your body. I was wondering that what this energy flow
is and how to link it to the physical and biochemical reaction. I have
experienced it only twice. I am curios to explore this phenomena of mind
and matter. I had strange experience. After thirds day, I realized that
my mind became very sharp and focused / sensitive that when I was
closing my eyes, I was able to see HD quality colorful images. Usually,
when I close my eyes, I can create black and white or grey shade
pictures. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was seeing natural beauty such
as tress, ocean, sea plants and animals etc. I never saw any known
person or human being. These images were like video. Mind was generating
some beautiful and colorful movie. I was able to see all colors. When I
was trying to focus on sensation and forcing my mind to stop that
imagination, it use to create a standstill image like pause in a video.
If my focus was again shifted to that image then it was starting that
movie again.
How you can control
your conscious mind and get control of
your subconscious mind? Our mind is very delicate, it is constantly
trained
through all sensors which we posses such as eye, ear etc. Conscious mind
collects data and transfers to subconscious mind continuously. Our
reasoning ability
is build over the period of time. However, this reasoning ability can be
changed very easily. Most of the time, it is changed with any small
event. I am analyzing all these things to understand myself. When we
start observing sensations and try to stop
reaction, I was wondering that what way it is linked to nervous system
and brain function. I started analyzing its link at biological level
where and how this meditation works in real life.
I thought about so many things through that period. I am happy that I did this course. Hope to go for it again