So what made me want to do a meditation technique that has been lost to humanity and rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha more than 2500 years ago? The benefits of learning something that I could take into my life that will make what I am already doing better. I already had a meditation practice before learning Vipassana. Now I feel I have gained the ability to sit much longer than the 30 minutes a day I was used to, I am not totally dependent on my iphone or a sound track and I can meditate anywhere, which to me is more practical. To me it seems that now that I went to a Vipassana course I can now say I am learning how to meditate FOR REAL lol. And now that I know more about Vipassana and have gained the experience in practicing it I sit twice a day to maintain my practice and :
SO what does Vipassana mean anyhow?
Vipassana meditation means seeing things as they really are. Gaining clarity beginning the process of self-purification. Especially after 10 days of practically non stop meditation practice I could notice my mind having less influence. Meaning my thoughts were less forceful and my mind began to quiet.
What is Dhamma?
Dhamma is a way of life. Where everything is a remedy for universal problems and anyone can be practiced by anyone regardless of religion, race, community, or place even. You can practice Vipassana meditation and Dhamma anywhere but they teach Vipassana and the path of Dhamma at various centers throughout America, South America and the entire world. Now that I went two courses I find that I am starting to take the practice into my life more seriously. Although I made a conscious decision to abtain from killing any being, stealing, from all sexual activity, telling lies, and abstained from all intoxicants in the course I now wish to abstain from these outside of the courses. I abstained from sensual entertainment (no iphone) and bodily decorations. I even abstained from using high luxurious beds and slept in a cabin with no electricity. Since the course I have been using my iphone vigorously and I think it makes a big difference in my life to give myself time away from computers, tvs, and smartphones. Not sure if I can abstain from them though being I am an Appreneur.
The hardest will be abstaining from all sexual activity and some of the eating schedules I practiced. At the Vipassana course I even abstained from eating after 12pm. oh boy did I want fruit with my tea after 12 pm on the first few days. I almost pretended I didn't know better and was about to take a banana with my tea. But then I got more disciplined and decided to just follow suit and found that it helped my meditation ten fold that I didn't have a big dinner in my belly as I was aiming to purify my mind through meditation. I needed to be really clear and sharp in the mind and I experienced how food makes a big difference in the quality of how sluggish or dull your mind can become according to what you put in your mouth.
Over all the course was a blast. I found that during the discourses that take place every evening I would be laughing almost to tears. I sat in meditation through all of the discourses with my eyes closed. Even though it was a time to relax I still aimed to practice and that's how I now I was having a blast because when there was laughter to be had I was rolling despite the pain I was in for having been sitting in lotus position for an hour or more of discourse.
At one point in the course I was allowed to meditate in the Pagota that is still under construction. I didn't even know what a Pagoda was. But I found that for me it was a place where I could meditate in a cell that was so quiet it almost made me crave being there because I could concentrate on the noise I was directly making and not the external noises coming from any where else. Now that I am home I can truly see how much I am bombarded with daily through my window full of the noise from out doors. Makes me crave peace and quiet and want to move. Speaking of craving. I got to experience that craving and aversion are two habitual patterns of my mind. When I hear, see, or feel something I recognize it and either crave it (i like it) or have an aversion toward it ( i don't like it) Realizing this I was taught to practice just being equanimous with whatever I sensed. Whether a thought, an itch, a loud noise, a sad feeling, a random incident or what have you. No matter what occurred in the moment just be aware of it and be objective of it without adding anything else to it. Just observe what is going on and stay blank but not a vegetable. . .yeah you actually are aware and alert but rather indifferent about what is occuring knowing that "this too shall pass"
It was some serious Jedi training and I have to say I loved it so much I really would like to go again once a year just to improve on my practice and also to continue gaining the knowledge and insight I gain from learning more about Dhamma and how to apply it in the course and in my life outside the course.
Now that I am back home in my city noise filled apartment I practice in the morning and even once in the evening. Both for an hour long each. Doesn't even seem like a long time for me anymore, some days I even practice sitting 3 times a day. I guess you get used to it. I am not sure if I can ever get used to the city noise coming out of my window though. Especially now that I am less dull minded about my surroundings and what is going on inside me and outside around me. But for now I will accept the noise or ambient city sounds if you will.
I also will take time out of my schedule every year to volunteer and help others who are taking Vipassana courses at the center. That way I can give back to those who have given me. Also I get to meditate and reestablish my foundation with other like minded people by doing so. If you want to learn more about this meditation technique and where you can go to get more knowledge and experience doing Vipassana. Check out the website Dhamma.org. It can tell you more than I can about this way of life. You can take a 10 day course and you can volunteer and meet amazing people from around the world and ask more about the path of Dhamma and see if it is right for you. So far so good. As they say "Be Happy" and as I say "Peace and love.
-David J Williams
- develop a discipline of working toward increased present awareness and humility, reducing my ego.
- deal with the challenges in my daily life activities and let them pass me by without getting so attached to them.
- sorting out my head to move toward focussing what is really important to me rather reacting to everything that comes.
- Becoming more grounded, in tuned and aware of my body after sitting in meditation.
SO what does Vipassana mean anyhow?
Vipassana meditation means seeing things as they really are. Gaining clarity beginning the process of self-purification. Especially after 10 days of practically non stop meditation practice I could notice my mind having less influence. Meaning my thoughts were less forceful and my mind began to quiet.
What is Dhamma?
Dhamma is a way of life. Where everything is a remedy for universal problems and anyone can be practiced by anyone regardless of religion, race, community, or place even. You can practice Vipassana meditation and Dhamma anywhere but they teach Vipassana and the path of Dhamma at various centers throughout America, South America and the entire world. Now that I went two courses I find that I am starting to take the practice into my life more seriously. Although I made a conscious decision to abtain from killing any being, stealing, from all sexual activity, telling lies, and abstained from all intoxicants in the course I now wish to abstain from these outside of the courses. I abstained from sensual entertainment (no iphone) and bodily decorations. I even abstained from using high luxurious beds and slept in a cabin with no electricity. Since the course I have been using my iphone vigorously and I think it makes a big difference in my life to give myself time away from computers, tvs, and smartphones. Not sure if I can abstain from them though being I am an Appreneur.
The hardest will be abstaining from all sexual activity and some of the eating schedules I practiced. At the Vipassana course I even abstained from eating after 12pm. oh boy did I want fruit with my tea after 12 pm on the first few days. I almost pretended I didn't know better and was about to take a banana with my tea. But then I got more disciplined and decided to just follow suit and found that it helped my meditation ten fold that I didn't have a big dinner in my belly as I was aiming to purify my mind through meditation. I needed to be really clear and sharp in the mind and I experienced how food makes a big difference in the quality of how sluggish or dull your mind can become according to what you put in your mouth.
Over all the course was a blast. I found that during the discourses that take place every evening I would be laughing almost to tears. I sat in meditation through all of the discourses with my eyes closed. Even though it was a time to relax I still aimed to practice and that's how I now I was having a blast because when there was laughter to be had I was rolling despite the pain I was in for having been sitting in lotus position for an hour or more of discourse.
At one point in the course I was allowed to meditate in the Pagota that is still under construction. I didn't even know what a Pagoda was. But I found that for me it was a place where I could meditate in a cell that was so quiet it almost made me crave being there because I could concentrate on the noise I was directly making and not the external noises coming from any where else. Now that I am home I can truly see how much I am bombarded with daily through my window full of the noise from out doors. Makes me crave peace and quiet and want to move. Speaking of craving. I got to experience that craving and aversion are two habitual patterns of my mind. When I hear, see, or feel something I recognize it and either crave it (i like it) or have an aversion toward it ( i don't like it) Realizing this I was taught to practice just being equanimous with whatever I sensed. Whether a thought, an itch, a loud noise, a sad feeling, a random incident or what have you. No matter what occurred in the moment just be aware of it and be objective of it without adding anything else to it. Just observe what is going on and stay blank but not a vegetable. . .yeah you actually are aware and alert but rather indifferent about what is occuring knowing that "this too shall pass"
It was some serious Jedi training and I have to say I loved it so much I really would like to go again once a year just to improve on my practice and also to continue gaining the knowledge and insight I gain from learning more about Dhamma and how to apply it in the course and in my life outside the course.
Now that I am back home in my city noise filled apartment I practice in the morning and even once in the evening. Both for an hour long each. Doesn't even seem like a long time for me anymore, some days I even practice sitting 3 times a day. I guess you get used to it. I am not sure if I can ever get used to the city noise coming out of my window though. Especially now that I am less dull minded about my surroundings and what is going on inside me and outside around me. But for now I will accept the noise or ambient city sounds if you will.
I also will take time out of my schedule every year to volunteer and help others who are taking Vipassana courses at the center. That way I can give back to those who have given me. Also I get to meditate and reestablish my foundation with other like minded people by doing so. If you want to learn more about this meditation technique and where you can go to get more knowledge and experience doing Vipassana. Check out the website Dhamma.org. It can tell you more than I can about this way of life. You can take a 10 day course and you can volunteer and meet amazing people from around the world and ask more about the path of Dhamma and see if it is right for you. So far so good. As they say "Be Happy" and as I say "Peace and love.
-David J Williams
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