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Anicca.
living a life of dhamma – Vipassana Meditation
Published February 20, 2009 Uncategorized 14 CommentsTags: change, dhamma, getting established in dhamma, giving, military, serving, Vipassana meditation
Tags: change, dhamma, getting established in dhamma, giving, military, serving, Vipassana meditation
Great reading your experience about your vipassana retreat. I am thinking about going there and do a retreat.
You said that SN Goenka recommends 1 hour meditation in the morning and 1 in the evening for a year. But what does he recommend after that? I mean do you just continue practicing that much after the first year or is it just important in hte beginning to do so?
Sincerely Carina
Dear Carina,
Thanks for your message! If you practice 2 hours per day for a year, Goenkaji says you will continue for the rest of your life. Most of those who fall out of practice do so during the first year. The more one practice the easier it will become since you become more equanimous. This is of course if you practice according to the instructions given during the 10-day course.
1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening is not so hard for me anymore. This is after 8 months of daily practice. Since I long term serve and live at the Swedish Vipassana center I meditate 3-4 hours every day.
Meditating everyday is as important to your mental health as eating is for your physical health. Even Gautama the Buddha meditated for 3 hours every day after becoming enlightened.
But don’t worry about this now. Your first goal ought to be to finnish a 10-day course.
Where are you planning to go for your first course? Which country are you from?
May you find peace.
walkthepath
I live in Sweden, Gothenburg. I reply you in english because of your blog is on english.
Do you follow the Buddhist path to enlightenment or do you practice more for your mental health? I mean, is S.N Goenka interested to show the path to enlightenment with this technique or does he only show this meditation for improve the mental health.
I am for instance more interested using the vipassana technique like a method to gain enlightenment in the long run.
I guess after your two hours meditation practice every day for 8 months, you must feel a big difference.
I have been meditating on the breath for about a year 30 minutes every day. So I feel really interested to start with vipassana meditation. It gives a lot of insight on impermanence, selflessness and suffering. I would love to go train that method intensively for to have a good start.
Can you please explain some more about the benefits you got from this method? It is so inspiring to read.
Sincerely Carina
Dear Carina,
Vipassana Meditation is the practical teaching of the Buddha. It is what Gotama practiced to reach enlightenment. Good mental health comes on this path, liberation from all the suffering is its final destination.
Vipassana Meditation was almost lost to the world after Gotama the Buddha past away. It was very popular, many people practiced it. But the teaching became polluted. People stopped having benefits and so they stopped practicing. In many Asian countries the theory of the Buddhas teaching was preserved in the Pali Tipitaka, but the practice was lost. Only in Burma did the practice survive. A chain of teachers kept it alive for 2500 years. In 1969 SN Goenka went from Burma to India and began teaching Vipassana Meditation. From India it has now spread to the whole world. Over 140 centers have been established so far.
I am convinced this is the path to liberation – I feel the power of it within myself. Such a great change has come to my life. May you also come to the center and give this technique a trial.
May you be happy.
walkthepath
Really inspirational blog! I am a Burmese citizen studying journalism in Hong Kong. I took the first ten-day course in 2006. The best ten days of my life full of wisdom and purity. Actually, I learned about S N Goenka while I was in prison in 2005 as a political prisoner doing a 21-year-sentence for participation in a small students’ protest. After practising Vipassana when I was released, I found myself filled with boundless love for all, including the government who jailed and tortured. And I realized that the greatest enemies are not this and that individual: they are greed, anger, bias. The more people practice love and compassion within them, the world will become more peaceful.
Thank you for your videos: I have watched two of your video clips and it strengthened the practice. Of all the services, I believe that no other service is greater than helping a person get a moment of purity and peace.
Thanks for your comment Anonymous! I am sorry to hear that you were imprisoned. I’m happy you have come in contact with Dhamma! How much time did you end up spending in prison, was your sentence reduced from 21 years?
If you have not seen the movies “Doing time, doing Vipassana” and “Dhamma Brothers” I would strongly recommend both.
May you be peaceful.
walkthepath
Nice to read from another Dhamma brother.
metta,
Bel
Dear walkthepath,
May Lord bless you!!
I’m happy to find your site. You are one wonderful soul.
I came to know about Vipassana through Aastha tv we subscribe here. Goenka ji talk about it.
Just by listening to him, I started doing what he talks about. Soon I started feeling sensations all over by body but I would just sit and not react. I started feeling better.
These day I sit everyday for atleast 2-3 hour and just by doing myself. Now in May I plan to formally attend the course. Your site was an encouragement.
I don’t know what else to ask you as you already have it on website.
May peace be upon you!!
AS
Dear Dhamma Brother,
I have just watched two of your videos, I am so happy you created them, also I am very inspired by the blog.
For me it is wonderful to see a young person like myself walking the path of Dhamma. I am so excited about having this as another reference especially for young people who want to know about vipassana.
I always feel that more connection and support is really beneficial in establishing this incredibly rewarding practice.
I am really excited about reading the blog now and sharing this resourse with other meditators
=)
Much METTA
Diana
Hello,
First, like anyone else here, I’m very happy to see a young man like you with such a wisdom. Thanks for sharing this blog.
I have a question :
I (try to) meditate too. I think I (slowly) begin to understand what is anicca, dukkha, and anatta. But, sometimes, I feel sad when I meditate about anatta. I feel as if I don’t exist or the people all around me don’t exist. I don’t think it’s a correct point of view but it’s frustrating.
How do you reconcile your social life with your practice of anatta ?
May you be happy,
Cheers.
Dear Sylvain,
From my experience I believe if you are saddened by anatta you don’t understand it. Since I am by no means a teacher of Dhamma I cannot explain it myself. From what I understand you can grasp anatta first after you have experienced and understood first anicca then dukkha. In this way they build on each other and it is important to start in the right end, that is with anicca.
Social life is just like everything else – it changes. Before my social life was based a lot on ego, craving and aversion. Now I observe as my social life is decreasing as my mind is calming down and becomes more balanced. I focus my energy on meditation, serving and study of the Pali Tipitaka and writings of Goenkaji. My social energy I focus on inspiring others and sharing the bliss of serving others in Dhamma together with Dhamma brothers and Dhamma sisters.
When anatta is correctly understood I believe it is great help for all of this.
May you be peaceful,
walkthepath
Hello,
I am at a crossroads in my life. By whatever means I discovered that the Dhamma Sira is located very close to where I live. I have been approved for the time off from work, my application has been submitted and now I’m waiting for the approval. I can’t tell you how excited I am about my first 10 day course.
Thank you for the blog. I hope to be able to share my own experiences when I return at the end of June.
Matt
Hello everyone.
Walkthepath, I think now I begin to understand what anatta really is.
I have something else to ask you :
Next week I have an oral exam. I don’t really want to pass it for many reasons : it doesn’t interest me, and I have to admit that sometimes, when I think about it, I’m scared. I’ve only learned yesterday that I had an oral exam next week and I’m not prepared ! So, yesterday, I felt a little bit sad. But I read a book from Jon Kabat-Zinn about mindfulness. It was so powerfull that it gave me the courage to meditate and to develop sati. Then, I felt so good.
I know we can’t solve every little problem with vipassana but what do you suggest me ? :
1) Not to go to the exam but to think about other issues (reorientation…)
2) To face my fear and to go to the exam without using vipassana
3) To face my fear and to go to the exam but using vipassana.
In other words : What would you do if you were me ? Do you think I can use this “experience” for my vipassana practice ?
Thanks.
May you be happy,
Sylvain.
Dear Sylvain,
Practicing Vipassana seriously, everyday, will certainly help us in all areas of our lives. I think one should practice everyday, no matter if one has an exam or not. It is always important. You know best yourself wether to do the exam or not. Let the answers come from within yourself – meditate and you will see. Dhamma always teaches us to be independent.
May you be peaceful!
Metta,
walkthepath