Vipassana Meditation
5 ratings since posting on Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Overall Rating  based on 5 ratings |
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 i fully acknowledge the power and depth of this meditation technique - but i would like to second some of jess's comments and add some of my own: 'goenka vipassana' is a single form of vipassana meditation. it is suitable for some and quite the opposite for others. yes, it is important to find a practice and stick with it in much the same way that, if one wishes a water well, one should find a suitable place and dedicate substantial time to digging it rather than digging dozens of shallow ones... but at the same time - even according to their story of the buddha's path - this is not something he dedicated himself to from the beginning: first he raised a family, then he mastered several deep absorption samadhis, practiced yoga, became an aesthetic, and then developed his own method. i would suggest that every step upon the path was as important as the last few (in addition to that incarnation being the culmination of countless others). on every level of existence it is important for humans to understand (and more than conceptually understand: to have the real knowledge) that they have options: behaviorally, spiritually, and neuro-physiologically (not that they are separate in any way but linguistically). if one has only one behavior developed for a certain (or even general) set of stimuli, then it is by definition a compulsive behavior. a large part of what it means to be human is to have a plastic, versatile nervous system that can optimize it's choice patterns to be maximally suitable to the present moment. i was speaking to a professor who specializes in buddhist studies (and the only canadian invited to a recent international buddhist convention in taiwan) and he offered strong cautions about high intensity meditation techniques being used by young people. he explained that there is a reason that traditionally these are something that people come to later in life - after they have substantial life experience and their nervous systems are more fully developed and integrated. humans have a very long apprenticeship period during which - even physiologically speaking - our central and peripheral nervous systems are not completely connected until ~25yrs old and even then not well integrated until there has been sufficient life experience to give the sensations a sufficient level of real-world context. i would recommend that any person interested in studying vipassana should do some research into the differences between mahayana and therivada (or hinayana as it is sometimes referred to) buddhism. our society is very much focused on strain and effort: it is programmed into us our entire lives and i believe that this is something that needs to be released (ie: be made no longer compulsive) before 'extreme' spiritual practices are pursued. a book i highly recommend is 'cutting through spiritual materialism' by chogyam trungpa. a very wise friend once told me that it is possible to push down internal walls through sheer effort of will, but when they come crashing down, one will fall with it, and it will land on top - because we are the pusher, the wall, and the ground upon which both stand. - eYen , posted 03/08/06 |
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I have done a lot of "Goenka Vipassana", about 9 courses in my first year of discovering it (some served but mostly sat.) That's pretty extreme and there was definitely some obsession on my part, or may be just extreme enthusiasm, combined with some cultish elements in the organization. My opinion is, it is amazing, profound, absolutely worth every moment of struggle (it was the hardest thing I've ever done and still is everytime I go) BUT not the end all be all of Vipassana schools. The teacher can make or break your experience, and I think they need to have better ways of making sure that their teachers meet a certain standard. I am thankful to Venerable Ben Yuan for being an incredible guide and teacher for 2 of my courses. He is a monk with much experience, wisdom and humility. And to Venerable Sik Yin Kit for devoting her nunnery to this school of Vipassana. There is more to Vipassana than what Goenka is teaching. His technique is ultraintense, too intense for some. His school does nothing to address human emotion, and that is its downfall, in my opinion. There are different ways of using the awareness (besides scanning and sweeping), some of which Venerable Ben Yuan shared with me. Plus, observing sensations is only PART of the establishment of awareness. Keep an open mind about it, it is absolutely worth a try for anyone who is willing. But don't get brainwashed that Goenka's way is the way of the Buddha! OK, I just got back from Vipassana land..... and I must bump my rating up a notch. Not because I've been brainwashed for the past 10 days, but because I have a much deeper understanding of the technique. The sitting is an observation of sensations, which permeates into one's life, so that the observation of emotions/thoughts/mind becomes natural and inevitable. Thank you Goenka for raising the VIBration!! - Jessie Q , posted 06/02/06 |
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i sat first (ten days) when i was seventeen and it was blissful and pleasant, like one could hope for. i was so blissed out and harmonic afterwards... i radiated as long as i kept up my practice, about two weeks. my second was about a year ago and was much thicker and more difficult. the lessons reflected my level of commitment to the process and i did not get much out of it. vipassana is reportedly the direct teaching of buddha, in which it details the purest of paths to enlightenment, based directly on personal experience or experiential wisdom. i plan to go again and more often to help myself maintain a clear focus on my existence. my desire is to often relax and play too, because im not after enlightenment. what i mean to say is: if you are seeking for more than you see, more than you can access... if you want to illicit change... if you cannot accept something yet need to... basically, if you are afflicted from any trial of will or understanding, give your fully dedicated time to vipassana for ten days and you could open many doors in your internal world. perhaps some you did not even know were there... www.dhamma.org - ronin , posted 02/06/06 |
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have to try and restrain myself from preaching it from the rooftops... - Cloé Marité , posted 01/19/06 |
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I have completed three 10day Vipassana Meditation Courses. The effects have been profoundly transforming, healing and deeP. I have gained alot of insight on my past lives as a meditator. It is free or by donation. There are many centres all around this Earth. Blessed be. - amy , posted 01/18/06 |
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