A Journey Within: Reflecting on My Ten Days of Vipassana Meditation

I went for a Ten Days' of Vipassana course at the end of December 2023. This article explores my experience with Vipassana.

Let us set the ground and understand what is Vipassana and what is its history.

What is Vipassana?

Vipassana, often spelled as "Vipashyana" in Sanskrit, is a form of meditation that is a part of the Buddhist tradition. The word "Vipassana" is derived from Pali, an ancient Indian language closely related to Sanskrit, and it means "clear seeing" or "special seeing." This practice focuses on self-observation and aims to develop insight into the true nature of reality.

Here are some key aspects of Vipassana meditation:

1. Observation of Reality: Vipassana involves observing the reality within oneself. Practitioners pay close attention to their physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions, observing them without attachment or aversion.

2. Mindfulness and Awareness: The practice emphasizes mindfulness, where one remains aware and present in the moment. This awareness extends to all aspects of life, not just during meditation sessions.

3. Insight into Three Marks of Existence: Vipassana aims to cultivate insight into the three fundamental characteristics of existence in Buddhist philosophy: impermanence (anicca), suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta).

4. Moral Conduct: Vipassana is often practiced alongside Sila (moral conduct) and Samadhi (concentration). These three practices together form the threefold training in Buddhism.

5. Retreats: Many practitioners attend Vipassana retreats, which are typically 10 days long and involve intensive meditation practice. During these retreats, participants maintain noble silence, refraining from verbal communication, and often follow a strict schedule.

What is the history of Vipassana?

Vipassana meditation, with its roots in early Buddhist teachings, has a rich and extensive history that spans over two and a half millennia. Here's an overview of its historical development:

Early Buddhism

- Origin: Vipassana, as a meditation practice, is believed to have been part of the meditation techniques taught by Gautama Buddha in the 5th century BCE. It was one of the two primary types of meditation he taught, the other being Samatha (concentration meditation).

- Pali Canon: The earliest records of Vipassana are found in the Pali Canon, the scripture of Theravada Buddhism. These texts describe various meditation techniques, including the contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-self.

Theravada Buddhism

- Preservation in Theravada: Over centuries, Vipassana was preserved primarily within the Theravada Buddhist tradition, especially in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Cambodia.

Why I thought of giving it a try?

Since I am into Sales, I always felt like I talk too much and think too much.

1) I wanted to get away from device addiction and wanted to bring the focus back.

2) I wanted to quit the addition of 'mental drama' where I repeat the situation again and again in my mind and feel the same bad feelings. ( Example- Remembering a fight that happened five years ago and fighting with the person again inside my mind).

3) I wanted to challenge my physical and mental abilities.

4) I felt that there was a lot of NOISE in my thoughts.

5) I was a JUDGING MACHINE ????. I judged people and formed an opinion within a few minutes.

Purity of actions by Mind, Body, and Speech is Dhamma - Budha.

I attended a Ten-day program at Dhamma Paphulla Vipassana Meditation & Research Centre Bangalore.

Yuval Noah Harari: the renowned author of "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" and other influential books, has been a vocal advocate of Vipassana. He credits the practice with helping him gain insight and mental clarity, which has significantly influenced his writing and thought process.

Jack Dorsey:The co-founder and former CEO of Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey, has publicly shared his experiences attending Vipassana retreats. He often goes on 10-day silent meditation retreats, which he says have been instrumental in improving his focus and decision-making skills.

What exactly do you do in Vipassana?

1) Complete noble silence for ten days. You can not even look at others in the eyes. No mobile phones or any devices.

2) Waking up at 4 AM and starting meditation at 4.30 AM.

3) 11 Hours of meditation every day.

4) A complete vegetarian local food and there are three meals a day. No dinner at night.

What exactly do you meditate on in Vipassana?

This is a very common question that arises in the mind when we say we have to meditate for 11 hours a day.

a) Whether can I chant Mantras during Vipassana? - No. You can not.

b) Can I visualize, verbalize, and concentrate on my god? - No. You can not.

Then what do I need to do for 11 hours?

1) Focusing on AWARENES of sensations in the body.

2) Focusing on EQUMANILTY.

What was my experience during Vipassana?

1) During the first three days, I struggled hard to concentrate my mind and my mind was traveling in the memory lanes. I wanted to run away and I felt like staying in a prison. My mind was resisting every activity like waking up early in the morning, eating less, and sitting cross-legged for long hours.

2) After three days, things slowly started changing and I could feel my mind calming down and slowly started taming.

3) After five days, I started enjoying the whole process fell in love with the concept, and was very curious about the science behind the entire process.

Honestly, I loved the December sunshine of Bangalore in a pristine environment. After so many years, I was standing infront of the morning sun bathing in the sunshine with a cold breeze on my face. I loved Ragi Balls, Soppina Saru and simple traditional food. ( However, Vipassana aims to stop craving and aversion to any sensual experiences.?????? )

• The picture was taken on the last day morning which is why you can see people interacting. ????

4) I was deeply moved by the generosity of the people.

Since this was an unpaid course, I was enjoying the wonderful facilities, free food, and free training of Vipassana. The people who were volunteering for the services were well-behaved, soft, and very kind. They were not expecting anything from me.

I found that many of the people who were volunteering were working in companies like Google, Linkedin, Cisco, etc.

This made me humble and I started introspecting about myself and thought about my intentions of gaining something in every transaction.

5) I started understanding about the dark side of myself.

When I stayed only with my thoughts and started observing my thoughts, I found my dark side. I found myself selfish, jealous, Toxic, Judgmental, lying, and manipulative.

6) I met like-minded people who are searching for meaning in life.

Can you expect a miracle or a change in the mindset after Vipassana?

I do not say that there will be a major immediate change. But one thing is true you start observing the thoughts, senses, and sensations. You observe the Sankharas or Sanskaras ( Deep Conditioning of the mind to react in a particular way) and try to control the reaction.

But it is a long journey and needs practice.

I feel Vipassana gives you a technique and direction for a 'BETTER WAY OF LIVING'