#Protect the precious- Vipassana

An art and science of insightful seeing into mind, heart and soul

The most precious gift I received from my brother nearly 25 years back during my engineering life was that of this anciently revered practice. He had returned from a 10-day residential course on Vipassana and already booked my place for the same, to help me cultivate mindfulness, develop inner peace and live a more fulfilling life. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about staying in noble silence for ten days and completely disconnected from the outside world. However, I knew, as a doctor, he wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless he was fully convinced of its scientific approach and practical benefits. My idol at the time, has been practising it daily since ages i.e. Dr Kiran Bedi, IPS officer, had demonstrated its benefits to prisoners in Tihar Jail as well which had been grabbing attention of the general public. Hence, I decided to attend the Vipassana Retreat course dedicatedly, which was the best investment of my time during holidays. After completing my first course, I joined my brother to reiterate our relatives, friends and acquaintances to attend these courses. I took every possible opportunity to attend more courses whenever possible, due to its myriad of benefits. ?

Vipassana is practical, universal, and accessible to people from all walks of life regardless of their background, religion or beliefs. It is free of cost, however, as you become mature in this practice, you compassionately want others to seek similar benefit. Therefore, you start to give dana / voluntary donation to sustain this art for others. I find it very convenient that it can be integrated into our daily lives, whether at home, at work, or out in the world without any accessories, as it uses our own breath as a tool, which is with you during your conscious and unconscious states.

What is vipassana?

Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is perceived as a form of inner science based on insights of the body, mind & soul. It teaches us the techniques to explore the inner landscape of our minds with clarity and precision. During Vipassana, we mindfully observe bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise in the present moment, with a sense of equanimity, without clinging to pleasant experiences or resisting unpleasant ones. That way we penetrate into the layers of illusion, delusion or distortions of our conditioned thoughts and emotions that cloud our perception of reality. ?This attitude of equanimity fosters resilience, enabling us to bounce back from setbacks and challenges more easily and quickly. ?We experience the understanding of how nothing is permanent.?

What I like most is that you learn to trust things based on your own experiences e.g. from science, we all know every matter is made up of tiny atoms and molecules. You can experience same through your bodily sensations when you go deeper into it.

Origin of Vipassana

This science was discovered by Siddharth Gautam, the Buddha, who was a prince approximately 2500 years ago in ancient India. Despite being born into a royal family, he was deeply saddened by the suffering of others due to old age, sickness, or death. Therefore, renouncing his royal life, he embarked on a spiritual quest to understand the mysteries of our existence and to find a way out of human suffering. His scientific inquiry into the nature of human consciousness led to the development of Vipassana meditation.

Whilst Vipassana has its roots in ancient Buddhist teachings, its principles and practices have been embraced by people of all backgrounds and cultures, due to its universal principles, leading to a global movement that is transforming lives on a massive scale.

How could Vipassana retained in its purest form over centuries?

I attended the Vipassana courses at various locations across India and abroad. Be it in Sheringham, Igatpuri or Delhi the procedure, code of conduct and schedule are exactly same. What impresses me the most is how could it be managed and delivered in such a consistent and universal way to get same outcomes?

The secret lies in its diligent transmission from generation to generation, accurately and authentically, maintaining its purity, integrity and efficacy over time. It has been passed down dedicatedly through an unbroken lineage of enlightened teachers and students selflessly (Guru- shishya Parampara) in India and then across world. This immense work cannot be completed without passionate and dedicated volunteers working collaboratively to share the benefits of meditation with others selflessly. ?

My respect for Buddha increased higher to experience such consistency without any advertised propaganda, quality manuals or large resources. I always draw an inspiration and learn through parallelism from this when I plan to get consistent quality assurance /management for project delivery from various people from different global offices, backgrounds and engineering sectors. I revere Buddha as a great scientist, leader, spiritual guru, compassionate human being or sometimes superpower (although he repeatedly urged that there are and will be be many Buddhas like him)

Benefits of Vipassana:

This powerful technique guides us to explore the depths of our own minds and hearts, leading to greater self-awareness, resilience, clarity and peace. We can awaken our heart's natural qualities of love, compassion, and joy. As we develop greater empathy and understanding for ourselves and others, our hearts open wider, leading to a profound sense of connection, belonging, and unconditional love. Through improved self awareness, we come to see ourselves as part of a larger whole, leading to a sense of unity, awe, reverence, and gratitude for the mystery of existence. Vipassana is a profound spiritual journey that can lead us to the very depths of our being and beyond.

Due to these benefits, it is being integrated into educational institutions, healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centres and corporate environments.

What happens during Vipassana course?

Every new student undergo ten days course and follow a structured schedule designed to facilitate deep meditation practice and self-discovery. Code of conduct is mandatory for all. It includes abstaining from any form of communication, refraining from harming living beings, practicing honesty, abstaining from intoxicants and other distractions.

Generally, Vipassana course allocates approximately 1/3 duration is for Ananpana (watching one’s breath to sharpen our mind), approximately 2/3 of the duration is for Vipassana (watching bodily sensations, emotions with the mastered focussed mind) and last day is of Mangal Maitri (loving compassion). This disciplined environment provides a supportive structure for deepening meditation practice and gaining insights into the nature of the mind and reality. One can uproot the deep-seated causes of suffering – craving, and aversion – and experience lasting peace and liberation. One can practically experience various vikaras (faults) getting released from your body and as a result you start improving your inner peace.

Everyone who follows the code of conduct and noble silence, will definitely get the desired outcomes. It depends mainly on how seriously someone has practised silence. It fosters an environment of introspection and inner exploration, allowing practitioner to connect deeply with the teachings and insights that arise during meditation. This commitment to silence helps to preserve the purity of the practice and protect it from external influences.

At the end of the course, you feel a profound sense of peace and tranquillity that can be deeply rejuvenating. I still remember my tenth day, called Mangal Mitta (loving kindness) of the first course. We extend the peace, happiness, goodwill to ourselves and other living beings through the practice of?metta, or loving kindness meditation, through greater sense of interconnectedness and empathy. ( Mangal Maitre || Metta Chanting || S.N.GOENKA (youtube.com) )

In summary, attending a 10-day Vipassana course offers a unique opportunity for self-reflection, self -transformation, emotional healing, and spiritual growth. ?May all be happy!

If you want to know more about Vipassana, please connect on www.dhamma.com

Disclaimer:

The purpose of this newsletter is to share my experience as a humble student of Vipassana who has started this worthwhile journey.? It is for those people who may not be aware of this special art of meditation and its possible benefits to them. It is a way of expressing my gratitude towards all those who helped me (one way or the other) complete my vipassana courses so far.

The experiences, views and opinions expressed here are totally of the author and stated here out of goodwill. They are not related to or do not represent any specific organisation or Institution as such where the author has been working in any way. ?