7 Things I learned through Vipassana that changed me forever
and why those were the best ten days of my life
I had recently ended a short term relationship and with that came canceled vacation coming up in 2 weeks. But I wasn’t about to sit and sob as I would have 5 years ago. I wasn’t going to let my time off go to waste.
I had heard about Vipassana from people from all walks of life. Having invested in self-growth lately, I started my research on how to enroll. I discovered there was a dhamma center 3 hours from me and their ten-day program was starting in a week. I put my name on the waitlist and crossed my fingers. Lucky for me 24 hours before the start of the program I got confirmation that I made it in!
I began packing my bags per the instructions. Simple clothes and bedding. No books, no electronics.
Once I reached the center and checked in, we headed straight for our rooms. As roommates, we had to figure out our bathing/ sleeping schedule and temperature setting before the commencement
The journey began.
I went in with an open mind without reading too much about other people’s views on it. and I am glad that I didn't.
I learned some of life’s greatest teachings during this course
Here are my big takeaways from the program that I wish I had learned a decade ago.
1. We can live with using our electronics, a little less
To maintain continuity of practice, the program requires a complete shut off from the external world.
We are to observe noble silence: the silence of body, speech, and mind.
This meant no talking, touching, reading books, or use of any electronics. To reap the benefits, one must surrender completely. The thought itself was daunting. How did they expect one would adhere?
But we all did.
we all gave up our cellphones at check-in and while it was a change to not check the phone every ten minutes, it felt good by the fourth day.
The craving went away and I didn’t think about it very often. So if I could survive ten days without using my phone, I can surely use it less when I return to normalcy.
I realized checking the phone too often actually brought me more anxiety.
2. Meditation is science
The teacher said that people who leave do so in the first two days because it is very uncomfortable.
You aren’t able to sit still for 5 minutes let alone you have to do multiple one-hour sessions for ten days. Yet the teacher followed it by saying, the change will come. you will find that by the fourth day you don’t have an urge to tend to that itch or need to adjust your posture
I couldn’t fathom this possibility. I was intrigued and wanted to see it for myself.
We meditated every day for 10+hours and by the time the fourth day came, Suddenly at the end of the afternoon session I realized that I was so focused on my body’s sensations that I forgot to move!
Eureka !!
For me, this was a moment of celebration. I didn’t want to believe someone blindly. I had to put the theory to test and it passed.
3. Meditation is more than sitting still
Once my body adapted to sitting still and not being distracted every 2 minutes, the real work began.
Meditation is about bringing focus.
Focus on your body, to your sensations so you are self-aware. To be successful in life you need to be Emotionally Intelligent ( EI )
The #1 skill to master in becoming EI is increasing your self-awareness. Once you learn to observe then you learn to let go and unlearn attachments.
Learning to let go, to bounce back is what will you keep you standing in the strongest of storms.
4. The only way OUT is IN
There is a reason the program is ten days and not 3 days for beginners. we all are afraid of our own company. It’s not enough. we need others to fill our void, to chatter, to exchange.
But do we?
On your vipassana journey, you have no one and nothing to distract you.
You are stuck with your mind and forced to talk to yourself and confront your thoughts.
Every day you are learning something new. Every day you are thinking. Thinking and leaning inwards to get out of unhappiness. The kind you have created for yourself.
I now understood that “we are what we think” and this my friends, is how you begin to dig up Inner peace from within you.
5. Don’t generate aversion, practice compassion
The heart of the meditation pushes you to identify the moment you generate aversion towards others.
Through meditation, you learn to recognize as you generate one and guide your attention to yourself instead.
If some were coughing during your meditation, then instead of thinking ill of them that they are disturbing you, perhaps we should think ‘oh I hope they are not unwell”.
Practice more compassion from yourself instead of judging others
6. Talk less and think more
you might have a lot to say but have you thought more about what others are saying and what’s in it for you?
Learning is everywhere but you must first silence yourself to hear it.
7. Be nice, everyone is struggling
Once the program ended and noble silence was over, we all connected and exchanged stories.
About what brought us here and our experience of vipassana.
Some had much tougher struggles than I did and some had very little to go back to.
It hit me that I could have easily judged any one of them had I not known why they were here.
My walls came down after listening to them and we all made a few friends that day.
What vipassana meditation taught me will take years of practice. I am not perfect because I completed the course but I will only get better if I continue to practice. If I continue to ask myself the right questions every day and if I continue to master one thing :
