I couldnt speak.For a good period of 11 days.Not because of any physical malfunction or of shock or joy!For those who know of me for over a period of time must be gasping in awe thinking,nodding their heads in negative saying, "That woman"not speak for 1 days ..Naah she must be fibbing...
Ok you people who know me sooo well:)I kid you not , perforce had taken a vow of silence known as "Noble Silence" isolated myself in a remote location where there were 200 other same sex inmates of all castes creed and communities,no TV,No reading or writing material,No music and horror of horrors No Mobile phone.Day would begin at 4 am (yes you sleepy heads) and end at 9 pm.And it was pure bliss...
These are the rules if one has to undergo a Vipassana course at the Vipassana International meditation centres.To the uninitiated "Vipassana" is a technique which was introduced to mankind by none other than the "enlightened one" Siddharata Gautama Buddha.A meditation technique which is so different from what one expects "meditation" to be.This works on the principle of the only thing any living being should be concerened about;Ones own breath or respiration, the very underlining definition of what qualifies one as being alive.
But that doesnt mean there are long droning discourses on "How great Gautama Buddha was" or any "Moral education discourses" or "Chanting" or "Rites or Rituals" which Buddhist monks may follow.This just teaches pure meditation by observing you breath.No visualizations,no thinking of an image,no beads,no chants or mantras.What is even more fascinating is why this is being taught ? Of course as one would crudely put it for mind control.But more predominantly this entire technique is fascinating as it is driven by a principle of meta physics .So the rational being in you who either gets emotional and teary eyed with religious fervor or the cynic in you who sneers at the thought of everything stigmatised with any religious association,either of the self cannot deny something which is "scientific" and more so after it being "experiential".While all other religions teach and preach morality,good conduct none of them give it as your personal experience.Also as the teacher said "If Buddha attained enligtenment, it was his hardwork.Following Buddha will not lead you to enlightenment.Following his practise, experiencing the truth yourself will help you "
That is the key.Here the experiential bit doesnt mean getting a emotional high on being promised health wealth or salvation by following a particular religion.The experience is on the three basic regulating principles of nature or science :-
1)Matter in every state comprises of atoms which vibrate in a fixed area.
2)Every particle can be converted into energy and every energy surge can become matter.Therefore electromagnetic waves arise and subside continuosly.They are never permanent.
3)Energy or what we can can call as life force in our body which we feed oxygen when we breathe, causes bio-chemical reactions in your body, which make us behave in a particular manner.
The entire technique of Vipassanna trains your mind to just observe the above two,within the confines of your body.Why only observe ? Bio-chemicals released stimulate reactions such as anger,passion,joy,ecstasy etc.This we actually start experienceing by the 5 th or 6 th day of the course. Therefore if we know our reactions within we can always be in control of our behaviour.
What are the benefits ?
Well to begin with the gross ones, I could sit down next to women who would let out huge burps or err F.... , eat with them in the same dining hall where we stood in a line to get food,look at all creatures including roaches,bullfrogs,earthworms,bees,ants,wasps without shrieking like a banshee and throwing a fit :)
Now seriously, it changed something within me in 11 days. I still shout or get harrased at work due to the stress, but no longer it "affects" me.No shooting up of BP,no apoplexy surges thinking how could "this happen",no feeling of being thwarted ,cheated or being shortchanged all normally leading to so much of internal anguish with the question "Why Me" or "I am sooo nice to people, why does god always be unkind to me" types of thought.So it kind of builds up your mental resilience assiting you not to react.
Being the natural commercialised humans to those who are wondering whats the course fees? Well surprise surprise!There are no course fees. They feed you, provide you with clean spartan rooms with electricity,bedding etc for 10 days ,At the end of the course you "MAY" donate as much as you feel or leave without giving a single penny.
Saw a lots of people from very backward classes contribute as low as Rs.200 in the daan peti.
If it can happen to me so can it to you.Strongly recommend it to my friends and those who may not be my friends either to do this atleast once in their lifetime.Has made me immensely wealthy.Losing your voice for !! days is a very small price for what you get in return.
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