Ten days of only me and myself
Greetings. Long time no see! Haven't had the inclination to write much lately, but now it's time to jot down a few notes again, both for my own sake and yours.
I got back from a 10 day Vipassana retreat this Sunday. Huh? Yep. Most of you probably don't know what Vipassana meditation is, so I recommend you read this short introduction if you're interested in finding out. If you're not, you can probably skip this post entirely :) I suspect it will be a rather long.
I realize that the description might make it sound awfully lofty and New Age, but it really is a very simple, down to earth technique anyone can learn and apply every day. There are no sacred rituals or weird traditions, no dogmas or mantras. It is not a religion, cult or sect. There is no brainwashing, apart from the mental cleansing you perform on yourself. There is a certain amount of unintelligible, guttural Pāli chanting of the ancient scriptures of the Buddha by an 84 year old man and his wife, but that only sets the mood ;)
I got out of bed on the wrong foot on July 30th, the day of departure. I was supposed to take the bus at 07:45 from Oslo, but got up too late and had to buy a new ticket an take the bus at 08:45 instead. D'oh. Instead of only having to transfer once, in Gothenburg, I had to transfer both in Karlstad and Jönköping. In one of which I forgot/lost my beloved Led Zeppelin sweater. D'oh. And since the bus took an hour longer than the one I was supposed to take, I missed the shuttle bus from Ödeshög Östgötaporten to Lyckebygården, the meditation center. D'oh. I tried to get ahold of a taxi, but it seems Ödeshög really is öda. Three different taxi centrals refused to send cars there, so it seemed I was out of luck. D'oh.
My luck turned though, as for some reason the driver of the shuttle bus returned to Östgötaporten to check one last time even though he had crossed everyone off his list. I and Antonio, an Italian attorney working for a bank in Luxembourg, were very grateful. We got to Lyckebygården just in time for registrations and a small meal.
We were introduced to all the formalities and the Code of Discipline (excerpts):
All who attend a Vipassana course must conscientiously undertake the following five precepts for the duration of the course:
Complete segregation of men and women is to be maintained. Couples, married or otherwise, should not contact each other in any way during the course. The same applies to friends, members of the same family, etc.
It is important that throughout the course there be no physical contact whatsoever between persons of the same or opposite sex.
Although physical yoga and other exercises are compatible with Vipassana, they should be suspended during the course because proper secluded facilities are not available at the course site. Jogging is also not permitted. Students may exercise during rest periods by walking in the designated areas.
Students must remain within the course boundaries throughout the course. They may leave only with the specific consent of the teacher. No outside communications is allowed before the course ends. This includes letters, phone calls and visitors. Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices must be deposited with the management until the course ends. In case of an emergency, a friend or relative may contact the management.
The playing of musical instruments, radios, etc. is not permitted. No reading or writing materials should be brought to the course. Students should not distract themselves by taking notes. The restriction on reading and writing is to emphasize the strictly practical nature of this meditation.
And the schedule:
04:00 Morning wake-up bell
04:30-06:30 Meditate in the hall or in your room
06:30-08:00 Breakfast break
08:00-09:00 Group meditation in the hall
09:00-11:00 Meditate in the hall or in your room
according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 Lunch break
12:00-13:00 Rest, and interviews with the teacher
13:00-14:30 Meditate in the hall or in your room
14:30-15:30 Group meditation in the hall
15:30-17:00 Meditate in the hall or in your room
according to the teacher's instructions
17:00-18:00 Tea break
18:00-19:00 Group meditation in the hall
19:00-20:15 Teacher's Discourse in the hall
20:15-21:00 Group meditation in the hall
21:00-21:30 Question time in the hall
21:30 Retire to your room; lights out
Ya rly. We would basically live like monks for ten days. We retreated to our dormitories and met our roommates. I shared room with three Swedes and a Dane: Ludde, Magnus, Peter and Laue, plus two Swedes in a separate room within the room, Stefan and another nice fellow I didn't have the chance to meet properly. We chatted for a bit, went to sleep and waited for the gong at 4 AM.
The first day was long. Really long. We learned the basic Anapana technique, which is basically to sit still and observe your breath. Don't control it, don't count your breaths, just observe and accept it as it is. Keep your attention on it, don't let it wander. We did this for the next three days, with only small developments in the meditation instructions and the evening discourses. You learn something new every day though. It's hard work, but it's necessary to build your concentration and quieten your mind enough to be able to practice Vipassana properly.
On the fourth day we were introduced to the basic Vipassana technique. This is the main technique taught at the course, and most of the rest of the course is focused on this technique. It's just as simple as Anapana, but it's more interesting and rewarding. I won't be able to adequately describe all the nuances of the technique, so I'll avoid confusing you and rather let you learn this from better teachers if you're interested.
After riding the roller coaster of both physical and mental strain for ten long days, we had finally gotten to the final day of the course. Some of the days were definitely harder than the others, but fortunately I ended on a high note after a period of good meditation and progress. The Noble Silence was lifted after the group meditation in the morning and we were allowed to speak once again. That was weird. At first I was hesitant and went to the dormitory to read some booklets we were given and adjust to the thought of socializing again. After about an half hour I had built the courage to go outside and meet people again, so I joined a little gathering of people by the porch outside the dormitories. It didn't take long to get going in a conversation, and soon I had a warm, satisfying feeling in my chest and a smile on my face :)
I had lived with these people for ten days and gone through a very intense, shared experience with them, and still I didn't know what language many of them spoke when I first approached them. Still, the common experience made it very easy to talk to everyone. There was a strong sense of camaraderie and accomplishment.
We continued most of the schedule on the final day as well, and even learned some new stuff.
The course ended the following morning, and after a short cleanup I was heading home. I was lucky enough to have a fellow participant on both the bus from Östgötaporten to Göteborg and from Göteborg to Oslo, so my mouth kept going most of the way home. I felt very relaxed and at ease all the way home. It was a very nice way to get somewhat prepared to face everyday life on Monday morning.
It is now Monday evening, I've had a very productive workday and I'm about to sit down to meditate for a while and go to bed. I started writing this post on Sunday night and finished it now, so it might seem a bit disjointed and inconsistent. I'm sorry about that, but I realized today that I started in a very chatty tone that would have made the post gigantic had I kept it up.
As a final note, I want you to keep in mind that I've left out a lot of the little good stuff that makes a retreat like this interesting. The ups and downs, the milestones, the moments of motivation and inspiration, the mighty Crane that flew over the dormitories at 04:15 in the morning on the third day, the big storm that tore down a fair sized oak tree on day five, the great vegetarian food, the eerily lucid and crazy dreams I had whenever I slept, all the interesting people I've met... Ten days is a very long time for one post. Also, keep in mind that the experience is uniquely different for every single participant. Still, I'm pretty sure that everyone that finishes a course like this comes out on the other side with a great deal of useful experiences, knowledge about oneself and a great technique that may help them live life in a better way.
I'll write a followup post with some thoughts in a while. It'll be interesting for me to see if I'll be able to keep up the practice and how the following week will be. I would really appreciate it if you would leave a short comment if you've read all this :)
Oh, and the whole thing was entirely free of charge. Dhamma is a nonprofit group of volunteers that arrange courses like this at 130 locations around the world, all funded by entirely voluntary donations from students that have completed the course and feel like giving more people the opportunity to have the same experience :)
Bhavatu sabba mangalam.
I got back from a 10 day Vipassana retreat this Sunday. Huh? Yep. Most of you probably don't know what Vipassana meditation is, so I recommend you read this short introduction if you're interested in finding out. If you're not, you can probably skip this post entirely :) I suspect it will be a rather long.
I realize that the description might make it sound awfully lofty and New Age, but it really is a very simple, down to earth technique anyone can learn and apply every day. There are no sacred rituals or weird traditions, no dogmas or mantras. It is not a religion, cult or sect. There is no brainwashing, apart from the mental cleansing you perform on yourself. There is a certain amount of unintelligible, guttural Pāli chanting of the ancient scriptures of the Buddha by an 84 year old man and his wife, but that only sets the mood ;)
I got out of bed on the wrong foot on July 30th, the day of departure. I was supposed to take the bus at 07:45 from Oslo, but got up too late and had to buy a new ticket an take the bus at 08:45 instead. D'oh. Instead of only having to transfer once, in Gothenburg, I had to transfer both in Karlstad and Jönköping. In one of which I forgot/lost my beloved Led Zeppelin sweater. D'oh. And since the bus took an hour longer than the one I was supposed to take, I missed the shuttle bus from Ödeshög Östgötaporten to Lyckebygården, the meditation center. D'oh. I tried to get ahold of a taxi, but it seems Ödeshög really is öda. Three different taxi centrals refused to send cars there, so it seemed I was out of luck. D'oh.
My luck turned though, as for some reason the driver of the shuttle bus returned to Östgötaporten to check one last time even though he had crossed everyone off his list. I and Antonio, an Italian attorney working for a bank in Luxembourg, were very grateful. We got to Lyckebygården just in time for registrations and a small meal.
We were introduced to all the formalities and the Code of Discipline (excerpts):
All who attend a Vipassana course must conscientiously undertake the following five precepts for the duration of the course:
- to abstain from killing any being;
- to abstain from stealing;
- to abstain from all sexual activity; [yes, that includes self-satisfaction -ed.]
- to abstain from telling lies;
- to abstain from all intoxicants.
Complete segregation of men and women is to be maintained. Couples, married or otherwise, should not contact each other in any way during the course. The same applies to friends, members of the same family, etc.
It is important that throughout the course there be no physical contact whatsoever between persons of the same or opposite sex.
Although physical yoga and other exercises are compatible with Vipassana, they should be suspended during the course because proper secluded facilities are not available at the course site. Jogging is also not permitted. Students may exercise during rest periods by walking in the designated areas.
Students must remain within the course boundaries throughout the course. They may leave only with the specific consent of the teacher. No outside communications is allowed before the course ends. This includes letters, phone calls and visitors. Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices must be deposited with the management until the course ends. In case of an emergency, a friend or relative may contact the management.
The playing of musical instruments, radios, etc. is not permitted. No reading or writing materials should be brought to the course. Students should not distract themselves by taking notes. The restriction on reading and writing is to emphasize the strictly practical nature of this meditation.
And the schedule:
04:00 Morning wake-up bell
04:30-06:30 Meditate in the hall or in your room
06:30-08:00 Breakfast break
08:00-09:00 Group meditation in the hall
09:00-11:00 Meditate in the hall or in your room
according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 Lunch break
12:00-13:00 Rest, and interviews with the teacher
13:00-14:30 Meditate in the hall or in your room
14:30-15:30 Group meditation in the hall
15:30-17:00 Meditate in the hall or in your room
according to the teacher's instructions
17:00-18:00 Tea break
18:00-19:00 Group meditation in the hall
19:00-20:15 Teacher's Discourse in the hall
20:15-21:00 Group meditation in the hall
21:00-21:30 Question time in the hall
21:30 Retire to your room; lights out
Ya rly. We would basically live like monks for ten days. We retreated to our dormitories and met our roommates. I shared room with three Swedes and a Dane: Ludde, Magnus, Peter and Laue, plus two Swedes in a separate room within the room, Stefan and another nice fellow I didn't have the chance to meet properly. We chatted for a bit, went to sleep and waited for the gong at 4 AM.
The first day was long. Really long. We learned the basic Anapana technique, which is basically to sit still and observe your breath. Don't control it, don't count your breaths, just observe and accept it as it is. Keep your attention on it, don't let it wander. We did this for the next three days, with only small developments in the meditation instructions and the evening discourses. You learn something new every day though. It's hard work, but it's necessary to build your concentration and quieten your mind enough to be able to practice Vipassana properly.
On the fourth day we were introduced to the basic Vipassana technique. This is the main technique taught at the course, and most of the rest of the course is focused on this technique. It's just as simple as Anapana, but it's more interesting and rewarding. I won't be able to adequately describe all the nuances of the technique, so I'll avoid confusing you and rather let you learn this from better teachers if you're interested.
After riding the roller coaster of both physical and mental strain for ten long days, we had finally gotten to the final day of the course. Some of the days were definitely harder than the others, but fortunately I ended on a high note after a period of good meditation and progress. The Noble Silence was lifted after the group meditation in the morning and we were allowed to speak once again. That was weird. At first I was hesitant and went to the dormitory to read some booklets we were given and adjust to the thought of socializing again. After about an half hour I had built the courage to go outside and meet people again, so I joined a little gathering of people by the porch outside the dormitories. It didn't take long to get going in a conversation, and soon I had a warm, satisfying feeling in my chest and a smile on my face :)
I had lived with these people for ten days and gone through a very intense, shared experience with them, and still I didn't know what language many of them spoke when I first approached them. Still, the common experience made it very easy to talk to everyone. There was a strong sense of camaraderie and accomplishment.
We continued most of the schedule on the final day as well, and even learned some new stuff.
The course ended the following morning, and after a short cleanup I was heading home. I was lucky enough to have a fellow participant on both the bus from Östgötaporten to Göteborg and from Göteborg to Oslo, so my mouth kept going most of the way home. I felt very relaxed and at ease all the way home. It was a very nice way to get somewhat prepared to face everyday life on Monday morning.
It is now Monday evening, I've had a very productive workday and I'm about to sit down to meditate for a while and go to bed. I started writing this post on Sunday night and finished it now, so it might seem a bit disjointed and inconsistent. I'm sorry about that, but I realized today that I started in a very chatty tone that would have made the post gigantic had I kept it up.
As a final note, I want you to keep in mind that I've left out a lot of the little good stuff that makes a retreat like this interesting. The ups and downs, the milestones, the moments of motivation and inspiration, the mighty Crane that flew over the dormitories at 04:15 in the morning on the third day, the big storm that tore down a fair sized oak tree on day five, the great vegetarian food, the eerily lucid and crazy dreams I had whenever I slept, all the interesting people I've met... Ten days is a very long time for one post. Also, keep in mind that the experience is uniquely different for every single participant. Still, I'm pretty sure that everyone that finishes a course like this comes out on the other side with a great deal of useful experiences, knowledge about oneself and a great technique that may help them live life in a better way.
I'll write a followup post with some thoughts in a while. It'll be interesting for me to see if I'll be able to keep up the practice and how the following week will be. I would really appreciate it if you would leave a short comment if you've read all this :)
Oh, and the whole thing was entirely free of charge. Dhamma is a nonprofit group of volunteers that arrange courses like this at 130 locations around the world, all funded by entirely voluntary donations from students that have completed the course and feel like giving more people the opportunity to have the same experience :)
Bhavatu sabba mangalam.