Though I know and do some meditation practices now and then, when I saw this TED talk a few years ago, Vipassana was new to me by then. I was kind of impressed on how the Vipassana meditation has transformed those people. I was wondering mainly about “Is it possible to do 10 days of meditation?”. “Doesn’t my back pains and breaks if I do that?”. All sort of such questions were in me and other questions too. Why not give it a try? Obviously, I didn’t find 10-day break during those time. Somehow this Vipassana was running in back of my mind since then to try out at least once. And I did it in last 10 days!
What I can say about it?
Nothing much as of now. I just started practicing it. However, I strongly say that this is not normal meditation. It makes me to look inside. It bridges me to my senses. Yes senses.! Though I haven’t gone deep inside of senses, I can definitely say that I have touched some surface level. And I believe that practicing it will take me deeper. I believe that Vipassana meditation will take me on the right path to consciousness.
What was my experience?
Physically, I had a lot of back pain throughout the course. I would say that I barely meditated for first few days due to the back pain. Back pain was due to my way of life. I bow my back all times to look at the monitor. During the middle of course, the course recommends meditators to take on a Adhiṭṭhāna (translates to resolution) that you will not move your hands and legs. This is when my pain was skyrocketing. Unbelievably, at the end of the course I could sit straight (with my back and head inline) for 1-hr and the pain was very feeble that I never bothered. After that, I could sit straight for 1 hour everyday with almost no movements. This breakthrough is very crucial for me to progress in my meditation practice.
Believe me, pain breaking is not only the thing to experience. There are lot more happens internally (mind & soul) and externally (physically, external world interactions).
What I learnt?
Ma Sucha – Not to Worry.
Being a meditator, don’t worry about benefits. If I worry that I’m not getting the benefits, then I am developing a craving towards it. Whatever I crave for always goes away from me.
Being meditator, don’t worry about all that pains. If I worry that it’s paining, then I am developing an aversion towards it. Whatever I averse for always sticks with me.
This is Dharma.! This is Nature.!
What I can suggest others about Vipassana?
Irrespective to benefits, whether you get benefit out of this or not, just go and give it a try at least once in your lifetime. Being disconnected from the rest of the world for 10 days is a new experience in today’s world. On top of that, being silent for 10 days is another experience. If you are too much talkative, you will feel like running away from this course on first day. However, if you hold on to it, then you will find something about yourself in that 10 days. Silence makes you a different person.
Will I redo Vipassana again?
Yes. Some people get the deeper experience on first course and some may not. I fall in later category. I would definitely do this course again to go deeper. So far, when meditation practioner says going deeper, I never understood the word Deeper. Now, after this course I myself saying aloud that I need to go deeper.
Ajay is a professional developer and architect of NI-LabVIEW applications with extreme interest in getting the hardware connected to LabVIEW and automating the stuff. Recently he is also putting his hands in NI-TestStand to get very dirty on it. He is also a good mentor for the various interns in his career. He is ready to help the people in techie roles.