Why Vipassana meditation?

10 days of noble silence, pure vegetarian food and 100 hours of meditation

Abhilasha Rayamajhi

"Why did you go for 10 days Vipassana meditation? What problem did you have that you needed an escape?" "You are already such a calm person why did you need to meditate?" These are some of the remarks I received when I returned from the 10 days Vipassana course.

I have always been fascinated by saints and the spiritual world. I got to know about the Vipassana meditation through my father. He undertook this course a few years back and had been meditating at home. I was not quite eager to go for Vipassana back then but I wanted to learn more about it. I thought taking 10 days off from my normal college and work life was not possible for me back then. However, I would meditate for a few minutes every now and then before I went to sleep. Further I have a close friend who also happened to be a Vipassana meditator. He was always calm and observant and that attribute was praiseworthy. I felt there was something in this technique of meditation.

Last year I got an exciting and awakening opportunity to travel to Bodhgaya where Buddha got enlightened, Sarnath where he gave his first sermon, Rajgir, Nalanda and other sacred places. I meditated for a while under the Bodhi tree and visited the Mahabodhi temple. This year on the Nepali New Year I trekked to Muktinath which is situated in lower Mustang. All these spiritual journeys and experiences prepared me and paved my way for this intense meditation.

My curiosity to know myself, the need to understand how my body and mind functions and how I can become a better version of myself led me to Vipassana meditation centre.

I was quite excited to leave everything behind and go for this meditation. We are not supposed to take our gadgets, cosmetics or jewelleries. Leaving these items was easy for me. In fact I was looking forward to my days without gadgets. The difficult part for me was detachment with my dear books and diary.  We are not supposed to carry anything that distracts us from our meditation practice. I always have a book by my side and as a journalist I have the habit of taking notes. So leaving my books and notebook was painful. However, the rules are there for our own good and it is for our best that we follow it. So, I packed a few clothes, toiletries, an umbrella and a water bottle and was set for my adventure.

Inside the centre we were requested to strictly follow the five precepts or Sila that are:
1. To abstain from killing anyone
2. To abstain from stealing
3. To abstain from sexual misconduct
4. To abstain from wrong speech
5. To abstain from all intoxicants

When I read the first precept I thought to myself, "This is so stupid. Why would anyone go there to meditate and kill another human being?" Killing insects intentionally or unintentionally had not even crossed my mind! At Vipassana centre I became cautious that I had to move gently and make sure not even an ant was killed.

 I love eating spicy and oily non-vegetarian food items. I had already paid a price for my obsession with meat. I suffered from constipation which resulted in haemorrhoids or piles. Every time I ate a plate of chicken momo or spicy pani puri, the next morning I would have a really difficult time. One morning I had to be taken urgently to the hospital because I had rectal bleeding and periods at the same time which made me really weak.

We were served hygienic and pure vegetarian food thrice a day. The food served there helped me reduce constipation to a great extent. I understood what my body really demanded. Even after the course I have not consumed any non-vegetarian food and I have been aware about what is going inside my system.

The first few days we were taught to focus on our breathing. This technique is called Anapana. It was challenging to stay in one place 10 hours a day and just observe my breathing. Later we were taught the wonderful technique of Vipassana where we observed the sensations in our body from head to feet and in reverse order. Every day from 7 to 8:30 pm we had S.N. Goeka's discourses which were quite informative with a hint of humour and lots of witty stories.

I was coping up with being with myself and observing my sensations. However, on the sixth day I felt terrible. I suffered from severe cough and cold and headache. I was annoyed at almost everything around me and mostly myself for choosing such a path where we were not allowed to speak or do anything. I wanted to escape. But I consoled myself saying that it was already the sixth day and only four days were remaining. Later on the sixth day in the discourse, Goenka mentioned that it is normal to have such feelings and it takes a strong mind to come this far.

Finally on the seventh day there were moments when I felt ecstatic while meditating and afterwards as well. I could feel numerous sensations on my body. There are so many sensations that are happening in our bodies and till 23 years I was ignorant about what was happening in my body. I was overjoyed to experience these pleasant sensations. I thought this was it, now I am enlightened. But on the eighth day while meditating I did not feel the same, in fact I didn't feel any such sensations. At that moment I felt like I fell down after reaching a certain height. I understood at an experiential level that nothing stays forever whether it is a pleasant sensation or an unpleasant one we are always changing and we must maintain equanimity at all times.

On the final day we were taught Metta where we filled our mind and body with feelings of good-will for all beings. We could finally break noble silence on this day and talk to fellow meditators. We also had a book exhibition and donation program on the same day. Vipassana courses are run solely on donation basis and the courses are free of cost.

So what did I gain from Vipassana?
1. I feel healthier and happier.
2. I have a new energy to achieve great heights of success in life.
3. I have the urge to serve others.
4. I have experienced that change is the only thing that is constant.
5. I have become a more balanced and calmer person.

The things that I have gained cannot be expressed in words. I am still in the process of reflecting what I learnt there and what I've gained. My time there was wonderful. It was challenging but worth it. I absolutely recommend Vipassana meditation to everyone. I would also like to inform that Vipassana is not for you if you are going for an escape or to cure your disease. There is no guarantee that your mental and physical health will drastically improve because of this course. I still am in the process of knowing myself better. However, these 10 days have helped me a lot in my personal development; I am at peace with myself and willing to share my peace and happiness with all beings.
Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam
May all beings be happy!

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