| Vipassana is taught as a silent 10 day live-in course | | | | answers to their questions within themselves. The |
| initially and has a very strict schedule of meditation, | | | | teacher provides whatever guidance is needed in the |
| eating and sleeping. Once you have completed a 10 | | | | practice, but it is up to each person to implement these |
| day course you are then able to do further 3 day | | | | guidelines: one has to fight one's own battle, work out |
| courses and it is recommended you repeat the 10 day | | | | what is right for themselves. |
| course at least once a year. For more dedicated | | | | This is the reason 10 day Vipassana courses are |
| meditators the course is also run as 30 days in some | | | | conducted in silence and no reading or writing materials |
| centres. | | | | are allowed. The purpose is to go deeper inside |
| There are no charges for the course, food or | | | | yourself and this happens automatically when you |
| accommodation but each centre is run solely by | | | | have no outside stimulus to distract your thoughts. |
| volunteers and by donations. Once you have | | | | The first few days are the hardest, physically as your |
| completed a 10 day course you are able to donate to | | | | body has to learn to adapt to sitting still, however it will |
| the centres and you are then also able to volunteer | | | | learn to adapt if you persevere. As you continue to sit |
| your time and indeed it is recommended that you give | | | | you will start to clean out areas of your mind that you |
| back in this way so that other people can receive the | | | | would normally ignore. You will just accept any |
| benefits that you have received. | | | | thoughts as simply thoughts and let them go. The |
| The Vipassana meditator uses his concentration as a | | | | effort, although difficult, is definitely worthwhile. |
| tool by which his awareness can chip away at his | | | | Vipassana mindfulness meditation, and indeed other |
| thoughts and his beliefs about what is true in life. It is a | | | | forms of meditation, will help you move past the |
| gradual process of ever-increasing awareness into the | | | | constant thoughts of "If only"; if only I had more money, |
| inner workings of your own mind. As you become | | | | if only I had a better relationship, if only I weighed less |
| more and more proficient in your meditative practice | | | | etc. It will help you move to a place of acceptance |
| you will also become calmer and more focused in your | | | | which is what brings a sense of peace and happiness. |
| everyday life. | | | | One of the teachings in Vipassana is that change is |
| A course in Vipassana mindfulness meditation is an | | | | constant and change is inevitable. Many people fight |
| opportunity to take concrete steps toward liberating | | | | against this premise of constant change and fight to |
| your mind. In these courses the participant learns how | | | | keep things in their life constant. When we can accept |
| to free their mind from the tensions and prejudices that | | | | that life is constantly changing, there will always be |
| disturb the flow of daily life. In doing this the participant | | | | new things to want and new situations to aim for, then |
| begins to discover how to live each moment | | | | you will begin to find the peace in life that we all strive |
| peacefully, productively and happily. At the same time | | | | for. |
| the participant starts progressing toward the highest | | | | "Mindfulness is the process of bringing one's mind to |
| goal to which mankind can aspire: purity of mind, | | | | the present moment. When we try to bring our mind to |
| freedom from all suffering, full enlightenment. | | | | the present moment, we observe its true nature - how |
| None of this can be attained just by thinking about it or | | | | it habitually wanders around, day-dreams and |
| wishing for it. One must take steps to reach the goal. | | | | fantasizes. We are always preoccupied with the past |
| For this reason, in a Vipassana course the emphasis is | | | | and the future. The mind is rarely in the present. It is like |
| always on actual practice. No philosophical debates | | | | a mad monkey that jumps from one branch to |
| are permitted, no theoretical arguments, no questions | | | | another. It is swift and jumps around. It is always in a |
| that are unrelated to one's own experience. As far as | | | | state of flux. It is impossible to observe the mind's true |
| possible, meditators are encouraged to find the | | | | nature, unless we pause with mindfulness." - Ven. |