Quiet

Somerville, Mass - Has anybody been wondering where I've been? I know it's been awfully quiet for the last few weeks - and not just in the blogosphere. I am just back from a 10-day Vipassana meditation course, where I engaged in "Noble Silence" for the entire period. No talking, no non-vocal communication, no passing of notes. AND no music, reading or writing. That's quiet.

The course was remarkably challenging in ways that I did not predict. I couldn't help but compare it to my 10-day bikeride across Botswana and Namibia that I took earlier this year. For the bikeride, I expected a big physical challenge, but it ended up being just as much of a mental challenge - psyching myself to keep going and finding ways to occupy my mind over hours and hours of pedaling. For the medition, I expected a big mental challenge, but it ended up being just as much of a physical challenge. Who knew it would be so tough to sit still for 10 hours a day? (You read correctly: 10 hours of meditation per day. Ouch.)

In both cases, I had a lot of time to think. Eg, Why can't you take a normal vacation? You could be relaxing on a beach drinking fruity cocktails right now, but no...

And in the end, they were both worthwhile and rewarding experiences.

In this case, I learned a LOT about this particular form of meditation - the same one that the Buddha taught all around India 25 centuries ago. I learned about the philosophy behind the practice, and also experienced how it works.

For me, the goals of meditation are (a) to train my mind so I have more focus and more control over how I'm spending my mental energy; (b) more specifically, to be more present, more aware of what is happening in and around me at this very moment, instead of dwelling on the past or daydreaming about the future.

Vipassana is a specific method of meditation that focuses on the breath and the sensations in the body. The meditator observes the sensations in the body - whether pain or pleasure, discomfort or delight - without reacting. Just observe with the knowledge that each and every sensation has the same essential characteristic: it is temporary; it will soon pass. The idea is that this practice trains the meditator to go through life with the same balance and equanimity, observing without reacting, appreciative of the present moment and comfortable in the knowledge that change is constant.

Of course, the 10-day instruction is only the most basic introduction to Vipassana. In order to see the method in action, one must make this a life practice. But the course gives a pretty good taste: making one realize how wild the mind is, drifting off in every direction whenever given free reign; making apparent the subtle vibrations and sensations in our bodies that we are normally oblivious to; demonstrating that the pains and itches and other discomforts do eventually go away if you just sit still and observe them.

Unfortunately, I did not record these experiences as they were taking place, as we were not permitted to read or write during the course. But I'm hoping to post a sort of retroactive day-by-day account (or maybe two or three days at a time) to share what happens when one sits in a dark room for 10 hours a day times 10 days. Stay tuned...

Day 0
Day 1
Day 4: Vipassana Day
Day 6
Day 8
Day 10: Metta Day