Having safely made my maiden voyage safely – It dawned on me
how meticulous and precision engineered the course was – from
the schedule, faculty, practical experiments, theoretical lectures, facilities,
nutritional requirements, administration ... They were all essential, efficient
and highly commendable.
THE DAILY SCHEDULE for 10 DAYS and 11 NIGHTS
The following timetable for the course has been designed to maintain the continuity of practice. For best results students are advised to follow it as closely as possible.
4:00 am Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am Breakfast
8:00-9:00 am Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am Meditate in the hall or in your room/cell according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 noon Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm Q&A with the teacher / Rest
1:00-2:30 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room/cell
– (I slept through this sometimes … out of sheer fatigue)
2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room/cell according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm Teacher's Discourse in the hall
– (Fantastic Lectures – Watching in Hindi is better than watching the English Version -there’s Russian too!)
8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm Question time in the hall
9:30 pm Retire to your own room
To register yourself
for a ten-day course, please click on www.dhamma.org and choose a center near you.
The Faculty –
The faculty consisted of a married couple of advanced
practitioners Mr. & Mrs. Mali – who were referred to as Assistant Teachers
– they conduct the course and assisted us with individual counseling during
training.
The course is taught directly by Late Sh. SN Goenka in a series of audio and video lessons – using of
technology to ensure undiluted transmission of this knowledge.
Practical Experiments
–
We begin with being completely
silent – “Arya Mouna” – no talking, no writing, no reading, no sign language is
allowed, the only communication allowed is with the teacher and about 4
helpers.
As you can see in the Schedule – we spend most of the time
practicing the meditation techniques – The Basics of the Technique are – Breath
Awareness, Sensation Awareness and Noble Silence
However, there are new nuances introduced on each day – that
make the course both interesting and exploratory.
Theoretical Lectures
–
Late Sh.SN Goenka talks and speeches are both
enlightening & entertaining – lots of stories and anecdotes - that provide
the mind with “food for thought” –
while we practice the Vipassana technique.
“He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.” – LaoTzu
Goenkaji himself clearly states that the technique is
paramount and these lectures by themselves are of no real purport – other than like
giving a child (the mind) toys to play with – while we work.
After each lecture the assistant teacher (Mr. Mali) takes one-to-one
questions which are conducted on a first-come-first served basis.
Facilities -
The facilities are not air-conditioned – but very clean,
hygienic and considerately appointed – You get a single 6’X10’ room with an
attached bathroom, a specific seat in lecture hall and a meditation cell
allotted to you for the duration of the course. There is an inexpensive laundry service available
as well!
Food – simple
vegetarian meals provided. The course management endeavors to prepare a
balanced, wholesome menu suitable for meditation. If any students have been
prescribed a special diet because of ill-health, they should inform the
management at the time of application. Fasting is not permitted.
More info here: http://www.dhamma.org/en/code.shtml
Read More
About My Experiences:
No comments:
Post a Comment