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Vippassna
A friend of mine did a course (10 days) in this and has been telling me how good it was. I was wondering whether anyone here has experienced it and whether you think it might be worthwhile doing.
My biggest problem is that I am a smoker- and I'd have to stop.....! I also like to talk a lot but could contain myself for the ten days
My biggest problem is that I am a smoker- and I'd have to stop.....! I also like to talk a lot but could contain myself for the ten days
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For info on the course see: http://www.vri.dhamma.org/ and http://www.dhamma.org/
Simon, I don't know if I could actually do it though. Not smoking would kill me (although smoking will eventually kill me anyway.....). But it is something I would like to do. I also need to find the ten days. Perhaps I can let my son stay with my soon-to-be-ex husband for the period?
Does it really have such an affect on people? Is it really something I could use in everyday life?
I only know of one person who's done one, but they found it very beneficial. I think any chance to do some intensive meditation is helpful..gives you a chance to really get a taste of it. On the other hand, I do know a heavy smoker who had difficulty sticking out a one day zen sesshin!
It is a wonderful. wonder-filled experience which does have life-changing potential.
You will find non-smoking hard and, potentially, distracting but you won't have been the first retreatant in that situation. You will be part of a sangha of smokers who, across tens of thousands of days of retreat, have confronted the same demon! And there'll be others with their own obsessing compulsions to torment them.
Can anyone tell me where Vippassana fits in - is it Zen Buddhism? I'm not sure where I got that idea, but if anyone can enlighten (ha ha funny word to use here) me I'd be grateful.
Thanks
"There are two forms of wisdom: mundane and supramundane. Nowadays, knowledge of literature, art, science, or other worldly affairs is usually regarded as a kind of wisdom, but this form of wisdom has nothing to do with any kind of mental development (bhavana). Nor can it be regarded as of real merit, because many weapons of destruction are invented through these kinds of knowledge, which are always under the influence of attachment, aversion, and other evil motives. The real spirit of mundane wisdom, on the other hand, has only merits and no demerits of any kind. True mundane wisdom includes the knowledge used in welfare and relief work, which causes no harm; learning to acquire the knowledge of the true meaning or sense of the scriptures; and the three classes of knowledge of development for insight (vipassana-bhavana), such as knowledge born of learning (sutamaya-pañña), knowledge born of reflection (cintamaya-pañña), and wisdom born of meditative development (bhavanamaya-pañña). The virtue of possessing mundane wisdom will lead to a happy life in higher states of existence, but it still cannot prevent the risk of being reborn in hell or in other states of miserable existence. Only the development of supramundane wisdom (lokuttara-pañña) can decidedly remove this risk.
Supramundane wisdom is the wisdom of the path and fruit. To develop this wisdom it is necessary to carry on the practice of insight meditation (vipassana-bhavana) out of the three disciplines of morality, concentration, and wisdom. When the virtue of wisdom is duly developed, the necessary qualities of morality and concentration will also be acquired."
~ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel370.html Insight through Mindfulness by The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw
has anyone here heard anything about the Illinois Vipassana Meditation Center?