Meditation retreats by S.N. Goenka

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello

I would like to recomend the meditation retreats in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. They last 10 days and are free. You only give a donation if you think another person should experience a future retreat. There they teach a meditation technique that falls under the category of vipassana. The technique involves mindfulness of feeings/sensations. We learn how to experience the feelings with equanimity. I atended one retreat and it was the most important experience of my life. The meditation technique helps me a lot to manage my feelings of anxiety. Just google "Goenka retreats" and you'll find their website.

On youtube there's a documentary picturing the vipassana course given in an indian prison. It's called "Doing time, Doing vipassana":

If you decide to go, may you have an experience at least as wonderful and profound as I did

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Note: The Google search linked above also includes some critques and criticisms. I have no personal knowledge at all about these retreats but it is probably advisable to inform yourself of both the pros and cons.

 

[Modus.Ponens]

One of the problems of the google engine, admited by the creators, is that the criticisms of the topic that is being googled comes in the first positions, which gives a disproporcioned amplitude to the criticisms. Some people have reported bad experiences (I've read them in buddhist forums), but I believe they are a minority. But those experiences show that it's important to be honest about one's menthal condition when aplying for a retreat. I was rejected the 2nd time I applied for a retreat because i was still recovering from a psychosis.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Fair enough.

It's also true that people who are happy and saitisfied with something are less likely to create web sites or join negative websites. This is also the case with the anti-psychiatry movement, the anti-vaccine movement, etc.

 

[tasha]

Modus.Ponens, I wonder if you could share your experience of the retreat. I studied Vipassana (Mindful Meditation) many years ago with Dr. Bill Knight. Unfortunately, I never made it an everyday part of my life. I've been looking into the Vipassana retreats by S.N. Goenka and have considered going for a 10 day retreat. I know the experience is different for each person, but I would be interested in a first-hand account from someone who had a positive experience.

 

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello tasha.

Right before the retreat, I was having a lot of obsessive thoughts. At the time I didn't realize what it was, I thought it was somewhat normal. If I would describe them in the sheet they give in the beggining of the retreat I would probably be forbiden of doing the retreat. Anyway, I entered the retreat and started the first 3.5 days of mindfulness of breathing. The instruction is basicaly to focus on the nostrils as the air goes in and out to develop concentration. After these 3.5 days, or perhaps before, my mind abandoned the obsessive thoughts. I got lucky. I don't advise anyone to do a retreat while having serious mental problems. Anyway, after the concentration part, vipassana started. The instruction is basicaly to observe the sensations in the body objectively without aversion or atatchment, while scaning the body. It constitutes the rest of the retreat. I did this for 3 or 4 days and then I had the most important realization of my life: pain and unpleasant sensations in the body, born of whatever situations (be it an injury or breaking up with your partner), are not suffering. It is the aversion to these sensations that constitutes suffering. At that point, suffering was optional! With a sufficiently trained mind it is possible not to suffer. While this fact was known by me intelectualy, it wasn't known experientialy, and that is totaly different! The other side of the coin that I concluded (and I'm still not sure of it) is that pleasant sensations are not happiness either. They are just sensations. They cannot bring true happiness. This conclusion made me unmotivated for the rest of the retreat. I got a bit lazy because I didn't want to face the fact that I didn't know how to be happy. Another realization I had is that we only like things or people because of the pleasant sensations they give us. That includes our parents. It's a bit shocking to know that we are that selfish.

Some participants are suposed to experience the insight knowledge of the dissolution of formations (bhanga ?āṇa), something I didn't experience. To know more about it see this: The Sixteen Stages of Insight .

In conclusion, it was hard work, but it was the most important experience in my life. I advise anyone who is reasonably mentaly healty to do this retreat.

I hope this helps. If you decide to go, may you have a wonderful retreat!

PS: If you want to know more on this, I sugest you register at Dhamma Wheel | Index page | A Buddhist forum . It's a buddhist forum in the Theravada tradition that has a lot of knowledgeable people who can help you with your questions.

 

[tasha]

Thanks for your great insight Modus.Ponens. Yes, everything you've mentioned about "observing" and not "judging" our thoughts/sensations is what I learned in my Vipassana courses... although it was nothing so deeply involved as the 10-day retreats. The longest we went with continuous meditation was 6 hours. However, during those 6 hours I did feel I reached Nirvana, however briefly. It was a truly enlightening experience.

My concern about attending one of the retreats is my state of mental health. When I was participating in my previous meditation courses, I was unaware of my C-PTSD and now many of those childhood traumas are at the forefront in my mind. Because of this I don't know how well I could tolerate "observing" those thoughts without breaking down in tears. I think my biggest concern is dissrupting the other students.

Thanks for mentioning the Dhamma Wheel... I was registered there many years ago when I was taking my courses, but I had completely forgotten about it. (Many moves and many email addresses later! LOL) I think that might be a good starting point for some of my questions.

I appreciate your sharing your story Modus.Ponens.

Thanks

 

[Modus.Ponens]

Yeah, I forgot to mention another part of my experience, which also happens to other participants. Stuff inside us come to the surface. I experienced a a great fear of interacting with other people. Don't worry about crying, it's normal in these courses. However, if you have a mental condition, you should ask first to the organizers of the course if you can participate, given the problems you have. Be totaly honest and cross your fingers .

As a sidenote, tibetan monks that were arrested in chinese prisons and got tortured, and then ran to India, and practice meditation, don't present sympthoms of PTSD.