Over a year ago, my best friend Ninskie told me about this 10-day meditation course that involved ten days of complete silence. That bit about the silence intrigued the chatterbox in me. Hmmm, can I avoid talking for even a day?
Our schedules did not allow us to go last year, so I completely forgot about it. But as I was cleaning up my email boxes in the first week of February this year, I saw Ninskie’s March 2007 email about the Vipassana Meditation Course. When I checked their website, I found that there was going to be a course on February 27 to March 9! I immediately told Ninskie about it and said I thought it was meant to be that we attend the course this year.
Unfortunately, Ninskie’s schedule would not allow her to attend again this year. But I decided that I would go.
I must admit that I went into the course with nothing more in mind than to test myself. I wasn’t looking for some enlightenment. Neither was I having some emotional turmoil that needed to be calmed. But that was just as well, because the Philippine Vipassana Meditation Society (PVMS) discourages people who go into the course looking for some emotional or spiritual quick fix.
The PVMS states that: “…Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for…. people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course.”
According to Wikipedia:
“….Vipassana is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation, rediscovered by Gautama Buddha 2500 years ago. It is a way of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection.
It is often referred to by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike simply as "insight meditation".
While vipassanā is a type of Buddhist meditation as taught by the Buddha, it is essentially non-sectarian in character and has universal application. One need not convert to Buddhism to practice (it).
…..The actual instructions for vipassana meditation are not often published in clear terms in public venues…. to avoid confusion and prevent incorrect technique. The instructions are not esoteric or difficult but basically involve retraining the mind to avoid its innate conditioned response to most stimuli.
In order to obtain maximum benefit, it is recommended that (vipassana meditation) be learned from a legitimate source as it does have deep cleansing effects.” (underscoring mine)
The PVMS uses the vipassana teaching technique of S.N. Goenka from Burma, who keeps strictly to the lay nature of his teachings. Although advocating the Buddhist way of life, he does not encourage any religious conversion. Furthermore, Goenka’s courses are given for free. The course expenses are covered by voluntary donations of grateful benefactors from past courses.
There is something about teachings that are given for free. Without any strings attached. Without any expectations of reward. Gary Craig, the developer of EFT (see my blog about EFT - http://gwiz.multiply.com/journal/item/2/EFT) allows one to download the manual from his website for free. He sells EFT instructional videos, but allows the buyer to reproduce them and give away to friends! Craig’s reasoning: if more people practice EFT and achieve personal peace, then we would have a more peaceful world. Amen to that.
But I digress, hehe. And so, on a sunny Wednesday, the 27th of February, my son Leon brought me to the Sico Farm in Dasmariñas, Cavite. I was to begin my ten days of silence the next day.
The course venue consists of separate men’s and women’s quarters and dining halls and a common meditation hall, nestled amidst towering royal palm and mango trees. There are areas in the garden where one can sit quietly. We were served delicious vegetarian breakfast and lunch. No dinner though, just an afternoon tea break wherein we were given fruit and various teas.
We were told to practice “noble silence” during the whole run of the course. This meant not uttering a single word, unless it is to ask a question of the teacher or to speak with the course coordinators on other urgent relevant matters. Physical contact with others is not allowed, not even eye contact. This is so that each student is not distracted and is able to concentrate on the meditation.
Our days started with a 4:00 am wake up call, 4:30 - 6:30 meditation, breakfast at 6:30, meditation again at 8:00 - 11:00, lunch at 11:00, meditation again at 1:00 - 5:00 pm, tea break at 5:00, meditation 6:00 - 7:00, teacher’s discourse 7:00 - 8:15, meditation 8:15 - 9:00, and lights out at 10:00.
At this point, I would like to share that I had gone into the vipassana course in a state of mind that has already been becalmed by EFT. I always said that everything happens for a reason, at the right time and place.
The universe had led me first to reiki, then to EFT, then showed me The Secret, and finally reminded me of vipassana. After the ten days (whew!) I say, the experience rounds off this light tripping of mine.
While EFT helped me process a lot of my emotional traumas/issues – Craig says that an average person has hundreds of them that has accumulated since the time of birth – the technique still allowed me to choose what to process. To do EFT is a conscious effort of will to address what we want to address.
Like, my father died in 2006 and I was grief-stricken. Now, grief we must all admit, is rooted in issues. I had so many “what ifs” and “if onlys” with regards my father’s death. After some time, my husband asked me why I wasn’t doing EFT for my grief over my father’s death. I said, “It seems too soon for me to stop grieving for him.” But when I finally did process, I became genuinely happy about my father’s passing.
When I started practicing vipassana by the last 6 days of the 10-day course, I still had issues in my life (though not grave ones, just enough for my self-indulgence, hehe). Surprisingly, whatever issues there were that I had been holding off processing with EFT had gone by the end of the course!
How do I describe what the vipassana course had done to me? It has deepened my sense of inner joy, this personal peace, that had been building up since I discovered EFT. I go about my days with more equanimity. It is also clearer to me now how personal peace enables me to effortlessly feel this sense of goodwill towards all beings.
Light in your hearts!
Note: There is going to be another vipassana course in May, details as follows:
D ATE: May 7 - 18, 2008
LOCATION: Sico Farm, Dasmarinas, Cavite
For information or to apply for the course, please contact:
Landlines: 6951099, 6393047 / Cell nos: 0917-882 5541, 0917-800 4530 / Fax: 746-7134
e-mail vipassana_rp@yahoo.com or info@ph.dhamma.org
You may apply on-line through the website: http://www.dhamma.org
Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience, Guia. I have practiced zazen in a martial-art club and I can feel what you described above. 
