I recently completed another 10-day Vipassana meditation course. This ancient technique, which involves self-observation of mind and body, has consistently left me feeling more relaxed, aware and grounded.
During this particular retreat, two distinct lessons emerged.
Lesson 1: The Illusion of Assumptions
For nine days, we lived in complete silence, observing our breathing and bodily sensations. This intimate experience exposed the mind’s often unruly and deceptive nature.
There are about 100 participants in the course. You don’t know anyone among them when the course begins. You all meditate together. You dine together. You stay in the same building in separate rooms. So, naturally, you start observing each other’s behaviour. During our observational meditations, our mind also thinks about this new set of strangers whom we observe in close proximity.
Surrounded by strangers, we naturally began to form assumptions about them. Based on their appearance, demeanour, or perceived cultural background, we projected our own preconceived notions onto them.
However, when the silence broke on the tenth day, we discovered how inaccurate our assumptions were. Each person was vastly different from what we had imagined. This experience underscored the danger of judging others before truly knowing them.
Lesson 2: Divide and Conquer
On the first day, the prospect of spending 9-days in complete silence seems daunting. It IS a difficult project. One quickly realizes that it is not easy to be with one’s own self for so many days. How will the nine long days pass?
On the first day, we pass the day getting introduced to the schedule and process. We wake up and 4 am and continue till around 9.30 pm. To begin with, it appears gruelling and boring. We track the day in almost by minutes. It becomes a very long day.
Then another day comes. A similar long, boring day with more 24 full hours and lots and lots of meditation. Passing 24 hours appears even harder.
By the third day, one starts realizing that if we change our way of looking at the 24-hour day and break it into smaller periods, it passes rather quickly.
So, let us look at the early morning meditation session from 4.30 am. It gets over in two hours followed by breakfast and washing.
Then there is a 3-hour period followed by another break of two hours for lunch and rest.
One more 4-hour chunk starts followed by another one-hour break.
Then again there is an evening session from 6 pm onwards with its own set of activities.
Once we break the 24-hour day into smaller chunks and focus on completing each part it becomes less daunting. Our mind starts finding incentives to complete each part and it works…!
We gather momentum and the next 6-7 days pass rather swiftly.
This approach not only made the retreat more bearable but also provided valuable insights into project management.
The experience taught me that breaking down large tasks into smaller, achievable steps can make them less overwhelming and more enjoyable.
These two lessons, born from the crucible of silence and self-observation, have deepened my understanding of myself and others. Vipassana continues to be a transformative journey, offering invaluable insights into the human condition.