Hi Everyone!!
Gosh it feels so good to be writing again! It has been such a busy month and i have not taken the time out to stop and write. I apologise to the 2 or 3 people who actually enjoy reading this thing, and i hope that you enjoy this installment...
So, where did i leave you oh so long ago?? Ah Buddhism... The way of looking at things from another perspective, the way to gain some clarity and understanding...
Well after giving that speech, i had myself hooked... I became intensely interested in anything that even remotely LOOKED like it was associated with Buddhism... But life took over... Work, uni, college, work.... How was i going to gain a better understanding of anything to do with Buddhism if i had worked myself up into a stress over the due dates of assignments and abstracts... (The one thing that Buddhism would HELP me cope with I'm sure...). I was on the wrong track... I was missing the point of something here...
Way back in my first blog, i mentioned the intensive class that i did. During that class a type of meditation was mentioned in passing... It was called Vipassana. And for some reason, my ears pricked up... "What is this vipassana??" I asked my class mates...
"Well, you go and meditate for ten days, and you don't talk to anyone... Its torture, i only lasted 6 days, don't even bother thinking about it.." Said one of them.
Now those of you who know me know that if i hear something that sounds like a challenge, i tend to get a bit excited about the prospect... But nevertheless, i remained convinced that i shouldn't even bother looking into anything like that because i cant shut up for 5 minutes let alone TEN DAYS, and that if that girl couldn't stand 6 days, there was no way i would be able to handle it either...
So i put this out of my head and went on with my business, when the universe decided to play with my mind a little bit... VIPASSANA... I started hearing it everywhere... On the train, in the street... mentioned in a cd i was listening to, and a book that i was reading... for some reason i was being haunted by this word. And it kept coming back into my mind again... I was determined to ask this girl more about her experience when we got back to class, only to discover that she had dropped out of the course because she was finding it too difficult. And this was where i was really starting to think... I mean, this course is challenging on an emotional level sure, but i am really enjoying it and have never once thought of it as difficult... And then it dawned on me, everybody is different, and if she found this course challenging, perhaps she wasn't ready for ten days of intense meditation... But that doesn't mean that i am not... I figure i am a pretty strong person... So i looked it up...
As soon as i saw the website something was stirring within me, some yearning for knowledge or yearning for understanding... Something was happening and within minutes of arriving at the site i was looking up the dates that the course was run. I looked at the dates to courses and dates in my diary, and found one course that was running that was away from other major events in my life (ie assignment due dates and friends birthdays), and thought that would be perfect if only i could get the time off work. Determined to leave it up to fate and the universe, i went to work the next week to take a look at the holiday board to see if there was any chance that i was able to take that particular fortnight off. Looking at the big board with its many black marker lines and scribbles, i made my way to the dates that i had in my hand... And out of that month and all the months around it, THAT fortnight was the ONLY one that i COULD take time off... A sign perhaps??? so i took the leave and booked in for ten days of intense meditation experience...
VIPASSANA:
According to the many websites i have looked at, Vipassana meditation simply means to see things as they really are. To free the mind of cravings and to learn how to be aware of your thoughts, but not affected by them on an emotional level... To put your attention entirely on your body and how the different thoughts affect them... or something to that effect. According to all the stuff i have read, you spend a whole three days just at the start simply focusing on breathing during the meditations and letting the thoughts go and learning to focus inwards... Some people have claimed to have some very amazing experiences, some unworldly clarity, some curing of illness...
Talk about a boot camp though...
It is apparently quite difficult, some people don't make the whole ten days, some break down, and others have even had full blown psychotic episodes... yes i am serious... There is no talking, or making eye contact with anyone... no books, phones, writing materials, no games, no NOTHING for the entire duration of the course. Each day starts at 4am and you meditate for 12 hours of the day... Only light vegetarian meals are provided and only a bit after midday as to aid in meditation...
First up, for all those who's eyes are rolling thinking "How on earth is MEL going to do this?? TEN DAYS OF NOT TALKING???" Gosh i hear ya, i love to talk... So why am i doing it then?? Because you only live once, and i want to experience everything that i can in this life. This has called to me so much that i will regret it forever if i don't go, so I'm doing it.
Whether i actually make it ten days is another story, but we will cross that bridge if i come to it... :)
So later on today i shall take the red pill and make my way into the matrix, not to emerge until July... But whether i am successful or unsuccessful, hopefully i shall have a grand story to tell!!
Mel xoxo
PS - For more information on Vipasana meditation, this is a good place to start http://www.dhamma.org/en/art.shtml
I will leave you with some quotes, from the matrix because i see that fitting for this particular episode...
Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
----
Morpheus: Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
---
(And my personal favourite for this episode...)
Cypher: I've been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?
xoxo
Gosh it feels so good to be writing again! It has been such a busy month and i have not taken the time out to stop and write. I apologise to the 2 or 3 people who actually enjoy reading this thing, and i hope that you enjoy this installment...
So, where did i leave you oh so long ago?? Ah Buddhism... The way of looking at things from another perspective, the way to gain some clarity and understanding...
Well after giving that speech, i had myself hooked... I became intensely interested in anything that even remotely LOOKED like it was associated with Buddhism... But life took over... Work, uni, college, work.... How was i going to gain a better understanding of anything to do with Buddhism if i had worked myself up into a stress over the due dates of assignments and abstracts... (The one thing that Buddhism would HELP me cope with I'm sure...). I was on the wrong track... I was missing the point of something here...
Way back in my first blog, i mentioned the intensive class that i did. During that class a type of meditation was mentioned in passing... It was called Vipassana. And for some reason, my ears pricked up... "What is this vipassana??" I asked my class mates...
"Well, you go and meditate for ten days, and you don't talk to anyone... Its torture, i only lasted 6 days, don't even bother thinking about it.." Said one of them.
Now those of you who know me know that if i hear something that sounds like a challenge, i tend to get a bit excited about the prospect... But nevertheless, i remained convinced that i shouldn't even bother looking into anything like that because i cant shut up for 5 minutes let alone TEN DAYS, and that if that girl couldn't stand 6 days, there was no way i would be able to handle it either...
So i put this out of my head and went on with my business, when the universe decided to play with my mind a little bit... VIPASSANA... I started hearing it everywhere... On the train, in the street... mentioned in a cd i was listening to, and a book that i was reading... for some reason i was being haunted by this word. And it kept coming back into my mind again... I was determined to ask this girl more about her experience when we got back to class, only to discover that she had dropped out of the course because she was finding it too difficult. And this was where i was really starting to think... I mean, this course is challenging on an emotional level sure, but i am really enjoying it and have never once thought of it as difficult... And then it dawned on me, everybody is different, and if she found this course challenging, perhaps she wasn't ready for ten days of intense meditation... But that doesn't mean that i am not... I figure i am a pretty strong person... So i looked it up...
As soon as i saw the website something was stirring within me, some yearning for knowledge or yearning for understanding... Something was happening and within minutes of arriving at the site i was looking up the dates that the course was run. I looked at the dates to courses and dates in my diary, and found one course that was running that was away from other major events in my life (ie assignment due dates and friends birthdays), and thought that would be perfect if only i could get the time off work. Determined to leave it up to fate and the universe, i went to work the next week to take a look at the holiday board to see if there was any chance that i was able to take that particular fortnight off. Looking at the big board with its many black marker lines and scribbles, i made my way to the dates that i had in my hand... And out of that month and all the months around it, THAT fortnight was the ONLY one that i COULD take time off... A sign perhaps??? so i took the leave and booked in for ten days of intense meditation experience...
VIPASSANA:
According to the many websites i have looked at, Vipassana meditation simply means to see things as they really are. To free the mind of cravings and to learn how to be aware of your thoughts, but not affected by them on an emotional level... To put your attention entirely on your body and how the different thoughts affect them... or something to that effect. According to all the stuff i have read, you spend a whole three days just at the start simply focusing on breathing during the meditations and letting the thoughts go and learning to focus inwards... Some people have claimed to have some very amazing experiences, some unworldly clarity, some curing of illness...
Talk about a boot camp though...
It is apparently quite difficult, some people don't make the whole ten days, some break down, and others have even had full blown psychotic episodes... yes i am serious... There is no talking, or making eye contact with anyone... no books, phones, writing materials, no games, no NOTHING for the entire duration of the course. Each day starts at 4am and you meditate for 12 hours of the day... Only light vegetarian meals are provided and only a bit after midday as to aid in meditation...
First up, for all those who's eyes are rolling thinking "How on earth is MEL going to do this?? TEN DAYS OF NOT TALKING???" Gosh i hear ya, i love to talk... So why am i doing it then?? Because you only live once, and i want to experience everything that i can in this life. This has called to me so much that i will regret it forever if i don't go, so I'm doing it.
Whether i actually make it ten days is another story, but we will cross that bridge if i come to it... :)
So later on today i shall take the red pill and make my way into the matrix, not to emerge until July... But whether i am successful or unsuccessful, hopefully i shall have a grand story to tell!!
Mel xoxo
PS - For more information on Vipasana meditation, this is a good place to start http://www.dhamma.org/en/art.shtml
I will leave you with some quotes, from the matrix because i see that fitting for this particular episode...
Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
----
Morpheus: Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
---
(And my personal favourite for this episode...)
Cypher: I've been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?
xoxo
