Our Ten Day Vipassana Silent Retreat

Today we are heading out to a Vipassana Meditation Retreat. Ten days of silence. Ten days of meditation.



Here is our schedule:
4:00 am Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 am Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 noon Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm Rest and interviews with the teacher
1:00-2:30 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm Teacher's Discourse in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm Question time in the hall
9:30 pm Retire to your own room--Lights out



Vipassana is one of India's most ancient meditation techniques. Long lost to humanity, it was rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. The word Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is the process of self- purification by self-observation. It begins by concentrating the mind and observing the natural breath. This creates a heightened level of awareness which allows the practitioner to proceed to observe the changing nature of body and mind and thus experience the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by direct experience is the process of purification, a purification which allows one to face life's challenges in a calm and balanced way. Ultimately, Vipassana meditation aims at the highest of spiritual goals, total liberation and full enlightenment. (All of this is taken directly from http://www.dhamma.org/en/application.shtml, the site where we registered for our retreat)



Not only will we be silent for the upcoming ten days, we will not be able to read, listen to music, journal, or even practice yoga. We also need to abstain from killing all living beings (including mosquitoes), refrain from making eye contact with anyone, and refrain from using gestures. Apparently, after Day Three we will be asked to not move or adjust ourselves (no itching, scratching, picking split ends, wiping the sweat from our brow...)



Last thought: Yesterday we met a monk, of nine years, who mentioned that he did a Vipassana Retreat a few years ago and that he wanted to quit numerous times. What are we getting ourselves into...