Shivaji P.

Mandale

1st Nov. 2013

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10 days of Vipassana

I recently from 16th to 27th Oct. 2013 completed a ten day course at
Vipassana International Academy, Dhammagiri, Igatpuri and below are some of
my experiences from the course:
Before joining this course I dont know about vipassana meditation. So,
better to know the basic guidelines for all people who are interested in
attending the course:
1.

There is typically a 2-3 months waiting period. So if you want to go please

do plan in advance.

2.

Its a 10 day course and absolute silence is to be observed from 8pm on

Day 0 till 10.30am on Day 10. I spend 12 days there. Day 11 th morning 7am is
when I allowed to go to home.

3.

It is expected to attend full 10 days and is not allowed to leave in

between unless you have a very solid reason.

4.

They serve only Breakfast (6.30-7.15am), Lunch (11-11.45am) and

Evening snacks (5-5.30pm) and no dinner, not even fruits or biscuits. But
basically from Day 1, since you are not doing any physical exercise and only
meditating, I do not feel hungry. Infact by day 4, I start eating less food. Food is
superb though they serve Poha for most of the snacks. Exceptions are made for
people with medical issues. Patients which require food at night before taking
medicines etc can take their doctors prescription and will get food.

5.

If you dont eat less food, you will burp, fart etc and disturb fellow
meditators :) (you will anyways get disturbed by them)

6.

There is basic hygiene; the rooms are like hostel rooms. I was allocated a
J-33 room on Day 0 which was much better room. Some rooms are on sharing
basis and some are single. The earlier you reach the better room you get.

7.

There is separate arrangement for ladies and gents throughout the

course.

8.

Also Dr. Goenka does not conduct the course, recordings are used. Some
people thought he will be physically present.

9.

Also please quit smoking at least 10-15 days before you go. I quit
chewing tobacco on the day when I was going there and that lead to more
anxiety, but I kicked this more than 40 years old habit now and it is result of
vipassana.

10.
I am absolutely free from mobile, news papers, TV, computer and also
away from family for 10 days.
11.
Also the world can live without me for 10 days, so do not worry about
family outside.
Now some observations from my experience there:
1.

Dr. Goenka and team have an amazing experience in conducting these

courses and understand student behavior very well. They claim that 2nd, 4th
and 6th Day are the most difficult. True to that, I become very anxious and was
very bored by Day 3 and wanted to run away. I was finally able to put all
anxiety to rest on day 5. On Day 10, I found out from old and other fellow
students, that this is a fairly common tendency.

2.

The course typically feels very boring and lengthy for the first 4 days and
that is the reason for building up anxiousness.

3.

The course has a typical 10-12hr meditation schedule per day and starts
with a basic experience of observing ones own respiration. Close your eyes
and observe your respiration for 5 min and then imagine doing it for 7-8hrs (it
is not similar to pranayam). Second and third day have similar schedules. First
three days are meant for your mind to calm down and fourth day, they teach
you Vipassana which requires a quite, calm and attentive mind.

4.

Noble silence is not meant for you to do some soul searching or what is
wrong with your life. Silence helps you clear your mind and focus on the
meditation exercises. Its not a psychiatric session.

5.

Also food schedule has some health merits but largely there is a belief
that you concentrate better if your stomach is 3/4 full. Only vegetarian food is
available.

6.

You will most likely not find peace of mind or solution to lifes problems in
the first 10 days course that you do.

7.

Vipassana is a technique to observe sensations on your body and become

neutral to happy / sad sensations. This is not a technique to find answers to
your problems. Also again, its a technique which you learn in 10 days and you
need to practice in your daily life to see its merits.

8.

On day 5, Dr. S. N. Goenka in a discourse explains Vipassana and the

whole scientific reasoning behind it. That actually made my faith.

9.

The whole thing is science based and has no religious association. Its
mind blowing with what you start observing on your body. It is an observation
exercise on ones own body and everybodys experience is different. There is a
claim that this helps one to achieve peace of mind, if one practices every day.
I am treating it as a scientific experiment of natural laws. I am going to
conduct on myself and practice regularly for the next 12 months to see if it
works or not and then decide if its worth it.
I will recommend that everybody should try this once in their life. And if
you decide to go, go with a determination that you will stay there for 10 days
and give your best shot to what they are teaching. Prepare to be blown away or
get bored to death.
To register yourself for a ten-day
www.dhamma.org and choose a center near you.

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