The Soul Room

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new adventure – I’m off on a 10 day Vipassana Meditation Retreat in the beautiful Blue Mountains. The schedule certainly looks more than a little daunting!  But that’s the whole idea – to challenge myself, strengthen and purify my mind, and connect with the bliss that exists just beyond this dream reality we exist in…

Read about my Vipassana Experience…

“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. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. With a sharpened awareness one proceeds to observe the changing nature of body and mind and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by direct experience is the process of purification. The entire path (Dhamma) is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any organized religion or sectarianism. For this reason, it can be freely practiced by everyone, at any time, in any place, without conflict due to race, community or religion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all.

Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.”

Though referenced back to the time of Buddha, Vipassana is essentially a non-sectarian technique so all human beings, no matter what religion or background, can benefit from it.  It is not based on a particular philosophy or religion as it’s emphasis is on the  ’observation of the self.’

Everyone attending the retreat must observe Noble Silence for the whole 10 days.  Noble Silence ultimately means silence of body, speech, and mind.  No form of communication with fellow students is allowed – whether by gestures, sign language, written notes, etc.

For 10 days I am to ’sit with myself.”

Anyone interested in doing a Vipassana Retreat can find more details here – Worldwide Vipassana Meditation Retreats

The courses are offered FREE of charge and include instruction, food and accommodation.  All expenses are met by donations from others who have completed a course and wish to give others the opportunity to also benefit from Vipassana.  A donation of some sort, whatever you can afford, is greatly appreciated so the courses may continue to be offered free of charge to others.

This is the timetable…

Read about my Vipassana Experience…