nobel chattering
on the tenth day at ten a.m., nobel silence ended. what happened afterwards is hard to describe in words, but no matter how many people take part in such a retreat, for me, every time it feels like being placed in the middle of New York City, Kathmandu downtown, bejing central, in a teacher’s conference, just NOISE and it didn’t quite stop.
I realized that after observing one’s wildest thoughts for nine days, the talks were just an amplification of the minds, hardly any conversations of depth or importantance, but just noise.
the smiles
on the other hand, there were the smiles, the reliefs, the radiant faces. glad to have finished, glad that all of this was over, happy about oneself or just a bit more at peace than before. we observed people watching ants, flowers, walking barefoot seemingly for the first time in a long time, people shaving themselves for half an hour, washing clothes, chewing their food 50 times. yes, the retreat does something with you.
where do we go from here?
one of the older students (the guy had sat 20 days and 30 days retreats) told me, you know, the next stepping stone is the daily practice. gojinka told us to maintain the practice, one has to sit everyday morning and evening for one hour. I realized that most important things in my life always come three times before I realize and adapt or drop them. so after my third retreat, I think I am ready to give it a post-retreat fair trial after giving it a fair trial during the retreat. the best part, pocafey is with me, too.
would we recommend it?
I thought about that for some time and asked my lady pocafey. she answered straight and without a moment’s hesitation. YES.
I was on the yes-side, too, since it is non-sectirian, non-religious and simply universal, applied to the laws of nature, but she put it so beautifully in words that I take her explanation.
“I want to be more aware of my reactions. Vipassana helps me to observe my reactions and thus not being reacted but to react consciously while observing myself while doing so. In the end, it just makes me happy and I can enjoy everything in a more profound way.”
May All Beings Be Happy
For more information on the courses and centers, click here. The courses are donation-based and can be supported when you are an old student, meaning you have completed a vipassana course.
