Meditation for a modern world

In a bid to rid my mind of clutter and carnage I attended a 10-day silent meditation course. The course is unlike all other courses and workshops because it is practical, non denominational and free (donation only).

For 3 days we focus the mind by concentrating on our breath (anapana) then for 7 days we observe the sensations that are continuously arising within the body (vipassna).

The purpose is to attain liberation, but even if we are far from achieving Buddha status, this mediation technique brings peace, harmony and a glimpse of a happy ending.


The organisation, Dhamma Dipa, have strict house rules (no killing, no sex, no lies etc.) and enforce them to maintain the purity of the technique and the equilibrium of the students. But as they neither seek to convert nor charge anybody, it is easy to put aside any difference of opinion and get on with the business of purifying the mind.

Silence
Introductions are made on the first evening and students meet and chat. Then for the remaining 9 days, all is quiet, with the exception of the daily teaching, which is delivered with intelligence and humour.

Students have neither to make social pleasantries nor listen to the inane chatter of others, but are fed and watered, kept warm and cared for so they focus on the meditation.

The vipassna technique was taught by Gotama the Buddha 2500 years ago and, after being lost for centuries, is undergoing a revival in centres all over the world. The teacher, S N Goenka,  a Burmese business man turned meditation convert, has made it his business to re-establish vipassna in the modern world.

• The teaching refers to some of the Buddha's words (sutras), but is not Buddhism.

• The teaching makes reference to quantum physics wand the atomic, molecular structure of the body, but is not science.

• The teaching asks that students surrender preconceptions and other practices to give the technique a fair chance, but is not dogmatic.

Goenka explains and unravels some of the complexities of the mind's many stages - cognisance, perception, memory and reaction - and teaches this ancient art with a thorough grasp of our modern, material world.

Opposition to the course is strong in some people as the silence and surrendering prove to be too intense, making the experience arduous rather than liberating. But most of the people I encountered on day 10, when chattering is back on the agenda, be they school teachers, media types, scientists, accountants, parents, partners or recovering from an illness, 10 days in silent observation of breath and bodily sensations left them feeling blissed.

And for me? Finally my mind was quiet.

For more information about the Vipassna technique and worldwide courses visit the Dhamma institute.