Vipassana Insights

Dear Dr. Mike,
I have received two encouraging messages about the soon coming Vipassana course:
Your message and this one:

"At 9:18am on July 14, 2009, Observe said… Ron, I love your quote:

If you love truth, be a lover of silence.
Silence, like the sunlight will
illuminate you in God.

May you have a wonderful Vipassana course!"

They are delightful reminders of what is coming up for me starting a week from Wed. I am looking for a life-changing ten days. I am looking forward to hearing your postsilence comments.
My life is open for big changes. Who knows I may become a yogi, a meditation teacher or go back to counseling? Anyway, I have pretty much transformed my thinking about my inheritance to "Divine Inheritance".
thanx, ron



Chad replied: I like this-
Ron Alexander said:
I have pretty much transformed my thinking about my inheritance to "Divine Inheritance".

Reply by drmike 12 hours ago
Hey group,

I wanted to share probably the biggest insight to the whole thing: Anger, hatred are all forms of a poison that only the self is drinking. I personally experienced an emotional pain regarding my resentments and realize today I can just observe it, and when ready become proactive in remedying the situation in as effective manner as possible. There is an entire life to "get it done." However, the first step is that attitudinal shift that this person, place, institution, etc. is not an ENEMY. This is what Ron is describing above, as quoted by Chad.

My instructior explained to me that his philosophy, and that expoused by Goenka, is it that there is no such thing. They have a different perspective and they are allowed to have that. My thoughts, actions, and behaviors are the only thing within the realm of my control. I can go to to love (this form of meditation is taught on the the last day of the program) for help with my own difficulties. I must go to self for the problem and the solution. However, Ron, be mindful to take advantage of the instructor's "office hours" and night questions after the discourse so you get clarity to any questions that you may have.

Best,
Mike
Reply by chad steele 12 hours ago
Thanks Mike... try this on... any and all thoughts that are "object oriented" and/or linear or causal in nature are illusions of your ego and will ultimately lead to suffering. In Vipassana terms... you are reacting to your apparent reality.

Be mindful of the difference between "self" and "ego"... the self (your essence, soul, or whatever term you prefer) is infinite and has no use for identity, causality, time, or suffering... your "infinite self" only experiences the present.

I especially like Goenka's story about the stolen watch... where "my" is your clue that you're in ego, not above it.

Reply by Jeanne 9 hours ago
The first noble truth is suffering... so every time that "I", (capital "I") suffer... "I" can now observe it as growing pains... LOL

My first vipassana course was spent with a skepticism about most everything... until after day 5. I would have left before that, except I really wanted the time away from the office and co-workers ...and my husband who was also attending his first course - would have thought me a total wimp... (just like when I was the only one with native blood in attendance at a sweat lodge ceremony, other than the facilitator and the only one to bolt! My husband later said... "and I just knew it was you.)

I did not understand much of what Goenka said and it wasn't until my third course... my first serve... when talking with the other servers, that I came to understand what Goenka was saying. Whenever he said "develop"...I thought he said "double up"... so I'm trying twice as hard as I could and thinking what a slave driver he is. And when he said "apparent" reality... I thought he said abberant reality... sort of puts a different spin on it... ya think?

The teachers on my first course had one answer to every question I asked... "observe". So I stopped asking... since I knew the answer. Then on my second course, I ventured forth and asked another question... and, lo and behold... the answers that came forth from these teachers were long-winded and downright verbose. I was grateful.

Nevertheless... I had a life-changing experience from within... not from anyones words or any source outside myself. I am forever grateful to Buddha and the lineage of practitioners who kept vipassana intact, and to Goenka and to Denny - the co-worker who told me about vipassana.

For me... the biggest source of my suffering was my advocacy for children. Seeing children suffer at the hands of adults and the system caused me great anger and depression. It seemed no matter what or how much is done, the vicious cycle is never-ending. My altruistic nature was bogged down with the reality of immense suffering... and only after becoming a vipassana practitioner did I come to appreciate suffering as the bitter tool that it is. And... how dare I think I know or understand the value of another's suffering.
Now I accept suffering as a gift, but one to be shared with others... in the sense that we sit at the bedside of another... not to dissuade the suffering, but to accompany another on this mysterious journey.


Reply by Ron Alexander
I am so honored to be receiving such wisdom of experience with Vipassana meditation. I am going in with a "beginner's mind", however it is wonderful to have such words that help me lower my transitional anxiety. Most of my friends find it hard to believe that I can be silent for that long, as I love telling stories & being "right" alot. The latter is one thing I want to reduce significantly, and my goal for the course is more consciousness with corresponding increased clarity.

I have just returned from the first townhall racism dialogue (yes, we are way behind here) led by a local columnist, Isaac Bailey, who has just written about Growing up Black in the South. I learned so much that I am still digesting all of his deep insights. He reminds me of a young Martin Luther King, Jr., and that takes a lot of courage in South Carolina!
Dr. Mike I will personally answer your question tomorrow, I hope. Much gratitude, ron