Great intro and web footage of Georgia Vipassana Center

This guy does a great, but honest, narrative about the course...

personal Vipassana retreat experiences

Someone after his first retreat....


This guy is humorous...but also has footage of the GA center that I will be attending...

if you don't have time to read about it...

...here's a short video that tells you the basics of Vipassana meditation.

zazen meditation

Thanks to Lorena and her Conscious Sanity blog for turning me on to this blog from Gwen Bell.  A great video on zazen, a Japanese meditation style.  Great introductory video on how to sit properly with tips for beginners.  The important thing to remember is...don't become discouraged!

Confirmation of application receipt & a suggestion

I'm a little late in reporting this...but on September 6th, we received confirmation from Dhamma Patapa that they had received our applications.  They also sent an email to each of us suggesting that we re-consider taking the course at the same time sense it is often difficult to follow the no-contact/no-interaction rule.  I replied, reassuring them that we had read and intent to abide by the code of conduct.

This evening a friend of mine came in and said his daughter attended the course with some friends of hers.  He said they left after 3 days, "because it was boring".  Interesting observation.  I guess I am surprised that if she read all the material on the web site before attending she would have expected anything less than "boring".  It's pretty clear to me that there is no physical movement or interaction, no exercise, no yoga, no other forms of meditation, prayer, etc.  No books, no radio, no TV, no internet, no journals.  Meditation for 10 hours 45 minutes each day.  I would expect boring, wouldn't you?

Now let me explain what I mean when I say I would "expect boring".  Boring in the sense of no entertainment or interaction.  You are meditating.  If you read about Insight Meditation (which is what they are teaching), you would understand that it is not meditation visualization to music.  It's literally trying to quiet the mind and do nothing else for 10 days.  Buddhism has never been real big on complex and long-winded explanations.  They give you something to ponder and discover for yourself what the truth is at the core of what they have presented to you.

I am very much looking forward to this (somewhat scary) challenge.  I know that I will succeed.  There is no doubt about that.  I know that it will be extremely difficult.  It is curiousity that fuels me.  I am curious about learning the traditional technique from properly trained teachers.  I am curious about finding out how long it will take before my mind will finally slow down and run out of things to say.  I am curious to see what will happen when my mind does finally quiet.

Please understand that I am not ridiculing or making light of her experience.  Her experience is just as valid as anyone else.  The only thing that I question is if she had a true understanding of what she was signing up for when she did.  If she did not, then I can fully understand why she would have been so unhappy.

I am looking forward to the challenge of overcoming physical and mental discomfort and accepting things as they are.  Forever changing, always in flux.They will come and they will go.  Nothing is permanent.

It's the mind-part I'm struggling with.  I'm working on that now in my meditations.

Namaste

Doctor Approved and Applications Submitted!

I saw my doctor yesterday and he gave me the thumbs up to attend the course. He was familiar with the course as another bipolar patient of his has attended one.  He said his other patient did well and he knows I'll do very well.

Troy finally agreed to the February 24th-March 7th, 2010 date!!  I just submitted both of our registration forms online.  We should hear something within the next two weeks.

in preparation

To prepare for the retreat, and because they are just good lifestyle changes, I've decided to make a list of things I can do to prepare.

1. No more Pepsi
2. Get up earlier in the morning, eventually getting up at 4 AM each morning
3. Sit in silence and for longer periods of time
4. Practice mindfulness in all actions and activities
5. Take daily walks

I know there are more.  I'll have to re-read the material...again...and see what else comes to mind.  I'll update this as I think of anything new.

Where?

The Southeast Vipassana Center, Dhamma Patāpa, meaning the “Majesty of Dhamma” is one of about 100 centers worldwide and the ninth center in North America offering courses in Vipassana Meditation, taught by S.N.Goenka and his Assistant Teachers in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.
Dhamma Patāpa is located in Jesup, GA which is in the South East part of Georgia in Wayne County. It is approximately 70 miles southwest of Savannah, GA 90 miles north of Jacksonville, FL and 250 miles southeast from Atlanta. It is located on a remote property with beautiful old pine trees, oaks, and other varieties of trees and vegetation. The beauty and seclusion of this property makes for an ideal meditation environment which will serve students in the Southeast for years to come.

The first Vipassana course in the Southeast area was held in Stark, FL in May of 1993 with a second course in December of 1993. From 1994 to 2007, Camp Marywood in Switzerland, FL was rented twice a year, to hold ten-day courses. Courses at rented facilities have also been held in Atlanta, GA and Chapel Hill, NC. During this time Vipassana students in this tradition always looked to a time when a permanent center could be built to offer courses throughout the year.

In 2004 the Southeast Vipassana Association was founded and a Center Search committee was subsequently formed to locate land suitable for a meditation center. Initially the search began in North and Central Florida but was later expanded into Georgia as well. After considering many sites land was purchased in Jesup, GA in December 2005. The Center is being constructed in phases, the first of which is to be completed in January 2008. The first phase will allow us to offer ten-day courses with a capacity of approximately 30 students plus staff and teachers. Throughout the calendar year 10-day courses and Children/Teenager courses will be offered. Future expansion plans will eventually bring the Center to a capacity of over 100 students.

When?

Registration for 2010 courses begins September 1st. I am waiting for Troy to give me an answer if he wishes to attend with me, and if so what date.  I have already printed out the application and have started sharpening my pencil.

I know I want to take the course in the first quarter of the year. Some time ago I had the month of March in my mind and it just "feels" right.  There are two course offerings which both fall in March -- one at the end of February, beginning of March and the next in the middle of March.

Of all the choices I have, these are the dates available:

• January 13th-24th: Can't do because of year end responsibilities at work & lack of available vacation days
• February 3rd-14th:  Same as January
• February 24th-March 7th:    This is when I *want* to go 
• March 10th-21st:  Can't do this one because my co-worker has plans during that timeframe.
• April 14th-25th:  If I can't do Feb 24th-Mar 7th, then this will be the course

Once we choose the course date, then it's more than just something I'm "going to do", but something I AM doing and I can tell you exactly when I'm doing it too!

Time?

From the Dhamma.org website:  "The following timetable for the course has been designed to maintain the continuity of practice. For best results, students are advised to follow it as closely as possible."

This will be my daily schedule for ten days.  Registration/check-in is on a Wednesday evening and the program ends two Sundays later in the morning.

As you can surmise, it is a rather demanding schedule.  I added up the time spent in meditation and it is a total of 11 hours and 45 minutes each day.  The longest sit is 2-1/2 hours.  You also have to remember.  These are meditations taken in total silence.  No music.  No guided meditations.  You are given instruction of the technique to be applied and then left to sit with it.

It's almost like meditation boot camp.

-- AM
0400....................Morning wake-up bell
0430-0630............Meditate in the hall or in your room
0630-0800............Breakfast break
0800-0900............Group meditation in the hall
0900-1100............Meditate in the hall or in your room
                                   according to the teacher's instructions
1100-NOON.......Lunch break

--  PM
1200-0100............Rest and interviews with the teacher
0100-0230............Meditate in the hall or in your room
0230-0330............Group meditation in the hall
0330-0500............Meditate in the hall or in your room
                                   according to the teacher's instructions
0500-0600............Tea break
0600-0700............Group meditation in the hall
0700-0815............Teacher's discourse in the hall
0815-0900............Group meditation in the hall
0900-0930............Question time in the hall
0930....................Retire to your room; lights out