Road to Vipassana

Contributor: Ajay Sharma

I looked upon the sky while walking towards the Vipassana centre in Ladakh, it was dark with a small crescent moon in one corner, beautiful as always and I told myself that it would be a full moon on the tenth day when I leave. It had been a treacherous but exciting journey of 32 hours from home to Leh on a state bus service. The moment I arrived at the centre (later than the scheduled time) I was sent to the hall with fellow sadhaks to begin the noble silence. For me It was like you are sent to an asylum of silence directly from a never ending booze party.

Later in the night I was allotted a bed in a dome to be shared with three other mates an Israeli, an American and a Portuguese (which I only found out on the tenth day and during these days I used to guess which place on earth my roomies belong to - a good time pass)

"Phir shuru kar do Phir shuru kar do"

The first two days were real torcher as I had pains all over the body and I felt like running on the second day but at the evening video discourse of Goenka ji, I made up my mind that I would definitely stay back. In the initial days, recent memories kept flashing in my mind- the people I met during the journey, the conversations I had and many more and suddenly it clicked that 'Ohh you have to observe your breath'. I used to feel very hungry during evening hours as there was no dinner during the course which I didn't know earlier, but it didn't bother much after a couple of days.

'Saadhu Saadhu Saadhu'

We use to get 5 minutes break after each session and I would straightaway go and lie down on the bed to straighten up during those precious minutes. I use to copy the exercises which my roomies use to do and I started brushing my teeth every time after the meal just like they did. Of course, one of my fellow mates broomed the room and the other one cleaned the toilet as I did (cross learning). In all these acts, there was a high level of cooperation without any communication which was magical in itself. I use to wish them good night silently.

'Bhogat Bhogat Bhogte, gaanthe bandhti jaaye

Dekhat Dekhat Dhekte, gaanthe khulti jaaye'

The technique of Vipassana began on the fourth day where in the coming days you have to practice Adhishthan (strong determination to sit for an hour without opening your eyes, legs and hands). I could manage for forty minutes and then every minute would seem like an hour, I used to wonder that the teacher is high on gaanja and he has forgot that this one hour is long gone. I used to desperately wait for the evening discourse by Goenka ji where he would nail everything that was going in the mind at that point of time. Its like you find someone who understands you as you want to be understood.

'Sabka Mangal Sabka Mangal Sabka Mangal hoye re'

It is very difficult to express what I felt during these days inside as it is something to be witnessed by your own self and it might be different for others. But yes many things occupied my mind which never did before. I regretted, smiled, laughed, felt like crying at different moments in this place rich with all the beauties, I would lie down on the sand and watch distant mountains and clouds. The harsh wind and hard sun takes away everything from the soil and yet it preserves some nutrients for a little flower to blossom and I would make stone embankments around these tiny flowers, one stone over the other and feel happy.

I came to believe that more difficult the journey, the greater the depth of purification. The moonlight is slowly getting displaced by the morning sun and I am on my way back home.

With deep affection

'Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam'

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Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art of Living. Vipassana is offered as a ten-day course to learn the basics of the technique and witness some of the outcomes at over 280 places across the world. Know more: www.dhamma.org