10-Day Vipassana Meditation — Self-Purification by Self-Observation

I have returned from a 10-day vipassana meditation.

Ten days without speaking, yet surrounded by other meditators, all on the path of finding peace within. No reading, no writing, no music and no communicating with the outside world. During these ten days, it’s as if one is living the life of a monk or nun.

Vipassana is a practice of deeply observing one’s own mind to come out of old habit patterns that no longer serve; to overcome cravings and aversions that rule our days; to dissolve the ego and self-centered ways of being; to come into living in harmony and in service to others; to find real peace, real health, real happiness…

Here are a few introductory notes to the practice:

“Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is the process of self-purification by self-observation. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. With a sharpened awareness, one proceeds to observe the changing nature of the body and mind, and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness.”

“Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.”

“Dhamma is not an escape; it is an art of living, living in peace and harmony with oneself and also with others.”

Ten “mental perfections” that we work to develop through vipassana: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, tolerance, truth, strong determination, selfless love, equanimity.
This is my fourth year of immersing in vipassana and I always find deep clarity and focus on these retreats.

On Day Eight, I broke through on something I’ve been contemplating for over a decade. My path came through so clearly. Within moments I had made a vow that I will hold for my lifetime.

This vow will be a key aspect of my dedication to living in service to Earth, humanity and the plants and animals we share this home with. My aspiration is to use every ounce of my being to serve. This is the path that I am on, but still much inner work is to be done to develop into this human.

I am not yet ready to put this vow into writing. I will share publicly by the middle of this year.

As I continue to purify my mind, I overcome the many cravings that have dominated my life: sex, food, social media and mental stimulations to name a few. With each craving that I shed, I open myself to true freedom. With this true freedom I have one aspiration: to serve others in attaining freedom.
Why? Because liberated humans live in service to our fellow humans and all life we share this home with.

Although there was gain in these ten days, this was the least productive of my four sits. I came in incredibly tired from burning the candle at both ends for the last month on a speaking tour in Florida. On Day One, I found myself incredibly groggy and with minimal clarity in my mind. It took me six days to finally come out, to feel caught up on rest and come out of the fog. In those first days, I did not have a diligent practice. I slept in and I took many naps. I had a very strong blockage from getting into the observations of sensations, even once I was more rested. Clarity and focus was just not there for much of the time. With my lack of diligence, I questioned whether it was of integrity for me to be there, knowing that there is usually a waitlist of people who want to be there, many of whom would have been able to put in a stronger effort than I was.

That said, although my meditation was not strong, I observed the big picture of the practice quite closely. During my free time, I practiced mindful eating, mindful walking and mindful everything. I have found that the majority of what challenges others about vipassana has become my normal way of being. And although I know some others would have been more diligent, these ten days have been of great support in my aspiration to use my entire life in service to Earth and humanity. I have become a more whole, complete human being. Maybe only just a fraction of a percent, but a meaningful shift has taken place nonetheless.

For those interested in vipassana, I encourage you to visit the Dhamma Vipassana Meditation website to learn more.
I am grateful to my teacher, S.N. Goenka to Dhamma Patāpa Meditation Center in Jessup, Georgia and to everyone at Dhamma who provides this opportunity to practice to me and many thousands of others.
Read about my first vipassana meditation
Read about my second vipassana meditation
Listen to my talk about my third vipassana meditation