This retreat was in the Vipassana tradition, which emphasizes gaining insight into the way your mind works. Vipassana has a reputation for
being one of the more intellectual Buddhist traditions, but, even so, part of the idea is to gain that insight in a way that isn’t entirely intellectual. Or, at least, in a way that is sometimes hard to describe.
... I’ll just say that it involved seeing the structure of my mind — experiencing the structure of my mind — in a new way, and in a way that had great meaning for me. And, happily, this experience was accompanied by a stunningly powerful blast of bliss. All told, I don’t think I’ve ever had a more dramatic moment.
More on expanding your mind here.
1 comment:
i've studied what is called mindfulness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness) for the past year, reading books by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh. i've found this meditation practice to be incredibly beneficial in all areas of life... and the practice of it can be as simple or complex as you choose. simple practices can involve 5 minute exercises used to center the brain into a mindful state. stepping outside of work for 5 minutes to do something like this does WONDERS for not only your mental state, but also your performance at your job (or whatever task is at hand). i recommend this highly, as it is much more straight forward than other meditation techniques i have tried...
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