My journey to blogging to fame

seeta

2012-01-08T00:15:00.001-08:00

How could a bai be so quiet”, she was so accurate in her work
that one could hardly find any faults. She had perfect entry and
exit timings and her work completed on the stroke. And I kept
on wondering “how could a bai be so….”....read at

2011-01-10T01:42:00.000-08:00

http://aadishakti.blogspot.com

The pain body by... Eckhart Tolle

2011-01-10T01:10:00.000-08:00

This accumulated pain is a negative energy field that occupies your body and mind. If you look on it as an invisible entity in its own right, you are getting quite close to the truth. It's the emotional pain body. It has two modes of being: dormant and active....
....The pain body wants to survive, just like every other entity in existence, and it can only survive if it gets you to unconsciously identify with it. It can then rise up, take you over, "become you," and live through you. It needs to get its "food" through you. It will feed on any experience that resonates with its own kind of energy, anything that creates further pain in whatever form: anger, destructiveness, hatred, grief, emotional drama, violence, and even illness.
So the pain body, when it has taken you over, will create a situation in your life that reflects back its own energy frequency for it to feed on. Pain can only feed on pain. Pain cannot feed on joy. It finds it quite indigestible.
Once the pain body has taken you over, you want more pain. You become a victim or a perpetrator. You want to inflict pain, or you want to suffer pain, or both. There isn't really much difference between the two. You are not conscious of this, of course, and will vehemently claim that you do not want pain. But look closely and you will that your thinking and behavior are designed to keep the pain going, for yourself and others.
If you were truly conscious of it, the pattern would dissolve, for to want more pain is insanity, and nobody is consciously insane.
The pain body, which is the dark shadow cast by the ego, is actually afraid of the light of your consciousness. It is afraid of being found out. Its survival depends on your unconscious identification with it, as well as on your unconscious fear of facing the the pain that lives in you. But if you don't face it, if you don't bring the light of your consciousness into the pain, you will be forced to relive it again and again. The pain body may seem to you like a dangerous monster that you cannot bear to look at, but I assure you that it is an insubstantial phantom that cannot prevail against the power of your presence.
.....So the pain body doesn't want you to observe it directly and see it for what it is. The moment you observe, feel its energy field within you, and take your attention into it, the identification is broken. A higher dimension of consciousness has come in. I call it presence.
You are now the witness or the watcher of the pain body. This means that it cannot use you anymore by pretending to be you, and it can no longer replenish itself through you. You have found your own inner strength. You have accessed the power of Now.
Unconsciousness creates it; consciousness transmutes it into itself.....
.... The pin body consists of trapped life-energy that has split off from your total energy field and has temporarily become autonomous through the unnatural process of mind identification. It has turned in on itself and become anti-life, like an animal trying to devour its own tail. Why do you think our civilization has become so life-destructive?
But even the life-destructive forces are still life-energy.
.....Let me summarize the process. Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain body. Accept that it is there. Don't think about it - don't let the feeling turn into thinking. Don't judge or analyze. Don't make an identity for yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you. become aware not only of the emotional pain but also od "the one who observes," teh silent watcher.
This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence. Then see what happens.
.....For many women, the pain body awakens particularly at the time preceding the menstrual flow....If you are able to stay alert and present at that time and watch whatever you feel within, rather then be taken over by it, it affords an opportunity for the most powerful spiritual practice, and a rapid transmutation of all past pain becomes possible.
From: Companion Tape to The Power of Now
The following is a transcript of a section from Eckhart Tolle's tape, Companion to The Power of Now. It needs to be heard, but for those that don't have the tape, a second hand transcript is better then none. Eckhart is talking about the pain body - a kind of energetic entity that takes possession of the human body,and uses it to generate more pain.
Eckhart Tolle:
.....It goes deeper then that and we are not running away from the fact that in you there lives a field of residue of past Human pain.
On a personal level, pain from childhood that leaves residues, Energetic residues….different things painful things have happened to you in your childhood and of course far beyond that in time. But lets just talk from the level of your present existence in this form.
The pain that is carried over from your childhood and beyond and leaves residues …doesn't’t go away completely, it leaves residues of pain, Energy fields, everything is Energy. And then those Energy Fields get together, because they feel, they vibrate at the same frequency. So emotional pain gathers into one mass of pain, contracted Energy, that is not flowing freely. An Energy of (ET make a sound ahhhh, ahhhhh) that I call the “Painbody” that humans carry inside. An Energy Field of Pain.
And if you don’t recognize that, no matter how much Spiritual Practice you do and even what we are doing here if you do not see, if you do not recognize how the Painbody operates, it will trick every time and you will lose consciousness through it.
First we realize “there is an Energy Field of pain in me”, that may manifest either as turbulence, anger, heaviness, depression, tightness, fear …whatever way it manifests its not pleasant its painful its past pain but very much alive still.
You carry it inside. But you are not always conscious of it and I talk about it briefly in one Chapter of the book, so we go a little bit more deeply now, and now that the added Energy of Presence that we take into the Painbody.
The Painbody is sometimes dormant and sometimes active. It becomes active when you suddenly feel it very strongly, when it needs to feed on further experience of pain. As it always has to do regularly like, it’s a little entity almost, it needs Feeding, temporarily on the experience of further pain, and you will know this has happened when a relatively insignificant trigger produces an Incredible out burst, reaction of Pain. A minor thing goes wrong or somebody say something, or your partner says something or does something and there is suddenly a deep or even a thought come in, and suddenly it serves as a trigger for an immense, the arising of deep emotional pain.
At that moment the Painbody this Energy Field has come up out of its dormant state, it is ready to feed on more Pain. It produce ..first ..in two ways …I haven’t put it that clearly in the First Book I will explain it in the next Book…(Laughter) …there are two ways in which it feeds…because that is all it can feed on ..Painbody consists of that energy of pain its needs (ET says) “please where can I get more Pain”.
It feed on your thoughts, when its ready to rise up, it will control your thinking, it rises into the mind and your mind …which is your thought activity …because with the Pain Body every thought you think is destructive and painful.
And the Pain Body loves it!!! It gobbles up the Energy of every thought that you think every destructive and deeply negative thought, it eats it up, so to speak, (ET makes chomping sounds while all laugh) And it’s having a Good Time! It’s feeding and, at that moment, one way of putting it is, one could say “the addictive quality of Human Pain". Addictive because it loves it’s pain.
When the Painbody has taken you over and has succeeded in pretending that that’s 'Who you are', all your thinking is completely aligned with it. And it’s feeding on it. At that very moment the last thing you want is to be free of pain. At that moment pain IS what you want because at that moment, You are the Painbody.
And if I came into your life at that moment and gave you this message, “that Life free from Pain IS possible” You would hit me over the Head!!! (Laughter). Because the Painbody would be there and I would be talking to the Painbody and the Painbody would be talking back at me. So the pain body needs to come in periodically and we all have experienced it with partners……………………….now the pain body will use you thinking, it will feed on you negative and destructive thinking.
How long the feeding time lasts of any particular pain body varies greatly from person to person, I could be a brief one, it could be an hour or two; some pain bodies have a feeding time of several weeks, even months. That is the extreme and in very extreme cases there are some pain bodies that have virtually no dormant stage that are continuously feeding and active. But that’s more rare but………….you sometimes meet people and the pain body is looking at you through their eyes and they are waiting for an excuse to have more…they want you to give them a painful reaction. They want you to be angry with them; they want you to attack them. That’s people totally possessed by the painbody.
So Level One: the pain body feed on your thinking.
Level Two: The pain body feeds on the feed back of the emotional pain from other people
So it might not only use your own thinking it might even predominately use somebody else’s reactions.,,……….
So the Painbody feeding on thinking, Painbody feeding on others reactions. Now I mentioned last night the “unhappy me” a mind pattern that people are identified with an unhappy sense of self. This mind pattern, when the pain is active it becomes amplified, the Energy of the Unhappy me when the Painbody moves into that mind pattern that already is telling you “your life has not been good enough” and so on and you may not make it, “life has passed me by”, and so on.
Now the Painbody moves into that mind pattern and its Energy gets amplified, 10 times, 20 times, 50 times, 100 times in other words the “unhappy me”; the Painbody arises, it flows into that mind structure, the emotion flows into that mind structure, the Unhappy sense of me becomes dreadfully Unhappy and Loves it’s Unhappiness because that’s what it consists of.
…Now it is not a foreign body, which lives in you. There is nothing that is not Life Energy.
Even your pain body is life Energy except it is not flowing freely …it’s got stuck somewhere.
And when Energy gets stuck and cannot low freely pain arise like a river. If a river cannot flow the water accumulates and pressure accumulates. But really it's beautiful Life Energy.
The water is still beautiful there is pressure accumulating, inside …that’s what the pain body is. Now, as we bright Presence, this consciousness in to the Painbody, it can no longer fool you into completely identifying with it.
The presence, as the pain arises, from now on, and many of you are already practicing that. The Pain body comes up and at that moment you will recognize it as the Painbody. That is the Beginning of Freedom from it. The recognition, when it comes, slight trigger, provocation, even a thought, deep Pain arises, in whatever form, in some people it is a very active pain, active aggressive pain, in other persons it is a Passive form of Pain, “poor little me” victim pain, does not matter which, pain bodies have different qualities in different people.
It maybe turbulence or tightness or constriction, it does not matter what it is. As it arises you will know there is a witnessing presence ..and you watch..
Oh where's the pain body an you feel the energy field of it. In your body. You can feel it in the solar plexus or stomach area, as a dreadful sense of Ohhhhh, heaviness.
Some people perceives it as a big hole, a gapping hole inside.
Or it maybe intense anger.
But whatever it is you watch it, this is why it is so helpful, you sitting here witnessing, is witnessing Presence which is part of this new state of consciousness. It gets so much strengthened by sitting in this Energy Field.
So the Watcher will be there watching the pain so the pain can not use your mind anymore it can not feed on your thinking because you are watching it directly it cannot creep into your mind and then become an “unhappy me”.
So all that’s left of the pain is an Energy Field of heavy feeling of turbulence or heaviness. But the pain has not become an “unhappy me” a sense of self, of who you are. That’s the beginning of the end of the pain. But our practice is allowing “what is” to be. And that also applies as long as the Painbody it there in you allowing the Pain that is there in you Also to be. That is a very powerful practice.
So I am not saying, we are not fighting the pain we are not even trying to get rid of it. You bring the consciousness, which is a very compassionate state of allowing “what is”. It is a very powerful state it implies you are Present. As the one who is able to allow.
You are the one who is able to allow the pain to be. You know you are not creating this pain at this moment because you are practicing accepting “what is”. So it is not pain you are creating, it is old pain. You bring the “acceptance” to the old pain.

Money again

2010-07-19T02:10:00.000-07:00

There once lived a great mathematician in a village outside Ujjain . He was often called by the local king to advice on matters related to the economy. His reputation had spread as far as Taxila in the North and Kanchi in the South. So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him, "You may be a great mathematician who advises the king on economic matters but your son does not know the value of gold or silver."

The mathematician called his son and asked, "What is more valuable - gold or silver?" "Gold," said the son. "That is correct. Why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you, claims you do not know the value of gold or silver? He teases me every day. He mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son. This hurts me. I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable, gold or silver. Explain this to me, son."

So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression. "Every day on my way to school, the village headman calls me to his house. There, in front of all village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and a gold coin in other. He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin. He laughs, the elders jeer, everyone makes fun of me. And then I go to school. This happens every day. That is why they tell you I do not know the value of gold or silver."

The father was confused. His son knew the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin. "Why don't you pick up the gold coin?" he asked. In response, the son took the father to his room and showed him a box. In the box were at least a hundred silver coins. Turning to his father, the mathematician's son said, "The day I pick up the gold coin the game will stop. They will stop having fun and I will stop making money."

The bottom line is :

Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers, and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.

Ha..some joke hey

2010-07-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is an experience of life by one maddy and one saddy.
Both this characters are fictitious
Moreover, for god sake nobody has a copyright and puts a claim on this name because I will have to change the name to moony and loony or then Marcy and Neptuny because I know there will not be anybody from there to claim these names for the next many years …. Can one guarantee…
Oopps what has happened, the imagination is going berserk.
Ha, so this saddy was always sad and maddy was always mad.
Once they went to the market while walking on the road, they found a Re1 coin, maddy immediately picked it up saddy told him not to…
But maddy said, “Let’s give it to a beggar”
They roamed for one and found one at the traffic signal. .maddy offered him that Rs one coin with great pride, the beggar glared at the coin threw it back to his face and informed him that there were instructions to take alms of Rss10/-- and above. Now maddy did not know what to do, they went to a temple but the donation box was over flowing so the priest said” some other time”.
They went to a pond and saddy slowly dropped the coin into the water. An urchin who was swimming in the pond happened to find it and promptly returned it to maddy.Now maddy was actually getting mad, but saddy had a solution he went to a grocers purchased two chocolates gave one to maddy and very gravely said “see maddy I told you next time don’t pick any coins “. He further added very grimly, “thank god it is only Re 1/--. If it would be re 500/- imagine the number of chocolates we would have to eat.
Ha Ha ha ….. another..bed time story
Now imagine if that really was a Rs 10000/- note….

Can any one

2010-07-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Can any one , throw me,

into the pits of darkness.

Can anyone insult me,

like as if i did not exist.

Can anyone throw at me,

those spiteful glances.

Can anyone, but ignore me,

and leave me in the wilderness.

Can anyone just pass by,

and leave me wandering.

wondering, in the wilderness,

the answers to unquestioned entity

of my belonging to a world ,

which is my own.

a small one though.

but where I refuse to be cowed down..

by the pettiness of thoughts of human-being.

small it may be though.

but it is mine and

I refuse to get insulted,

so come what may ,

I stand here head raised high above these petty things.\

by....Kiran (2006)

2010-06-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

OXIS is developing and plans to sell Nutraceutical and Cosmecuetical products featuring natural ingredients believed to have beneficial effects on human health. OXIS’ first products will include L-Ergothioneine (ERGO) as a key component. ERGO is a very powerful, multifaceted antioxidant. The remarkable properties of ERGO are described in detail in the Ergothioneine section of this website. OXIS has patented the synthesis process for L-Ergothioneine and has outsourced product manufacturing to a company that can provide ERGO in commercial and GMP produced quantities to meet our product needs.

OXIS’ consumer products strategy addresses very important health concerns including aging and age-related disorders that are increasing with trends in US demographics. These concerns include:

Brain health
Immunity against diseases
Anti-aging/skin health
Inflammation
Detoxification
Blood sugar regulation
It seems that the company is planning two product launches for summer 2010

“Ergo-Pur™” - ERGO-Pur is a pure form of our highly potent multifaceted antioxidant which we anticipate will be used in some cases in concert with:
“Ergo-Plex™” – ERGO-Plex is a combination of ERGO plus other functional nutraceutical ingredients directed at Joint Health.
Other products are being evaluated and include a line of skin care products. In addition the company it is reported will develop other nutraceuticals and functional foods such as nutrition bars, energy beverages and single serve shots that lend themselves to traditional retail distribution

2010-06-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

2010-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Woman of India

The news was glaring me in the face.Soma xyz party activists assault JJ professor, blacken face.......
J.J. school of arts is a fine arts college situated near the CST station of Mumbai. This high profile newspaper had reported that this professor, as alleged by the students attacking him, misused his position as a teacher. He would often ask the woman students out so also if they refused he threatened to fail them.

This is a bad piece of news; if educated people in a very significant position as a college professor do this to students who are in a vulnerable position, then what should we think would be the state of teachers and students in far of remote villages, where it takes days to travel to nearest police stations.
This college is about five minutes walking distance from the police commissioner’s office. Why the woman students who blackened the faces of this professor did not take him to this police station and file a complaint?.

This act itself raises quite a few questions in the mind.
Did this student not have faith on the police personnel?
Did they think that they could take the law in their hands and get away with it?
One fully supports the cause of the public ire .the pain and insult to a woman when such an incidence happens is beyond any justification.
Then here one feels that the judgment is passed before hearing of the case.
Then also, there is an inclination that in such very hysterical rallies each member has her own earlier annoyance regarding the opposite party due to previous injustices. Then all that pent up anger is meted out at one single party.
Lastly, what if the professor is not so guilty. Was misunderstood giving out vibes like any other similar 33-year-old person (which presumably may not be the case in this incidence).

Whatever, all sympathies and understanding to all fellow woman,cause... One knows how a woman suffers when passes are made at her. How a man stares her down to the last tip and she has no proof to show this self-indignation. How people just hit on her and then grin and say “sorry”. How rude and insulting sexual remarks are made about her and that too behind her back and it is laughed at as silly jokes.
.
That 33-year-old professor whose face has been blackened and clothes are torn is a symbolic representative of all this suffering of a woman.
Such is life can’t help it…...happy blogging

Incidentally, a little humour has been added to this entire episode, the paper publishing this news has also submitted 5 pictures. How the professor was brought out his clothes torn, his face blackened . If only other reporters take, a lesson or two we would also have pictures of a murder being committed in a slow motion reel splashed across the paper. How funny isn’t it?..
also visit the other blog:
1) all about life and its values

2)there is a beautiful place called konkan in india read...
3)money money money

2010-04-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

shivyog

Adavait and this world

2009-12-30T11:15:00.001-08:00

This is some interesting article I have read to which with due credit I report here it was written at "http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.html
because it was so interesting and the author wants the info to be shared I put forth quote"Mayan End Age 12-21-2012
1085 days, 23 hrs, 46 mins, 15 secs left for Age of Transition to begin!
"The Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear." - Joseph Robert Jochmans

Map of Mayan Civilization centres
Cusp Of Great Cycle

We are living today in the cusp of the Mayan end times, the end of a galactic day or time period spanning thousands of years. One galactic day of 25,625 years is divided into five cycles of 5,125 years.

The Great Cycle of the Mayan Long Count calendar ends on the winter solstice of 2012 A.D. Following Mayan concepts of cyclic time and World Age transitions, this is as much about beginnings as endings. In fact, it was considered by the ancient Mayans to signify the creation of a new World Age. We are almost at the end of the fifth and final 5,125 year cycle!for morre details read ...www.december212012.com/articles/mayan/7.shtml"

Adavait Professional Services.

2009-08-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Adavait Professional Services.: "Services:CONSULTATION (free)LIC.MANPOWERPROPERTYTRAININGMY VIDEO TALKS."

Prevention far better than cure.

2009-08-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

There is news of widespread of swineflu specifically in cosmopolitans of mumbai, pune, nasic, thane etc.
Every day for the last 15 days we hear news on this topic and reports of around 14 people dead with sufferings of swine flu are shown.
Now may be in the larger prespective Govt may not call this an epidemic but all those who have lost their lives have lost.
May The almighty bestow peace on these souls. Now I am forwarding a few imp aspects of this fever so that some knowledge spreads around , This information has been compiled through info on the net and I hope before taking any decision based on this article it should be verified with a doctor and medical practicioner.ree
Prevention is far better than cure.
This Virus spreads mainly through coughing or sneezing and people touching with hands those are already infuenced with this virus.In short it spreads through the mouth and nose.The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.It can be said or there is no proof read by me that it spreads through the food particles.
Samples collected in the first five days display the virus prominently but children may suffer for 8 to 10days.
Washing of hands with soap and water, disinfecting the surrounding, covering the nose and mouth whenever somebody sneezes around and ofcourse it is the duty of such a patient to sneeze with a nose and mouth covering At present avoid large gathering, and see that as soon as one suffers any symptoms of flu that the local physician is consulted.
(This info has been gathered from various sites in good faith to enlighten all on this topic).

visit to the zoo

2009-07-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

I visit this zoo,
once a lifetime,
I mistake it as my home.
I decorate it with
all the expensive things to find,
that I leave it all for the hevenly abode .
To come back once more...
once a life time. ...krr

2008-03-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

2008-03-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

what am I upto.

No I am not up to anything. Cause I know whatever one does for this situation it is not enough. All this hurts, some feel guilty, some simply do not want to face this dreadful reality,some are angry. All this happens, I mean the reaction because we all have a very sensitive mind. But what about those peopl who in a way create such situation. definitely such situation are also created by different means like WAR, RIOTS, HOARDING MORE THAN WHAT IS NECESSARY.AND FANATICS CREATING TERROR IN THE NAME OF RELIGION, LAND, CASTE ETC ETC.

iS THIS NOT A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT.?

dumb-founded

2008-02-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

2008-01-07T04:26:00.000-08:00

yeah gals and boys, there is another esteemed recognition from a well-known blogger. It is a privilage indeed and here I put the message Mauro C. said...
Hi there... I gave one Inspiring Great Blog Award 2007 in 1 Million Love Messages :)

You can grab it here: http://www.1millionlovemessages.com/2007/12/inspiring-great-blog-award-2007.html

Have a Happy 2008

December 30, 2007 3:36 PM

adavait said...
thankyou so much for that award, I am happy to grab it. wish you A HAPPY 2008

December 31, 2007 10:00 PM

2007-12-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

This was sent to me by email, from one of the seminar member. isnt it thought-provoking.
IF ONLY ONE KNEW WHAT WAS THING WHICH WOULD MAKE ONE HAPPY AND CONTENDED FOR LIFE...LA..PEACE
(There were a few gaps in the regularity of my posts . The festival season. the school, holidays, some urgent professional work to be completed.hence forth it will all be on time.)

can anybody..

2007-11-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

can any one , throw me,

into the pits of darkness.

can anyone insult me,

like as if i did not exist.

can anyone throw at me,

those spitefull glances.

can anyone, but ignore me,

and leave me in the wilderness.

can anyone just pass by,

and leave me wandering.

wondering in the wilderness,

the answers to unquestioned entity

of my belonging to a world ,

which is my own.

a small one though.

but where I refuse to be cowed down..

by the pettiness of my being.

small it may be though.

but it is mine and

I refuse to get insulted,

so come what may ,

I stand here head raised high above these petty things.

some experiences-vipassana

2007-10-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

These are some photographs taken from the site of 'dhamma-org'.
this is the meditation hall

Day-3
the area surrounded was sort of a jungle.Lonely and not frequently visited by human beings. As it was the 'total mauna'(no talking ) added to the silience.On the second mid-night I suddenly woke up and the first thought that entered my mind was 'what if a snake comes' then I was restless and awake for another hour or two. As I had to wake up early next morning I tried to get that bit of a sleep.Next day at dawn I left the cottage at 4.25 am to attend the morning session of 'meditation.On the way lo! behold! right in front of me passed an animal, I was just jerked out of my sleep, my wits...whatever but suddenly from somewhere I got the courage to stop an have a quick look at the animal, it was a big 'mongoose' to me that was the moment of partial realisation.I remembered the night before...the night when I worried TO DEATH about snakes... I realised now ...for every snake there is a mongoose created by nature... I need not take the weapon in my hand... I am only the seer... the action just goes on...I AM 'NOBODY'...
THERE IS SOME TIME LAG IN UPDATING MY BLOGS .....had been and I am busy with some personal things but very soon there will be a timetable to my whole blogging system till then see (write) to you soon.

vipassana reaching destination

2007-10-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is in continuation to my earlier posts on’Vipassana’.
My journey ended at around 12.30pm. Coincidently there were hundreds odd other students in search of spirituality. At the gate, it self there were two help and welcome desks. One for ‘men’ and the other for ‘women’. I remember very well. It so happened in an absent state of mind I reached the welcome / inquiry desk for men, inquired about my registration, and was pointed out at the woman counter. Suddenly I became aware of my unawareness to simple fact like reading boards and pointers regarding destinations. In the hustle and bustle of daily routines and deadlines, one tends to forget these small but important things and facts.
From there on for the next three days, I faced many facts which otherwise were taken for granted. Upon reaching the woman counter, we were asked to first go and have lunch as the lunch counter closed at one p.m. no food or eatables were served until five-p.m.The food was wholesome fresh and Indian vegetarian food. After lunch, we were allotted our individual cottages. These cottages generally consists of single rooms self contained and/ or twin sharing with a single bath and commode (w.c.). I was allotted the latter. As the entire area is a vast area with a spread of quite a distance.

The place of the cottage and the welcome/help desk was about a ten minutes walk. Here again I faced the fact that I was not accustomed to carry bags and baggage. I felt a bit helpless and remembered home while carrying these bags to my individual residential area.
There were approximately hundred and odd students arrived of which approx twenty-five woman were foreigners mainly from Europe, u.s.a. Iran,u.k. Nigeria, Canada. Etc.
Another fact I faced in those days in context to this learning was, foreigners specifically from the western countries have a great thirst to research and learn new things and once they set out on this quest they have an attitude of learning, involvement and the humbleness to try out new projects without any ego hassles. The entire lot cooperated hundred percent.

Here I will be explaining to some extend what is ‘vipassana’. Moreover, what exactly is taught here? To explain it in the exact words by the authorized official site dhamma.org. It is very rightly mentioned, “Vipassana meditation is the essence of what the Buddha practiced and taught. It is a simple, practical way to achieve real peace of mind and to lead a happy useful life.
Vipassana means 'to see things as they really are' it is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation. Vipassana does not encourage people to withdraw from society; rather it strengthens them to face all the ups and downs of life in a calm and balanced way.
To learn Vipassana, there are three steps to the training.
First, students practice Sila - abstaining from actions, which cause harm. They undertake five moral precepts, practicing abstention from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and the use of intoxicants. The observation of these precepts allows the mind to calm down sufficiently to proceed further.

Second, for the first three and a half days, students practice Anapana meditation, focusing attention on the breath. This practice - Samadhi - helps to develop concentration and control over the unruly mind.

These first two steps - of living a wholesome life and developing control of the mind - are necessary and very beneficial. But they are incomplete unless the third step is taken: purifying the mind of underlying negativities.
The third step undertaken for the last six and a half days is the practice of Vipassana: one penetrates one's entire physical and mental structure with the clarity of insight”.

Personally having undergone many personal experiences was a real revelation. The first day the moment I reached the cottage, I was happy to note that I was the first to reach. Now I could claim the best part of the room to myself and did the same. After having freshened up. I rested for a while, after about fifteen minutes my roommate arrived, she was from pune and professed the Jain religion. We hardly got a few moments to exchange personal notes then the gong struck to inform us that we were supposed to gather at the meditation hall for instructions and further daily timetable.
The timetable was as follows:
1) Be at the meditation hall at 4.30am.
2) 4.30 a.m.--6.30 a.m. ----meditation.
3)7.00 a.m.--8.30 a.m. -----breakfast. Bathing and other morning rituals.
4)9.00 a.m. ---11.00 a.m. ---- one hour meditation and a question answer session in the next hour.
5)12.00p.m. ---2.00p.m ----lunch and rest.
6)2.30p.m.------ 4.30 -----meditation.
7)5.00 p.m.--6.00 p.m. ----evening tea/fruits/dinner this was the last grub served.
8)7.00 p.m. ----9.00 p.m. meditation and discourse by shri goenka-guruji.
9) Retire to bed.

We participants were not supposed to talk. No exchange of glances least we exchange some thought. Practicing abstention from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and the use of intoxicants.

All this while I was in a group there on we had to observe the above code of conduct. Personally I wont call it ‘restriction’. All this was a path well chosen by each individual to be contd….

interval

2007-09-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

this is like an interval in the continuation of my regular blog on "vipassana" and my experience.
here these are a few inspiring words. to be precise this was a card sent by one of my in- law to wish me on my birthday.
i am finding it difficult to load the entire mail here but i will just post a part of it in "word" so here are those beautiful words.
When did fear go away . . .
. . . and passion replace it?

When did the boundaries disappear . . .
. . . and horizons look near?

When did the world matter less . . .
. . . and your inner voice more?

When exactly did you begin to believe . . .
. . . there is no one you would rather be than you . . .

I was overwhelmed to read those words and wondered "do i really deserve this....I dont know.
but this much I know "I would like myself to be thus. oh ! ALMIGHTY DO HELP ME ...AMEN"

vipassana leaving home

2007-09-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

My journey to Igatpuri.

Igatpuri is a small town in Maharashtra on the central line of the railway.It was very clear; I would undertake the journeyall alone. At that moment of time if I think back I was a bit apprehensive of the whole affair, a little too much emotional,
I was leaving the “house” for ten whole days.

Here one has to be an Indian woman who has always lived a protected life. It is a peculiarity of an Indian woman, however much she may be educated, learned, financially independent but nearly 90% of them will always prefer a protected life
under the wings of either her parents or in-laws or husband.I have seen a number of woman very good administrators, officers,taskmasters at the office but the moment they come home, all thatis secondary. Here at home the primary role will be of a wife
or a mother. She enjoys it….

Hubby dear said “no doing “he would at least come to leave me at the railway. So there I was all bag and baggage ready for a ten-day session at the “vipassana” centre of Igatpuri.

I would like to make it very clear that this course primarily requires the following code of behaviors:
1) ten days in house training.
2) Abstain from eating non-vegetarian. Food, which includes killing
of any animal of any form including eggs.
3) No sexual activity or thought indulgence.
4) No intoxicants of any kind e.g. drugs, drinks, ciggarates etc.
5) No talking for ten days including self-talk.
In short, all type of moral behaviors that will help the mind to
remain focused and calm...
One observes here that whatever is mentioned above is required to keep the mind less indulgent in day-to-day activities.

Anyways in the train, I experienced a tremendous turmoil and agitation in the mind. I could focus on my mind and thought and I still remember... For the first half and hour the turmoil of emotions was “how could people at home just leave me “why did
they not stop me" these people included my mother sister brother and other close blood relations also, besides my daughter and her father.

I nearly was in tears because it was very difficult as well as hard hitting. I was facing some kind of reality in life.As if until today, I was living in a false world of relations and kindness. I believed that I was wanted and this was my world and
the picture would be incomplete without my presence.In the worst of dreams, I had never imagined leaving the house, all alone.

I was petrified and alarmed to experience this reality.I reached igatpuri around 11.00am, another forty-five minutes of car drive and would reach the venue.
Just as I came out of the station another woman around thirty-five years of age inquired where I was heading.“Vipassana centre “I replied.she too was going to the same place she said.We both decided to share the car, her husband also joined us later.He had gone to purchase food for his wife.The woman told me that as there was fixed timings for lunch we would be missing ours.

I had not brought any food along and refused any help from her husband as he offered to go and purchase some for me.
“No” I replied, “I am not hungry” ….
To be contd …

vipassana

2007-09-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

In the month of February 2007 I attended a
Ten-day course on “Vipasana” at Igatpuri,
This is a small town in Maharashtra on the central railway line. It is about four hours train journey from Mumbai city.
Shri Goenkaji or “Guruji” is the main founder of these courses, which vary from one-day upto ten, forty five and even ninety days course.

One needs to enroll well in advance for this course and confirm the seat. Had heard a lot of it thro my friend and my sister, one was expected to stay at the centre for ten days with completely breaking off ones connection with the outside world. No mobiles no computers, no telephones and no talking.

Yes! YOU HAVE READ IT RIGHT, NO TALKING!
OMG I said to myself,
“How can one stop talking completely and that too for ten whole days”?
Then I decided to give it a go. I enrolled my seat and got a confirmation email,
Until then things were quite cool, I would be leaving home on my own. Leaving back my daughter and husband, it was sort of a first time high. I was thrilled. In my heart of heart, I thought that see now these people will miss me.
So wicked of me, the day I received a confirmation I just declared very bluntly at dinner that this is my programmer and I will be leaving on the ninth and returning on 19 Feb.

“Oh mumma! I have my exams then.”…my eleven year old daughter.
“You will have to manage it with your babas (her father) help, I replied.
“Do you really need to go? Her father inquired.
Yes, I said.
Can’t you do that vipassana, whatever it is here at home?
No, I said, I m going there for peace of mind and I want to learn the technique effectively.
Ok then you may go I am here to look after the house and daughter.
Something pricked, see how easily he let me off.
THAT WAS MY FIRST LESSON IN “VIPASSANA”.
TO BE CONTD.