🌷My Vipassana Experience: Peace Within a Prison.

🌷My Vipassana Experience: Peace Within a Prison.

(Kelvin Thompson is an inmate of Yerwada Central Jail, Pune. A 32-year old chemist from London, Kelvin sat his first Vipassana course in March 97 the second Vipassana course conducted in Yerwada prison. This interview was on Day 10, the Mettā Day).

"I left London in September 1993. I reached India and this problem started (alleged possesion of drugs). I was in Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai, until my case came up for hearing in July 1995. Then I was put in Yerwada here.

The DIG (Deputy Inspector General, Mr. D. N. Dawne) here told me about this Vipassana course. 'Do this course and you will get peace of mind,' he said.

I am looking for peace of mind.The situation here is getting desperate, real bad. I'm here stuck inside this prison. I may be here for how long, who knows. I want to see my parents, my wife Adeline, my daughter. I can't do that.

I took the 10-day Vipassana course. I thought a miracle will happen. But now I know what happens is according to the laws of nature. This is a wonderful technique. I am more happy now. But miracles have nothing to do with it. It's hard work.

At first I thought, 'What have these sensations got to do with my problems? What's it got to do with my miseries, to being locked up inside this prison?'

Then I began realizing how what was happening.

Any sensation that arose in my body with my thoughts - pain, heat, itching - I would just observe it without reacting. It would arise, it would pass away.

Why should I be reacting to something that was so impermanent? No sensation lasts forever.Now when thoughts of anger arise, I could see what was happening to my body - my breath became hot, for instance.

Earlier I used to hit out, rage for hours. Now I become calm in about 20 minutes. I am becoming calmer.Now I can see that my problems are not caused by other people.

The problems are within me.

Vipassana is a very different technique, you know. It strikes at the root of our problems and cuts it out. It's very practical.

My friends and I first thought, 'What's this? No God? No religion?.' We suspected we were being converted to Buddhism.

Then we realized it was nothing of that kind.

My brother, this is essence of all the goodness in all the religions. And this is not just preaching or blind belief. This is a technique anyone can practice.I could understand Vipassana much more easily because of my scientific background.

In the lab, we purify chemicals from its impure state to a refined, ultra pure state. I think this is what I have been through. I have been through a mental purification.

I don't think all my problems have gone. It cannot happen in just ten days. But what has gone has left me feeling much lighter. I am not the same person I was ten days ago. I am at peace."

(At a press conference, a few hours later, Kelvin Thompson and fellow inmates again spoke about their experience with their first Vipassana course. The Inspector General of prisons, Mr. Narawane, announced that Yerwada Jail will have regular Vipassana courses from now. The Maharashtra Government has already ordered that every prison in the state organize Vipassana courses for its inmates).

Vipassana Research Institute - http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-02

Mangal Metta 🌷

🌷 Mangal Metta 🌷

Phira se jāge dharma jagata men phira se hove jane kalyāna

Jāge jāge dharma jagatamen hove hove jana kalyāna

Rāga dvesha aur moha dūra hon jāge shīla samādhi gyāna

Jana jana ke dukhaden mita jāyen phira se jāga uthe muskāna

Jāge jāge dharma jagata men hove hove jane kalyāna.

🌷 

"May Dhamma arise again in the world; May again there be welfare for all beings!

Arise, arise, Dhamma in the world; Manifest, manifest well-being of all!

May craving, aversion and ignorance vanish; May sīla, samādhi and paññā arise!

From the minds of beings, may all misery dissipate; bringing smiles again to the lips of all!

Arise, arise, Dhamma in the world; Manifest, manifest, welfare of all!

(Hindi chant of Goenkaji, concluding tenth day)

-----------------------------

🌷"मंगल मैत्री"🌷

सबका मंगल सबका मंगल 

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

तेरा मंगल तेरा मंगल 

          तेरा मंगल होए रे।।

इस धरती पे जितने प्राणी 

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

सबका मंगल सबका मंगल 

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

जल चर थल चर नभ चर 

          सब जीवों का मंगल होए रे।।

सबका मंगल सबका मंगल 

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

दृश्य और अदृश्य 

          सभी जीवों का मंगल होए रे।

सबका मंगल सबका मंगल 

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

सभी प्राणी सुखी रहें और 

          सभी निराम़य होए रे।।

सबका मंगल सबका मंगल

          सबका मंगल होए रे।।

सबका मंगल हो 

    सबका कल्याण हो

       सबकी स्वस्ति मुक्ती हो।।

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मंत्र जाप की तरंगो से भीतर गहराईओंतक के संस्कार क्यों नही निकलते?

Que : मंत्र जाप की तरंगो से भीतर गहराईओं

तक के संस्कार क्यों नही निकलते?

उत्तर--इसलिए नही निकलते क्योंकि भीतर

गहराईओं तक जो हमने पूर्व संस्कार इकट्ठे कर

रखें हैं उनकी अपनी अलग अलग तरंग होती है।

क्रोध जगाते हैं एक प्रकार की तरंग होती है,

भय जगाते हैं एक प्रकार की तरंग होती हैं।

अहंकार जगाते हैं, वासना जगाते हैं..... कोई भी

विकार जगाएं। विकार तो तरंगे ही हैं।और

विकार क्या है? तो जो तरंग है वहां तक पहुँच

करके हमें उससे छुटकारा पाना है।

बहुत क्रोधी आदमी- उसे क्रोध जगाते समय

किस प्रकार की अनुभूति होती है, किस तरह

की तरंगे प्रकट होती हैं, उसको देखना सीखता

है।देखते देखते उनको बढ़ावा नही देता।और

बढ़ावा नही देता तो कम होते होते समाप्त हो

जाती है।जब नया समाप्त होता है तो समता में

रहने के कारण पुराना उभर कर ऊपर आता है।

समता उसे भी समाप्त करती है।

इस प्रकार नए और पुराने दोनों की समाप्ति

होती है। यह काम विपश्यना करती है।

मन्त्र से चित्त निश्चित रूप से शांत होगा।

क्योंकि किसी भी शब्द को बार बार

दोहराएंगे तो मन शांत होता चला जाएगा।

ऊपरी ऊपरी हिस्से तक होगा।जड़ो तक तो

उसकी पहुँच नही होगी। क्योंकि वह एक

कृत्रिम तरंग पैदा कर रहा है।

और हमें अपने विकारो की जो स्वाभाविक तरंगे

हैं वहां पहुँच कर उनसे छुटकारा पाना है।

यह जो नई तरंग पैदा कर रहें हैं इसका अवश्य

एक बहुत अच्छा लेप लग जायेगा जो की हमारे

लिये कवच का सा काम करेगा।

लेकिन इससे क्या हुआ- जो हमारा पूर्व

संग्रह है उसका क्या हुआ?

वह तो वैसा का वैसा रह गया, और रह ही नहीं

गया उसका अपने स्वभाव की वजह से भीतर ही

भीतर संवर्धन होता रहा। छूटकारा कहाँ?

तो हम कोई कृत्रिम तरंग न बनने दें।

यदि हम ऊपर ऊपर कोई भी कृत्रिम लेप लगा

लेंगे तो भीतर तक जैसा है वैसा देख नही पाएंगे।

देख नही पाएंगे तो जड़ो तक नही पहुँच पाएंगे।

जड़ क्या है?

संवेदना ही है।

शरीर की संवेदना और मन की जड़ दोनों जुड़े हुए

हैं, और हम जड़ो तक पहुंचे ही नही, और ऊपर ऊपर

कोई बहुत मोटा मोटा कृत्रिम लेप लगा लिया

तो यही हुआ की-

भस्माछंनो च पावको-

भीतर अग्नि के अंगारे हैं और उसपर हमने मोटी-

मोटी राख लगा दी। हम बड़े खुश हो गए।हमारे

भीतर के अंगारे कायम तो रहे ही।उनकी तपन

तो कायम रही ही। हमको वहां तक पहुँच करके

उन अंगारो की आग- क्रोध की आग, द्वेष की

आग- सभी विकारो की आग बुझानी है।

वह उनकी तरंगो को देख कर ही बुझाई जा

सकेगी, अन्यथा नही।

~आचार्य सत्यनारायण गोयंका

How does one deal with illness using Vipassana

"How does one deal with illness using Vipassana?"

Goenkaji explained that illness is as much a part of human existence as birth, old age and death.

One must seek proper treatment for one's disease.

Vipassana may help in some diseases directly if the disease is psychosomatic.

Even when the illness is purely physical, Vipassana is a big help because one learns to face the illness bravely and to maintain equanimity in the face of unpleasant sensations.

There are many cases where a serious Vipassana meditator facing the pain of terminal cancer takes medicines that do not affect the alertness of the mind but refuses medicines that cause sleepiness.

The meditator knows that death is imminent and wants to stay awake and alert to face death with equanimity.

Vipassana makes one courageous.

[Vipassana newsletter. June '02]

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🌹गुरूजी मै समता नही रख पा रहा हूँ। बहुत पीड़ा है और उसको भूलना मुश्किल है?

उत्तर--प्रयास करते रहो। करते रहो। तुम हमेशा समता रखने में सफल नही होंगे, पर यदि सौ बार में एक बार भी समता रख पाये तो बड़ी बात हुई। और प्रयास से यह दो बार होगा, फिर तीन बार, फिर...... बढ़ता जायेगा। इस प्रकार सफलता बढ़ती जायेगी।

प्रयास करते रहो।

दर्द को भूलने का प्रयास नही करना- उसको समता से देखने का अभ्यास करना है। और निरंतरता से दर्द के स्थान पर ही ध्यान केंद्रित नही करना। शरीर के भिन्न भिन्न अंगो पर ध्यान करते रहो, और फिर जब पीड़ा के स्थान पर आओ, तो 1-2 मिनिट शांत चित्त से, समता भरे चित्त से उसका भी निरिक्षण कर लो। फिर आगे बढ़ जाओ। इससे लाभ होगा।

Addiction

🌷 Addiction 🌷

 1. How can we avoid addictions like smoking cigarettes?

Ans:  There are so many different types of addictions. 

When you practise Vipassana, you will understand that your addiction is not actually to that particular substance. It seems as if you are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, paan (betel leaf). 

But actually, you are addicted to a particular sensation in the body, a bio-chemical flow caused by that particular substance. 

Similarly, when you are addicted to anger, passion etc, these are also related to body sensations. 

Your addiction is to the sensations. 

Through Vipassana you come out of that addiction, all addictions. It is so natural, so scientific. Just try, and you will experience how it works.

🌷 2. Why is drinking only one glass of wine a breakage of sila?

Ans: One glass becomes more. So why not come out it from the very beginning? Once one becomes addicted, it is so difficult to come out of the addiction. Why not refrain from anything that is addictive?

If someone who has come out of all kinds of intoxicants and is progressing in meditation takes even a very small quantity of alcohol, that person will immediately feel that it creates agitation and will feel unhappy. They can't take it. Ignorance causes impurities to develop and intoxicants are closely associated with ignorance. They drown all your understanding. Come out of them as quickly as possible.

🌷 3. The method you have just described is very practical, but can everybody benefit from it-even those who suffer from severe addictions, such as to drugs or alcohol?

Ans: When we talk of addiction, it is not merely to alcohol or to drugs, but also to addiction to impurities such as passion, to anger, to fear, to egotism. 

At the intellectual level you understand very well: "Anger is not good for me, it is dangerous, so harmful." Yet you are addicted to anger, keep generating anger because you have not been working at the depth of the behavior pattern of your mind. The anger starts because of a particular -chemical that has started flowing in your body, and with the interaction of mind and matter-one influencing the other-the anger continues to multiply.

By practicing Vipassana, you start observing the sensation which has arisen because of the flow of a particular chemical. You do not react to it. That means you do not generate anger at that particular moment. This one moment turns into a few moments, which turn into a few seconds, which turn into a few minutes, and you find that you are not as easily influenced by this flow as you were in the past. You have slowly started coming out of your anger.

People who have come to these courses go back home and apply this technique in their daily lives by their morning and evening meditation and by continuing to observe themselves throughout the day-how they react or how they maintain equanimity in different situations. The first thing they will try to do is to observe the sensations. Because of the particular situation, maybe a part of the mind has started reacting, but by observing the sensations their minds become equanimous. Then whatever action they take is an action; it is not a reaction. Action is always positive. It is only when we react that we generate negativity and become miserable. A few moments observing the sensation makes the mind equanimous, and then it can act. Life then is full of action instead of reaction.

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