delf7 wrote:FINALLY !
i have been waiting 10 days to hear the news, and i just recieved e-mail from the meditation center informing me that my application has been accepted !!!
it is still a few months away, but i am pretty excited about it.
thanx to all who gave me advice & information about the retreat.
kind regards,
delf
Well done delf!
I have been accepted to my long-course as well!
kind regards,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Ben wrote:
Well done delf!
I have been accepted to my long-course as well!
kind regards,
Ben
Another 30 days Ben?
You know, you never told the story of your 30 day retreat last year and I'm still pretty mad about it!
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
Hi MP,
I apologise I made you mad!
This year, since returning from Myanmar, has been extremely busy for me.
I will see what I can do about compiling something about my 30-day course and short pilgrimage for you in the next few days.
As for my coming course, this time its only 20 days.
kind regards,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
I'm booked for another Goenka retreat 26 Dec - 6 Jan at Pomona Queensland -
Unfortunately, family circumstances have made it necessary for me to withdraw from the course this time. But, at least I've made someone on the waiting list very happy.
with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
Buckwheat wrote:You got me excited... I really like chanting. It gets some blood flow, forces some deep breathing, connects the thoughts to the body, has a soothing feeling, etc. Then I realized you mean I get to listen to somebody chant on a recording.... that sounds horrible!!
Don't let it worry you. Do what everyone else does during the chanting - meditate. If you find it really disagreeable you will probably be allowed to meditate in your room during the 4.30AM-6.30AM sitting. Also keep in mind that part of the 'training' is to develop equanimity!
All the best,
Ben
Agreed. I should have hit the sarcasm button. It shouldn't be too bad. I've already upped my meditation quite a bit, excited about my first 10-day!!
Sotthī hontu nirantaraṃ - May you forever be well.
I'm booked for another Goenka retreat 26 Dec - 6 Jan at Pomona Queensland -
Unfortunately, family circumstances have made it necessary for me to withdraw from the course this time. But, at least I've made someone on the waiting list very happy.
with metta
Chris
I am sorry to learn of that, Chris.
I hope you get another opportunity soon.
with Metta,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Ben wrote:Hi MP,
I apologise I made you mad!
This year, since returning from Myanmar, has been extremely busy for me.
I will see what I can do about compiling something about my 30-day course and short pilgrimage for you in the next few days.
As for my coming course, this time its only 20 days.
kind regards,
Ben
Hi Ben
I was kidding, but I would apreciate very much if you could do such a thing! I waited a few months for that "report" and then gave up, but if you're willing to do it that would be very nice.
Be well.
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
I shall do my level best over the next few days, MP!
kind regards,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
I have some free time coming up over Christmas and I hope to put something together for you.
In the interim, here's a photo of Shwedagon I took just before dawn meditation.
kind regards,
Ben
IMGP4994.jpg (199.22 KiB) Viewed 3725 times
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
I'm booked for another Goenka retreat 26 Dec - 6 Jan at Pomona Queensland -
Unfortunately, family circumstances have made it necessary for me to withdraw from the course this time. But, at least I've made someone on the waiting list very happy.
where does the time go?
my 1st retreat is only a few short weeks away now. i'm a little nervous, not knowing exactly what to expect, but i am also very excited to be taking this step on the path. just out of curiosity, i was wondering if any of you have been to the center in northern illinois, usa, "dhamma pakasa"? if so, can you tell me about the experience? what's the food like? are the people friendly? etc....
kind regards,
delf
Relax, delf - you will be fine!
I haven't been to the Illinois Centre though I know people who have.
Apparently its a nice location. The food will be a basic vegetarian menu.
Wishing you all the best with your coming course!
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
well, that was fun! so fun i left after 5 days. i won't go into any goenka-bashing, as i know there are many here who are fans of his "method", but i was creeped out. if i had wanted to spend 10 days in prison i would have commited some petty crime, and i've studied enough psychcology to know when i'm trying to be hypnotized. it's classic mind controll; keep the subject under-fed, tired, physically drained and/or in pain, not allowing him to speak or even make eye contact with his fellow inmates, kept in a darkened room for hours at a time while being fed audio suggestions and/or commands. the vibe of the place was such that i just had to split. and boy, they don't like it if you decide to leave.
these people that were so nice before-hand turn into real A-holes when you tell them you want out. i mean, just jerks.
they basically tell you "get your stuff packed up and get the F outta here !"
all i can say is, to anyone thinking of going to one of these "boot camps", i hope you have done more research than i did, because once i got out, i found ALOT of stuff about these prisons that i wish i would have read before going in.
sorry if this post offends anyone, as that is not my intent. i am only trying to say "make sure you know what you're getting into."
metta,
delf
i've studied enough psychcology to know when i'm trying to be hypnotized.
Seriously, Goenka retreats have absolutely nothing to do with hypnotism or anything like that.
they basically tell you "get your stuff packed up and get the F outta here !
Well, I'm sure you are exaggerating.
Don't forget: You have signed a contract before the beginning of the course that you stay the whole 10 days.
Of course they are not happy if one wants to leave because he does not get all of the benefit of the course.