I've held onto Vipassana like a compass I was afraid to drop. I had experienced the ebbs and flows of trying to maintain a practice and I knew how easily I could get side tracked. I've talked to individuals who have lost their practice for decades only later realizing the opportunity they were missing. I …
Category: Observations
Blog Economics
This blog has been a wonderful tool to help me grow in Dhamma. With a limited Vipassana community and so many thoughts and questions, I needed a place to express myself. I needed a space to think and feel my way through the huge transition Vipassana was bringing to my life. Along the way, I …
Connecting Vipassana To Societal Challenges
I just watched the informative documentary "Food, Inc." which explains some real consequences of large corporations taking over the American food industry. Watching it lead me to think more about the actual problem, but I'm still confused about the proper solution. From a Vipassana prospective, this seems like a simple addiction to money and the things that come with …
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Kiran Bedi
Written by Dipanshu Mansingka from Hyderabad, India While serving course in 1996 at Tihar, I came across an inmate in his late sixties. He was extradited from Canada to India. In 1960′s he was the laser scientist in India. He had sugar, BP and other health issues for which he had to take lot of …
Attachment To Desire
A second post by Dipanshu Mansingka from Hyderabad, India As a student one is getting 4th rank in the class every time. While studying in the class one day this person gets a thought to come first next time. This desire to come first gives a pleasant sensation and he starts rolling into those thoughts to …
The Responsibilities Of A Householder
Until recently I thought that there was a continuous gradient between the lifestyles of various householders and a monk. I thought that as you progressed on the path your life would become more and more monastic. I was neglecting the fundamental difference between these two paths. While a monk has given up all material possession …
An End To The Stormy Phase
As the surface layers of my mind have slowly been purified, living daily life has slowly become easier. The stark contrast between dhamma life and the life I lived prior to meditating made for a stormy transition. I've changed the way I eat, work, communicate, and exercise. I've changed who I spend time with and …
Military Intelligence
The US Marines are testing the use of meditation in their training. http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/20/16612244-meditating-marines-military-tries-mindfulness-to-lower-stress?lite At first I was unsure if this was an appropriate use of meditation. One of the precepts for deep meditation is to abstain from killing and soldiers are asked to kill sometimes. Therefore, a soldier must not be a proper candidate for …
The Science Of Meditation
I can't decide whether Vipassana research would benefit or hurt the spread of this tradition. With the mind of a western scientist my initial thought is that meditation should prove any benefits it claims. If a regular practice truly helps with certain mental illnesses why not demonstrate it in a series of controlled experiments? A …
Is It That Simple?
The only two things I need to pay attention to in my daily life are my physical and mental health. This statement is a proposal. Lets see if it can hold water. First, I want to express that I'm not married and I have no children. Obviously, if I had people in my life that depended …
Living Vipassana 