A reader commented that my posts brought up vulnerability in connection with Vipassana several time and wondered if this wasn't the right practice for me. I've been thinking about this, and I think she's correct that I've made it sound like Vipassana causes vulnerability in me. Why would I do something that makes me feel vulnerable? I've realized that it's not Vipassana that …
Category: Personal Experiences
2 Months Since Leaving The Center
Two months ago I completed 7 months of long-term service at Dhamma Patapa. Everyone was asking me if my time at the center had changed me. I told them that I wouldn't know until I returned to the real world. I took my first course in March of 2010 and I had experienced the difficulties of implementing …
Strength And Vulnerability
Determination, fearlessness, confidence, convincing, and optimistic are some of the words that come to mind when I reflect on what characterizes a strong leader. I find that my Vipassana practice leads me to be humble, vulnerable, and open. I'm unsure whether my Vipassana practice is helping or hurting me as a leader. It might depend on the audience. One of …
Only Wholesome Acts
It's Friday night, I'm home alone, and I'm content. This is a new feeling for me. Just last year I would have felt like I was missing an opportunity to celebrate and have fun. In my sitting this evening a thought came into my head and stuck. "I only want to perform wholesome acts." Wow! …
Like Brushing Your Teeth
When I first started my daily meditation practice it felt like a huge chore. Every day I needed to actively convince myself that my time on the pillow was well spent. There was a pattern to these distractions. Sometimes I would be rolling in the events of the day. Sometimes my mind would try to convince …
Memory Triggers
When I return to places I've been before or repeat unique activities it often triggers certain strong memories of the past. When I go swimming I remember cliff jumping with my friends in Hawaii. When I visit my brother at the beach in Connecticut we reminisce about the wonderful parties we've had there. When I …
Sleep Less, Really?
In one of Goenka's discourses he mentions that a meditator can easily cut out one hour of sleep each night. For a long time I couldn't relate to this because my experience was exactly the opposite. I found meditation to be exhausting and often after I meditated I wanted to take a nap. This new …
Love At First Sight
Every relationship is unique with its own story about how two people have come together. Frequently people are drawn into relationships with opposite personalities and attractions can range in sophistication from simply a physical attraction to a deep-rooted network of beliefs and shared experiences. So what is it that brings two people together into a friendship or relationship? …
How Quickly The Ego Can Return
Two weeks ago I started to notice a smile on my face while I was meditating. Several days later I found my intuition was becoming more clear. I felt good again. Good like the old days. I noticed a little bounce in my step as I adopted some of my strength from the past. But …
Growing Out Of Hiding
The main difference between introverting and hiding is the smile on your face. Before my Dad got sick I was extroverted. After my Dad passed I was hiding. The first year I tried to take my practice seriously I was hiding. In the last few weeks I've started to introvert. In 2009 I was a …
Living Vipassana 