THE FORUMS
A friend who had the exact same situation told me that he used headphones.
Not the earplugs, but actually headphones that block noise out and shit.
He said it allowed him to focus on the breathing. And it wasn't "cheating" because he'd take them off whenever the construction was done and he'd meditate just as well.
wow brilliant suggestion, good luck on your upcoming session looking forward to hearing about your experiences and growth Not the earplugs, but actually headphones that block noise out and shit.
He said it allowed him to focus on the breathing. And it wasn't "cheating" because he'd take them off whenever the construction was done and he'd meditate just as well.
I got accepted however it states:
***CONSTRUCTION***
The center will be undergoing construction during your course. The construction will be taking place directly behind the meditation hall. Nail guns, construction workers' voices, etc., will be audible from 7am to 6pm. We believe you will still reap great benefits from the course, despite the construction noise.
This is my first time so do you guys think I should try to switch to a different location/date or just interpret as an additional challenge that shouldn't have any impact on my growth?
***CONSTRUCTION***
The center will be undergoing construction during your course. The construction will be taking place directly behind the meditation hall. Nail guns, construction workers' voices, etc., will be audible from 7am to 6pm. We believe you will still reap great benefits from the course, despite the construction noise.
This is my first time so do you guys think I should try to switch to a different location/date or just interpret as an additional challenge that shouldn't have any impact on my growth?
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Got accepter for a 10-day Course aswell!
Thanks a lot for posting about them!
Excited as hell! :D
Thanks a lot for posting about them!
Excited as hell! :D
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Leaving for my course in 12 hours.
Fucking A.
Fucking A.
__________________
My game = social skills + having a dick. Morely the latter.
I did one in May '09. Fucking awesome experience and definitely changed me as a person. I need to start meditating more again (only doing a few minutes a day) and I'm considering doing another retreat.
__________________
"True strength is not always shown through victory. Stand up, try again and display strength of heart."
-Rickson Gracie
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
-Albert Einstein
-Rickson Gracie
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
-Albert Einstein
What is meditation exactly? Whenever I've done it I've just sat down and closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind of all thoughts.
Read my post earlier on this thread.Basically it's the art of doing as less as possible. Both science and buddhism distinguish two kinds,
one strengtens concentration (samadhi) through Focused Attention (FA),
the other trains an open awareness of your own thoughts, which is usefull for insight (vipasanna), this is also called "open monitoring" (OM) sometimes.
They differ in that FA has an object you concentrate on, which serves as an anchor for your attention, while with OM you focus on whatever passes by, and let immediatly go.
FA is the basis for OM, because without enough concentration, you can't monitor your thoughts because you get dragged away with them.
Meditation is therefore NOT trying to think nothing; (although that's a result of strong concentration), and it's also not about "just sitting" (then you get lost in your thoughts) or doing nothing (then you just start daydreaming -- or you relax and fall asleep).
__________________
wel heb ik je ooit!
I just got back into the "real world"
Being on this little black rectangle that projects images and words is a bizarre experience right now. I can't believe that at one time I was attached to this little thing for hours at a time...wow.
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I'll say that the 10-day course is something that you TRULY have to commit yourself to.
I basically changed my entire life at a DEEP level by attending and REALLY putting in the hard work. I viewed the painful memories with the same attitude as the pleasurable memories - total equanimity.
Now, it's just a matter of me keeping up the habit...I'm actually going to meditate in a couple of minutes, so yeah. 100 hours of meditation pretty much. 30 hours teaching you how to train your mind 70 hours spent exploring the very depths of your being.
Wow.
I'm going to be off this forum for a while, but I just wanted to say...thank you Diskodancer for sharing this with me. It came at the right time in my life.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear"
-AR
Being on this little black rectangle that projects images and words is a bizarre experience right now. I can't believe that at one time I was attached to this little thing for hours at a time...wow.
--------------
I'll say that the 10-day course is something that you TRULY have to commit yourself to.
I basically changed my entire life at a DEEP level by attending and REALLY putting in the hard work. I viewed the painful memories with the same attitude as the pleasurable memories - total equanimity.
Now, it's just a matter of me keeping up the habit...I'm actually going to meditate in a couple of minutes, so yeah. 100 hours of meditation pretty much. 30 hours teaching you how to train your mind 70 hours spent exploring the very depths of your being.
Wow.
I'm going to be off this forum for a while, but I just wanted to say...thank you Diskodancer for sharing this with me. It came at the right time in my life.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear"
-AR
__________________
My game = social skills + having a dick. Morely the latter.
Equanimity and Awareness.
What is meditation exactly? Whenever I've done it I've just sat down and closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind of all thoughts.
__________________
My game = social skills + having a dick. Morely the latter.
I just got back into the "real world"
Being on this little black rectangle that projects images and words is a bizarre experience right now. I can't believe that at one time I was attached to this little thing for hours at a time...wow.
--------------
I'll say that the 10-day course is something that you TRULY have to commit yourself to.
I basically changed my entire life at a DEEP level by attending and REALLY putting in the hard work. I viewed the painful memories with the same attitude as the pleasurable memories - total equanimity.
Now, it's just a matter of me keeping up the habit...I'm actually going to meditate in a couple of minutes, so yeah. 100 hours of meditation pretty much. 30 hours teaching you how to train your mind 70 hours spent exploring the very depths of your being.
Wow.
I'm going to be off this forum for a while, but I just wanted to say...thank you Diskodancer for sharing this with me. It came at the right time in my life.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear"
-AR
Quite a chilling response, i am looking forward to TRULY commit myself for this. My 10 days is supposed to have loud noises because of construction, do you think headphones will be good enough or should i buy ear plugs? Being on this little black rectangle that projects images and words is a bizarre experience right now. I can't believe that at one time I was attached to this little thing for hours at a time...wow.
--------------
I'll say that the 10-day course is something that you TRULY have to commit yourself to.
I basically changed my entire life at a DEEP level by attending and REALLY putting in the hard work. I viewed the painful memories with the same attitude as the pleasurable memories - total equanimity.
Now, it's just a matter of me keeping up the habit...I'm actually going to meditate in a couple of minutes, so yeah. 100 hours of meditation pretty much. 30 hours teaching you how to train your mind 70 hours spent exploring the very depths of your being.
Wow.
I'm going to be off this forum for a while, but I just wanted to say...thank you Diskodancer for sharing this with me. It came at the right time in my life.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear"
-AR
__________________
Recently came back from my retreat.
It was tough at times but far from inhuman. Delicious food. Cool people.
I didn't enjoy some of the discourses (I heard a translated version so it could be the interpretor's fault) because I found them either preachy or full with buddhist concepts I disagreed with. THAT made it tough to meditate. Full belief in the technique is absolutely essential to practice diligently, diligently.
Having that said... This stuff works.
I've definately become more centered. When negative emotions come, they no longer stick around and put me in a bad mood. I feel them in my body as they arise, then my mind quickly regains composure and I'm back in a neutral state.
As I wrote before, I didn't like all of the teachings. Goenka (the guru) believes casual sex is bad and even sex in a commited relationship is considered unimportant. Kind of ironic how we use it to go out and pick up chicks...
I also don't understand why they keep saying Vipassana is not connected to any religion. It IS! I'ts chock full of buddhist teachings concerning karma, life after death and so on.
My advice (and Goenka states this himself) to anyone planning to attend is that you simply ignore the stuff you find disagreeable. The technique works.
Do it!
It was tough at times but far from inhuman. Delicious food. Cool people.
I didn't enjoy some of the discourses (I heard a translated version so it could be the interpretor's fault) because I found them either preachy or full with buddhist concepts I disagreed with. THAT made it tough to meditate. Full belief in the technique is absolutely essential to practice diligently, diligently.
Having that said... This stuff works.
I've definately become more centered. When negative emotions come, they no longer stick around and put me in a bad mood. I feel them in my body as they arise, then my mind quickly regains composure and I'm back in a neutral state.
As I wrote before, I didn't like all of the teachings. Goenka (the guru) believes casual sex is bad and even sex in a commited relationship is considered unimportant. Kind of ironic how we use it to go out and pick up chicks...
I also don't understand why they keep saying Vipassana is not connected to any religion. It IS! I'ts chock full of buddhist teachings concerning karma, life after death and so on.
My advice (and Goenka states this himself) to anyone planning to attend is that you simply ignore the stuff you find disagreeable. The technique works.
Do it!
ceoarob
Trusted Member
Join Date: 05/20/2008 | Posts: 1250
Not the earplugs, but actually headphones that block noise out and shit.
He said it allowed him to focus on the breathing. And it wasn't "cheating" because he'd take them off whenever the construction was done and he'd meditate just as well.
***CONSTRUCTION***
The center will be undergoing construction during your course. The construction will be taking place directly behind the meditation hall. Nail guns, construction workers' voices, etc., will be audible from 7am to 6pm. We believe you will still reap great benefits from the course, despite the construction noise.
This is my first time so do you guys think I should try to switch to a different location/date or just interpret as an additional challenge that shouldn't have any impact on my growth?