Day One: 22 November 2005

Observing the breath after breathing. The mind becomes still, unwaving;
The mind becomes pure, and naturally finds Liberation.

Been just over a day since I 'checked in', still trying to get used to the routine, the scheduled meditation sessions, the two meals and not eating after noon. Came here without a clue what would be taught here, but now understanding the causes of our miseries and problems. Started observing the breath as it goes in and out, but still the mind wanders here and there. Sometimes wondering whether I could stay here the full ten days...

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The Discourse Summaries--talks from a ten-day course in Vipassana Meditation, S.N. Goenka

"To learn the art of living harmoniously, first one must find the cause of disharmony. The cause always lies within, and for this reason you have to explore the reality of yourself. This technique helps you to do so, to examine your own mental and physical structure, towards which there is so much attachment, resulting only in tensions, in misery. At the experiential level one must understand one's own nature, mental and physical; only then can one experience whatever there might be beyond mind and matter."

"On this path, whatever is unknown about yourself must become known to you. For this purpose respiration will help. It acts as a bridge from the known to the unknown, because respiration is one function of the body that can be either conscious or unconscious, intentional or automatic. One starts with conscious, intentional breathing, and proceeds to awareness of natural, normal breath. And from there you will advance to still subtler truths about yourself. Every step is a step with reality; every day you will penetrate further to discover subtler realities about yourself, about your body and mind. "

" Today you have seen for yourselves that at times thoughts arise without any sequence, any head or tail. Such mental behavior is commonly regarded as a sign of madness. Now, however, you have all discovered that you are equally mad, lost in ignorance, illusions, delusions-moha. Even when there is a sequence to the thoughts, they have as their object something that is either pleasant or unpleasant. If it is pleasant, one starts reacting with liking, which develops into craving, clinging-raga. If it is unpleasant, one starts reacting with disliking, which develops into aversion, hatred-dosa. The mind is constantly filled with ignorance, craving, and aversion. All other impurities stem from these three basic ones, and every impurity makes one miserable. "