Day Ten: 1 December 2005

Of hatred and illwill, may not a trace remain.
May love and goodwill fill body, mind and life.

12.10
The course is more or less over. Lastly we learned about Metta mediation, about passing on loving-kindness and compassion within us to the world. A concluding procedure after each Vipassana meditation.

'May all beings be happy,
May all beings be peaceful,
May all beings be harmonious.'

The merits we've gained through our insight and our pure goodwill we should pass onto others. A surge of warmth and sensations around the heart I felt as we did this.

21.10
Last night of the last day. Made it this far on the path of Dhamma. Not sure yet how the last ten days will benefit me, but I do feel calmer, more aware and more comfortable being myself. What follows I hope will be persistent practice, observing myself deeper so as to realise the Truth-- of nature, of the world, of all beings-- without craving or aversion.
And to offer the world and all around me the gems I've discovered,
so that they too may grow, in compassion, understanding and wisdom.

Liberation.

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

" In Vipassana, any practice that interferes with the awareness of sensation is harmful, whether it is concentrating on a word or form, or giving attention merely to physical movements of the body or to thoughts arising in the mind. You cannot eradicate suffering unless you go to its source, sensation. "

"Work seriously. Do not make a game of meditation, lightly trying one technique after another without pursuing any. If you do so, you will never advance beyond the initial steps of any technique, and therefore you will never reach the goal. Certainly you may make trials of different techniques in order to find one that suits you. You may also give two or three trials to this technique, if needed. But do not waste your entire life merely in giving trials. Once you find a technique to be suitable, work at it seriously so that you may progress to the final goal. "