“In your seeing there should be only seeing,
in your hearing nothing but hearing,
in your smelling, tasting, touching nothing but smelling, tasting, touching.”
“Whenever one experiences the arising and passing away of the mental-physical process,
he enjoys bliss and delight.
He attains the deathless, as realized by the wise.”
From The Art of Living - by William Hart
from the Yoga-Tattwa Upanishad:
68-69(a). Let him practise Kevala Kumbhaka once a day. Drawing away completely the organs from the objects of sense during cessation of breath is called Pratyahara.
[I]69(b). Whatever he sees with his eyes, let him consider as Atman. [/I]
[I]70. Whatever he hears with his ears, let him consider as Atman. Whatever he smells with his nose, let him consider as Atman.[/I]
[I]71. Whatever he tastes with his tongue, let him consider as Atman. Whatever the Yogin touches with his skin, let him consider as Atman.[/I]
[I]72. The Yogin should thus unwearied gratify his organs of sense for a period of one Yama every day with great effort.[/I]
Combine this with Vasishta’s ~[I]between the the subject and object of the experience, you are the expereincing[/I] ~ not an exact quote, mind you, and you’ll have this beatiful quote supported by two powerful pillars of the indian tradition.
In a book “The Art of Living” is described the technique of Vipassana meditation. You made a great connection with Pratyahara. Thank you! I have been considering for a while to participate the 10-days intensive course in Vipassana centre, which I’m lucky that exist also in Holland.
Hey Mirjana, I am also considering taking a Vipassana course. Is the centre you mention in Holland itself, or in Belgium? I found the Belgium one.
Thanks.
Hi Justine,
this is a link to a centre in Holland: Vipassana Meditation: Cursussen
But I heard that it is in Belgium also. My friend took a course in Belgium.
Good luck to you, cheers
Namaste,
If I may I would like to add a few thoughts about Vipassana. This is my Truth and feel free to reject it at any moment if it doesn’t ring true for you.
Vipassana (Vipashyana) which in Tibetan Buddhism means “to look into the mind” is translated in most Western books as insight, which in my books means something completely different, but I won’t go into that here. The practice which precedes Vipassana is Shamatha which means “to calm the mind”.
Many Westerners forget that Vipassana is the natural outflow or result of Shamatha and that Vipassana cannot really be taught without first mastering Shamatha. Jumping in at Vipassana would be pointless as the mind would always be restless. To explain, imagine a mountain reflected so perfectly onto a lake that it becomes hard to see which is the mountain and which is the reflection. But when the lake becomes agitated by the elements the surface breaks up and the reflection of the mountain is distorted. Even when the water becomes muddy and opaque, it is difficult for us to see at any depth into the water. This is the situation with the mind as well which is constantly agitated by the winds of our six senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and consciousness). Only when you have calmed the senses and learned to control their flow, only then will the lake or your mind become still and calm for you to see the true and perfect reflection of the mountain on and in the lake and eventually the differentiation between the mountain and the reflection will be so blurred and this is the point of true Vipassana.
Make sure you have calmed the mind efficiently and sufficiently through Shamatha and then Vipassana will flow naturally out of it.
I appreciate your sharing Pandara.
You know I got this book about the Vipassana technique from my teacher before summer and since then I’m constantly meeting people that did this intensive course. Or it is just that I put more attention now than before. It is simply my inner feeling saying that this is something I will do in the coming year. What I expect from attending this 10-days intensive course is to be guided to learn this technique from experienced and properly trained teachers. I see this course as a good place to start and learn to practice correctly.