Why no Journals? Goenka

[rucontent]

The special note on instructions for 10 day retreat includes "no journals" curious about the nature of that "reasoning"...is it to stay in your head.....?

[Ben]

For the type of meditation retreat, I don't think its that unusual, rucontent.
One is asked not to bring anything that would distract you from the task at hand, so - no computers, music players, instruments, books, pens and journals/diaries, no mobile phones or computers & etc.
kind regards,

Ben

[mikenz66]

It does, of course, depend on what sort of retreat you are doing, but most teachers I'm familiar with discourage reading, writing, and, especially, talking, during intensive retreats where the idea is to build high levels of mindfulness and concentration. It's very easy to get sucked into conceptual thinking and for the mindfulness and concentration you've built up to simply evaporate...


Mike

[David2]

Well, if journals were allowed, some people would spend more time writing journals than meditating.

[polarbuddha101]

Well, if journals were allowed, some people would spend more time writing journals than meditating.

bahahaha, for some reason that just really hit me on a deep level

[retrofuturist]

Greetings rucontent,

The special note on instructions for 10 day retreat includes "no journals" curious about the nature of that "reasoning"...is it to stay in your head.....?

The instructions provided are about focusing on the breath for the first few days, and then there is an emphasis on observing vedana (feeling) and its qualities.

If instead you are in journal-mode you are in thinking-mode and while you are engaging in conceptual proliferation, your experience is neither connected to the breath (i.e. anapanasati) nor to feelings/sensations (i.e. vedananupassana.)

There's nothing inherently wrong with journals - it's just that the use of them is contrary to what you're attempting to cultivate of this retreat, and Mr Goenka has determined that "noble silence" is the best condition upon which to progress, whilst on retreat.

Metta,
Retro.