Why no Journals? Goenka
Why no Journals? Goenka
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.....?
Re: Why no Journals? Goenka
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
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
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
Re: Why no Journals? Goenka
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
Mike
Re: Why no Journals? Goenka
Well, if journals were allowed, some people would spend more time writing journals than meditating.
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Polar Bear
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Re: Why no Journals? Goenka
David2 wrote: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"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."
"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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retrofuturist
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Why no Journals? Goenka
Greetings rucontent,
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.
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.rucontent wrote: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.....?
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.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."