what you described in the Theravada forest monastery sounds like a daily routine for resident monks. Its not like they are leaving home to meditate together.Tennok wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:35 am It does generates some extra focus. Perhaps it is similiar to rock concerts, or rave parties - some kind of grop consciousness emerges? Some mental osmosis happends? Btw, I ve seen at least one theravada forrest monastery, in which monks do group meditation for large part of the day ( in front of a skeleton ) , instead of meditating aloe in their kutis. So it's not a lay man's hobby only...
Even the self mortification aspect has it's purposes, in my book. That's why I like orgnized meditations, with a set up time. You are dealing with your monkey mind's stron urges to get up, scratch your butt, run away...And you can't follow those impulses , couse your fellow soldiers are watching. It gets really interesting, when this monkey mind suddenly gives up and vanishes.
For some reason the best - or deepest - stuff that I stumbled upon in meditation, happend during the retreats. I wish it was other way around, couse I can't do them nowdays.
Being set in the meditative einvorment, with a good teacher, is priceless. I haven't done Goenka, btw. Not a fan of his method.
I thought for lay people, breaking the routine would be seeking solitude rather than company. Don't people have enough being around each other in schools, universities, work, families and social gatherings? Some aspects of what you described in terms of self control when others are watching you is akin to what the "civilized" people are trained to do since young age. For example, we control our bowls movement and defecate/urinate in the toilet when we have long business meeting. When you see a sexy woman, you do not go and touch her inappropriately because others are watching you, and because there are consequences. In other words, being civilized generates some kind of self awareness and self control based on the notion of being watched by others. Now, for a change, letting go of our addiction to being surrounded by others might bring unexpected benefits.
Usually, in social gatherings, a technique or a method has a unifying impact, as with people go clubbing as you mentioned. Let us get enlightened together ...friends