From Mumbai I continued to a little town called Igatpuri. Exactly in time to start the 10-days Vipassana meditation course I have had already registered for when I was in Bolivia.
In Igatpuri you find Dhamma-Giri - the seat of the Int. Vipassana Research Institute and biggest Vipassana-meditation center in the world.
Vipassana is a non-sectarian and non-religious meditation-technique discovered by Buddha. The technique was long lost in India but well preserved over generations in Burma, from where it got reintroduced to India by S.N. Goenka at the beginning of the 70's. This 10-day courses are donation-based and run by volunteers. Centers are spread all over the world today...
Inspired by my brother, who started to practice when he was in India about 3 years ago, I did a course in Switzerland already a year before. So I knew that it will be hard work - and it was. 9 out of 10 days without speaking, meditating the whole day long and not eating in the evening - a challenging task for everybody.
I struggled quite a bit, specially in the beginning, but it was a very important and valueable time for me again! Rewarding in so many aspects... And also very special because it happened over christmas - no celebration, just meditation...
May all beings be happy!
www.dhamma.org
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