Thoughts or there is more to it #Vipassana

I was having a conversation yesterday with someone on Vipassana.. A friend of mine had recommended Vipassana to another friend which she thought could help her friend, and I was trying to answer the probing questions asked, the questions which are trying to evaluate if it will be worth it or not..

I always find these conversations difficult as explaining the rationale is not an easy task, the context is understood only if there is some foundation for it and further evaluation can make make you defensive. Anyhow I answered what I could but what struck me is - to problems we think thoughts are the solution, positive thoughts and logical answers . Meditation as a concept, silence which we have to follow in the 10 days of Vipassana is often liked as people conclude it will give a lot of time for introspection, give right logical answers to all the problems. Unfortunately meditation is not about introspection; it goes to the root of how we become. The root of what makes us, it is not thoughts, it is not feelings these are all outcomes. The root is a pattern of dependencies we have through our daily interaction of life, through the unique experiences we have had and the reactions we have stored. Each experience from typing on keyboard to sitting for a long time on chair, to love, to hurt, to loss.. millions of minute experiences which we undergo daily. The root we are unaware of, it helps get in touch with it and work on it, bring it under control to a desired outcome. 

Thoughts as a solution have become popular but are not powerful, they are just a small fraction of what can bring in control and happiness. If thoughts were powerful, reading one book alone could have made us all wise. 

Interestingly, neuroscience is also concluding there is much beyond mind and its thoughts.. do go through the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06YIWCR2Js

And if you wish to know more about Vipassana - http://www.dhamma.org

Answers of New Beginning

Fear of rejection is because you desire connection,
Fear of judgement is because you desire to be loved,
Shame of unworthiness is because you desire others.

Give up fear, evaluate connection, love, unworthiness.
Give up desire with this new experience, neti neti.

Give up desire, of connection, love, worthiness.
Give up fear, of connection, love, unworthiness.

Start anywhere, start together.

Questions of New Beginning

You desire for chocolate, you also desire being thin... Do you eat it?
You desire to belong, you also desire freedom - Do you give in?

You desire for happiness, desire of chocolate is not happiness - do you work on it?
You desire for happiness, desire of anything is not happiness - do you work on it?

Is happiness about accomplished connections, through love and belonging?
Is happiness a state of being, free from all desires including connection?

Life & Thoughts - 4

The life coaches teach:

I will conquer,

I will rise,

I will shine,

Say loud and forever.

World will conspire,

And it will be all yours.

Is it such a struggle?

Is it all about I?

Can we not do it together?

I will do my bit,

You do yours,

2 is better than 1,

more the merrier.

We just do what we can,

With honesty and integrity,

With care and bit of selflessness,

You and You all - 

Pull me when I fail,

Help me rise if I fall,

Give me the shine if I lose.

Is this not what society is about? 

No man or woman is an Island.

Making sense through observing life...

As I look into life of all around, I see a common thread - 

• Chasing pleasure
• Chasing people for recognition, love.

The root is, looking for happiness.... 

As I further probe, pleasure is more straight forward money helps you buy it, however you need some sense of security to spend it; we are anxious of future and want to avoid pain, this  is avoided through money so we like to accumulate. 

Chasing people is more complex and very illogical, after all it is a function of emotions - an ability to feel and making others feel about you, we are much guarded. Like we need a sense of security by keeping money for future, we seek sense of security through avoiding rejection, being mocked at, looking weak as if we need the others to give us recognition and love. We hence create defense mechanisms, do not express which we feel as we may be seen as weak, dependent, needed. We live a life in second thoughts, controlled impulses, controlled feelings, trying to please, trying to avoid intimacy.  This very act of breaking free can help us get what we want, without money by sheer act of allowing us to flow... Web of emotions caught up with inter linkages  limit us to break free.  There is a caveat though you cant get till you give, complex is therefore I call it.