Actually, the ten-day course is the minimum; it provides an essential
introduction and foundation to the technique. To develop in the practice is a lifetime job. Experience
over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student
does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique. Traditionally, Vipassana was taught in
retreats lasting seven weeks. With the dawning of the 20th century, the teachers of this tradition began
to experiment with shorter times to suit the quickening pace of life. They tried thirty days, two weeks,
ten days, down to seven days–and they found that less than ten days is not enough time for the mind to
settle down and work deeply with the mind-body phenomenon.
The day begins at 4:00 a.m. with a wakeup bell and continues until 9:00 p.m.
There are about ten hours of meditation throughout the day, interspersed with regular breaks and rest
periods. Every evening at 7:00 p.m. there is a videotaped lecture by the Teacher, S.N. Goenka, which
provides a context for meditators to understand their experience of the day. This schedule has proved
workable and beneficial for hundreds of thousands of people for decades.
The teaching is given through recordings of S. N. Goenka speaking in English. We
have many students whose native language is not English. Course recordings are available in nearly 50
languages, and some courses are taught with dual language instructions and discourses by teachers who
are bi-lingual. If English is not your native language, someone from the center will contact you to
discuss how we can accommodate you.
Each student who attends a Vipassana course is given this gift by a previous
student. There is no charge for either the teaching, or for room and board. All Vipassana courses
worldwide are run on a strictly voluntary donation basis. At the end of your course, if you have
benefited from the experience, you are welcome to donate for the coming course, according to your
volition and your means.
Teachers receive no payment, donations or other material benefit. They are
required to have their own private means of support. This rule means that some of them may have less
time for teaching, but it protects students from exploitation and it guards against commercialism. In
this tradition, teachers give Vipassana purely as a service to others. All they receive is the
satisfaction of seeing people’s happiness from the practice.
Certainly. Chairs are provided for those unable to sit comfortably on the floor
because of age or a physical problem.
If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see
whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation,
we might have to ask you to wait until you can be more flexible. We’re sorry but students are required
to choose from the food provided to them, rather than bring food for themselves. Most people find the
choice is ample and they enjoy the simple vegetarian diet.
If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see
whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation,
we might have to ask you to wait until you can be more flexible. We’re sorry but students are required
to choose from the food provided to them, rather than bring food for themselves. Most people find the
choice is ample and they enjoy the simple vegetarian diet.
Pregnant women may certainly attend, and many women come specifically during
pregnancy to take advantage of the opportunity to work deeply and in silence during this special time.
We ask pregnant women to ensure they are confident that their pregnancy is stable before applying. We
provide the extra food they need and ask them to work in a relaxed way.
All students attending the course observe “noble silence” — that is, silence of
body, speech and mind. They agree to refrain from communicating with their co-meditators. However,
students are free to contact the management about their material needs, and to speak with the
instructor. Silence is observed for the first nine full days. On the tenth day, speech is resumed as a
way of re-establishing the normal pattern of daily life. Continuity of practice is the secret of success
in this course; silence is an essential component in maintaining this continuity.
Vipassana is taught step by step, with a new step added each day to the end of
the course. If you leave early, you do not learn the full teaching and do not give the technique a
chance to work for you. Also, by meditating intensively, a course participant initiates a process that
reaches fulfillment with the completion of the course. Interrupting the process before completion is not
advisable.
The point is that leaving early is shortchanging yourself. You don’t give
yourself a chance to learn the full technique and so you won’t be able to apply it successfully in daily
life. You also interrupt the process in the middle rather than letting it come to the proper conclusion.
To get home a day or two early, you waste all the time you have invested.
12. How about the tenth day, when talking is allowed and serious meditation stops? Can I leave then?
The tenth day is a very important transition back to ordinary life. No one is
permitted to leave on that day.
For a person in reasonable physical and mental health who is genuinely
interested and willing to make a sincere effort, meditation (including “noble silence”) is not
difficult. If you are able to follow the instructions patiently and diligently, you can be sure of
tangible results. Though it may appear daunting, the day’s schedule is neither too severe nor too
relaxed. Moreover, the presence of other students practicing conscientiously in a peaceful and conducive
atmosphere lends tremendous support to one’s efforts.
Those who are physically too weak to follow the schedule will not benefit from
a course; the same is true of those who are suffering from a mental health condition or someone
undergoing emotional upheaval. Through a process of questions and answers, we will be able to help you
decide clearly beforehand whether you are in a position to benefit fully from a course. In some cases
applicants are asked to get approval from their doctor before they can be accepted.
Many diseases are caused by our inner agitation. If the agitation is removed,
the disease may be alleviated or disappear. But learning Vipassana with the aim of curing a disease is a
mistake that never works. People who try to do this waste their time because they are focusing on the
wrong goal. They may even harm themselves. They will neither understand the meditation properly nor
succeed in getting rid of the disease.
Again, the purpose of Vipassana is not to cure diseases. Someone who really
practices Vipassana learns to be happy and balanced in all circumstances. But a person with a history of
severe depression may not be able to apply the technique properly and may not get the desired results.
The best thing for such a person is to work with a health professional. Vipassana teachers are
meditation experts, not psychotherapists.
Vipassana does not in and of itself cause a new mental health condition to
arise. Vipassana teaches awareness and equanimity, that is, balance, despite the inevitable ups and
downs of life. But if someone comes to a course concealing a serious emotional history, that person
may be unable to understand the technique or to apply it properly to achieve the desired results. This
is why it is important to communicate with us about your past history so that we can assist you in
determining whether you will benefit from a course.
People from many religions and no religion have found the meditation course
helpful and beneficial. Vipassana is an art of living, a way of life. While it is the essence of what
the Buddha taught, it is not a religion; rather, it is the cultivation of human values leading to a life
which is good for oneself and good for others.
People of all sexual and gender identities are welcome to our courses. The
campuses at all the meditation centers in this tradition separate males and females. This extends
to the residential accommodations, the walking areas, the dining rooms, and the meditation hall. This
structure is designed to reduce any possible distractions that could arise from the mixing of genders.
We recognize this doesn’t work for everyone and that sometimes people in the LGBTQI community may not
feel comfortable on either side of the compound, or having to identify as male or female. If the gender
binary segregation is a concern for you, please let us know beforehand; this will
allow us to provide accommodations with a private bath where you can feel undistracted while you
meditate. You can let us know about your concerns by writing something on the application where we ask,
“Anything you wish to add to the above information?” We will contact you, and together we will make
a plan that works for you. Anything you tell us will be kept confidential.
The Southeast Vipassana Center has an active committee who are helping to raise
awareness by engaging center managers, volunteers, and teachers on important issues of bias and
privilege.