Oh my goodness, time passes to slowly though the the challenge will end soon, though not the journey.
This journey of mind purifying, allowing it to rest, and be at all times equanimous, is a long way to go... practicing in your daily meditations, and day to day life, will help you a lot to be focused and ultimately get there.... to liberation.
Today I finally woke up at 4:22am, only got up at 4:50am to get ready, shower, set for meditation for an hour, morning chanting, then a warm lemon water - following I joined the online group sitting from 7-8am.
At around 9 am decided to get ready for a walk, by the time i got dressed, and make myself a laxative tea, as with no functional enema, & no epson salt, this garbage inside is not getting out... even when you drink water and liquids.. this must come out.
The nice bit warmer weather out there was kind, the wind touching the face, sometimes slow, and sometimes harsh... after a 6.60 km, the sun came out, so I simply sat on the bench and bathed in its warmth... oh how lovely to feel the touch of the sun rays on your face, how rejuvenating to be in that energy, I sat there for 30-40 min enjoying every moment.
Coming in home that was a full almost 2 hours out, it is time to drink something warm & get ready for more meditations. With Vipassana in the process, being equanimous with mind, with everything that arises, to let go, as everything is anicca, impermanent - this is the real challenge... even if you have been a meditator for years... and a vipassana meditator too, this takes time, especially sitting down, trying the full hour not to move, and your legs get so numb, that once you allow them to move, you can feel nothing... & that is tough.
Over the night, last night, most of my dreams where about food, grocery shopping, fruits and vegetables... all that you desire was in the dream... although I do not believe I dreamed of any animal product... or maybe what the animal produces... cheese and eggs. Haven't had these in a very long time.
You know, parts of the precepts we follow upon taking a Vipassana course is abstaining from killing any living creatures, and one of them is killing to eat animals, or have them killed for you to eat them. Although, from even before, I have stopped eating animals since I slowly got into a full plant based lifestyle - which I love & am grateful to be living it.
So here are the precepts we follow:
The foundation of the practice is sila - moral conduct. Sila provides a basis for the development of samadhi - concentration of mind; and purification of the mind is achieved through panna - the wisdom of insight.
----
Even though it is mentioned during the course, I believe this should be abstain at all times.
Why to kill any creature that is alive, specially insects, we live in their environment, so we should learn to live together... and for the last 5 years since I have taken the course, I have not, won't say never as we never know, have intentionally killed an insect... I helped a bee get out of the water, a taranchula to get out of our retreat site, twice - on separate occasions. I took out a cockroach out of our chalet on the beach - my parents didn't believe I would do that... and so on and on...
Abstain from stealing... shouldn't this be at all times!
Abstain from all sexual activities - it is mentioned during the course because you don't want to get lost in the lust and pleasure, which takes out the mind to a different focus. In the discourse, what Goenkaji mentions is, to abstain from hurting anyone sexually, or doing anything sexual without the consent of the partner. As once anyone does anything that hurts the other, he/she is hurting him/her self more.. this is where the impurities of the mind get stuck.
Abstain from telling lies... why should anyone lie anyways, what is the benefits from lying. A person who lies, is someone who is afraid to be judged, or looked down at... the truth will always come out, so why not say it in the first place.
Abstain from all intoxicants ... speaking behind anyone's back, judging people, or bullying ... we should abstain that during all our life... being kind, compassionate and loving is what humans should be.
Abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decoration, during the course, this is of important, as you don't want your eyes to start looking outside of yourself... after the course, I believe it is also good to be minimal in your decoration, or smells, being modest, using essential oils instead of chemical perfumes.. ( at the beginning, I didn't get it, later, I realized it makes a lot of sense)
Abstain from using high or luxurious beds, we are all equal, and no one is better then the other in how they live, how you are makes you unique, kind, loving, compassionate and caring. Aim for that.
Off to meditation now, followed by a 2:30 pm group sitting, and again at 6pm, then the discourse of Day 6... Can't wait.. that is what keeps me moving... and looking forward to finish this challenge.
PS: with the liquids I am having, the body gets full, and it stays strong, you just need to be gentle with it, give it all the care and love. Other kinds of nourishment will come soon, once I decide to buy groceries. I realized that since April 12, 2020 I didn't step into a grocery store to fill my fridge.. I have been on an intermittent fast where I eat at 11/12 (breakfast - a granola bowl or a smoothie) followed at 5/6 or 7 a dinner (that can be a salad with lots of sprouts)
So I was able to handle a full month without buying anything, and simply using from what is available, and FYI I live alone now - Had a flatmate and she used to buy her own food - she never liked to share when I proposed to buy organic food that I can prepare plant based food for both.. anyways, life is a choice, and I respected that.
Only time I went was a 10 days ago to get all the ingredients to make kimchi - a kind of sauerkraut - so Green & Purple cabbage, beets, I added ginger, tumeric, garlic. So they get ready by the time I finish this challenge.
Also got an original kombucha, which I prepared my own with that started & the scooby, and they should be ready in 14 days!
Anyhow, living with little, is feasible and very much doable... we don't need much to be satisfied, simply being grateful with the little that we have is enough... what ever comes in more, be happy and thankful.
Here is the discourse of tonight... looking forward to watching it later at 7:20pm.
Adios! Till tomorrow we meet, another day will be born..
This journey of mind purifying, allowing it to rest, and be at all times equanimous, is a long way to go... practicing in your daily meditations, and day to day life, will help you a lot to be focused and ultimately get there.... to liberation.
Today I finally woke up at 4:22am, only got up at 4:50am to get ready, shower, set for meditation for an hour, morning chanting, then a warm lemon water - following I joined the online group sitting from 7-8am.
At around 9 am decided to get ready for a walk, by the time i got dressed, and make myself a laxative tea, as with no functional enema, & no epson salt, this garbage inside is not getting out... even when you drink water and liquids.. this must come out.
The nice bit warmer weather out there was kind, the wind touching the face, sometimes slow, and sometimes harsh... after a 6.60 km, the sun came out, so I simply sat on the bench and bathed in its warmth... oh how lovely to feel the touch of the sun rays on your face, how rejuvenating to be in that energy, I sat there for 30-40 min enjoying every moment.
Coming in home that was a full almost 2 hours out, it is time to drink something warm & get ready for more meditations. With Vipassana in the process, being equanimous with mind, with everything that arises, to let go, as everything is anicca, impermanent - this is the real challenge... even if you have been a meditator for years... and a vipassana meditator too, this takes time, especially sitting down, trying the full hour not to move, and your legs get so numb, that once you allow them to move, you can feel nothing... & that is tough.
Over the night, last night, most of my dreams where about food, grocery shopping, fruits and vegetables... all that you desire was in the dream... although I do not believe I dreamed of any animal product... or maybe what the animal produces... cheese and eggs. Haven't had these in a very long time.
You know, parts of the precepts we follow upon taking a Vipassana course is abstaining from killing any living creatures, and one of them is killing to eat animals, or have them killed for you to eat them. Although, from even before, I have stopped eating animals since I slowly got into a full plant based lifestyle - which I love & am grateful to be living it.
So here are the precepts we follow:
The foundation of the practice is sila - moral conduct. Sila provides a basis for the development of samadhi - concentration of mind; and purification of the mind is achieved through panna - the wisdom of insight.
The Precepts
All who attend a Vipassana course must conscientiously undertake the following five precepts for the duration of the course:- to abstain from killing any living creature;
- to abstain from stealing;
- to abstain from all sexual activity;
- to abstain from telling lies;
- to abstain from all intoxicants.
- to abstain from eating after midday;
- to abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decoration;
- to abstain from using high or luxurious beds.
----
Even though it is mentioned during the course, I believe this should be abstain at all times.
Why to kill any creature that is alive, specially insects, we live in their environment, so we should learn to live together... and for the last 5 years since I have taken the course, I have not, won't say never as we never know, have intentionally killed an insect... I helped a bee get out of the water, a taranchula to get out of our retreat site, twice - on separate occasions. I took out a cockroach out of our chalet on the beach - my parents didn't believe I would do that... and so on and on...
Abstain from stealing... shouldn't this be at all times!
Abstain from all sexual activities - it is mentioned during the course because you don't want to get lost in the lust and pleasure, which takes out the mind to a different focus. In the discourse, what Goenkaji mentions is, to abstain from hurting anyone sexually, or doing anything sexual without the consent of the partner. As once anyone does anything that hurts the other, he/she is hurting him/her self more.. this is where the impurities of the mind get stuck.
Abstain from telling lies... why should anyone lie anyways, what is the benefits from lying. A person who lies, is someone who is afraid to be judged, or looked down at... the truth will always come out, so why not say it in the first place.
Abstain from all intoxicants ... speaking behind anyone's back, judging people, or bullying ... we should abstain that during all our life... being kind, compassionate and loving is what humans should be.
Abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decoration, during the course, this is of important, as you don't want your eyes to start looking outside of yourself... after the course, I believe it is also good to be minimal in your decoration, or smells, being modest, using essential oils instead of chemical perfumes.. ( at the beginning, I didn't get it, later, I realized it makes a lot of sense)
Abstain from using high or luxurious beds, we are all equal, and no one is better then the other in how they live, how you are makes you unique, kind, loving, compassionate and caring. Aim for that.
Off to meditation now, followed by a 2:30 pm group sitting, and again at 6pm, then the discourse of Day 6... Can't wait.. that is what keeps me moving... and looking forward to finish this challenge.
PS: with the liquids I am having, the body gets full, and it stays strong, you just need to be gentle with it, give it all the care and love. Other kinds of nourishment will come soon, once I decide to buy groceries. I realized that since April 12, 2020 I didn't step into a grocery store to fill my fridge.. I have been on an intermittent fast where I eat at 11/12 (breakfast - a granola bowl or a smoothie) followed at 5/6 or 7 a dinner (that can be a salad with lots of sprouts)
So I was able to handle a full month without buying anything, and simply using from what is available, and FYI I live alone now - Had a flatmate and she used to buy her own food - she never liked to share when I proposed to buy organic food that I can prepare plant based food for both.. anyways, life is a choice, and I respected that.
Only time I went was a 10 days ago to get all the ingredients to make kimchi - a kind of sauerkraut - so Green & Purple cabbage, beets, I added ginger, tumeric, garlic. So they get ready by the time I finish this challenge.
Also got an original kombucha, which I prepared my own with that started & the scooby, and they should be ready in 14 days!
Anyhow, living with little, is feasible and very much doable... we don't need much to be satisfied, simply being grateful with the little that we have is enough... what ever comes in more, be happy and thankful.
Here is the discourse of tonight... looking forward to watching it later at 7:20pm.
Adios! Till tomorrow we meet, another day will be born..
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