“Remember watching The Matrix when Neo realises that he actually is ‘The One’? He starts seeing objects in the Matrix as they are and not how they seem. |

He sees the sentinels as binary codes, as zeroes and ones, and not as machines or humans any more! He sees the reality and realises his power to fight all evils.

That’s what Vipassana does to you – make you see the reality and tug you out of the real-life Matrix we all live in!

“Vipassana means ‘to observe things, as they are’. It’s an out-and-out experiential practice and can only be understood when one learns and begins to practise meditation as prescribed in Buddhism.

It is a non-religious, non-biased, non-secular, and a non-sectarian practice, which can be practised universally.

“The core of Vipassana is to observe without reacting. It trains you to observe your bodily sensations and to refrain from reacting to them."

"Every second, there are trillions of bodily changes, caused by chemical reactions leading to extremely fine sensations that range from subtle vibrations to solidified pain. Once you start practising Vipassana, you begin to cognise these sensations.

“One begins to sense the vibrations of energy within the human body, and since the body is made of atoms that are energy vibrations, one begins to feel that the body is not solid rather just a mass of fine vibrations!

Observing these sensations whether pleasant or not, without reacting to them by not having craving or aversion towards them, leads to the release of all mental defilements stored in the deepest annals of the subconscious.

“The idea is to sharpen the mind and focus on unravelling the sensations that were so far restricted to the subconscious. On consciously being able to feel these sensations, you realise that these sensations are impermanent."

"Every sensation, which arises eventually, departs, and this is the basis of all life.

“So, how does this translate into real life benefit? Misery in life is created by craving and attachment. When cravings remain unfulfilled, we feel disappointed. When we lose someone or something we are attached to, we feel miserable."

"Vipassana teaches you to stop reacting to situations that would normally cause grief, as you would understand that the grief just causes some kind of sensations on your body that have the same nature as the others, the nature of being impermanent.

“Just observing these sensations with mental equanimity will evaporate grief. Negative emotions like anger, jealousy and hatred begin diminishing. You will be at ease when dealing with pain – whether emotional or physical.

Once established in the technique, you won’t feel pain, only mental peace.

“Vipassana is the highest order of spirituality and teaches you all you need to know when on the road to enlightenment. It brings immense peace and joy, the way material comforts cannot."

"It liberates the practitioner from all miseries by helping him align his life with the Law of Nature.

“The technique of Vipassana meditation is taught at ten-day residential courses, absolutely free of cost. The accommodation and food is already paid for by donors, who have benefited from the course in the past."

"The reason for the no-charges is to make you live like a monk. Since you don’t pay anything, you cannot demand anything. This helps dissolve the ego as one has to make do with whatever is provided.

“All participants must observe ‘Noble Silence’ during the duration of the course. Noble Silence means silence of the body, speech and mind. Any form of communication with fellow students either by speech, gestures, sign language or writing is prohibited over the ten days of the course."

"You are not allowed to keep any reading or writing material, communication devices or entertainment gadgets with you. You will be disconnected from the rest of the world during the duration of the course."

"There are segregated enclosures for men and women. The rationale behind these rules is explained before the course starts.

“Vipassana’s one of the best temporal investments one can make. If you decide to go for the course, go with an open mind, a willingness to learn and a desire to succeed."