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FWIW, a 10-day meditation retreat is a very accessible way to try a really different lifestyle for a short period. (You’ll probably want to wait to try it until
by lincolnq 6y ago
FWIW, a 10-day meditation retreat is a very accessible way to try a really different lifestyle for a short period. (You’ll probably want to wait to try it until COVID is less of a threat though.) If you want a specific recommendation, the Goenka retreats (dhamma.org) are free (donation-supported), exist worldwide and are identical everywhere.
At such a retreat, you should expect to give up technology and live according to Buddhist precepts for 10 days, and one of the major claims of meditation is that it will help you unlearn bad habits related to focus and distractions, which can be carried back to the world with you once you complete the retreat.
- vekker 6y agoI second this. If you can look past the "Goenka dogma", these 10-day retreats offered around the world are a great way to experience life raw and without distraction of technology or otherwise, in meditation.
- abyssin 6y agoI agree about the fact they're a great opportunity to experience a unique lifestyle for the duration of one's stay. I've never felt calmer in my life than during the Vipassana retreat I did two years ago. But I'd advise anyone thinking of attending a retreat to look up critical opinions on the topic. I was personally put off by the sectarian vibe that I felt when I was there, much to my surprise. The method has its merits, but it is not scientific.
- collyw 6y agoYes, there is a bit of "bullshit" that goes with a Goenka course for want of a better word. The way I looked at it was the only reason I was being annoyed by it was because of my ego. Question why those aspects of the course bother you.
- abyssin 6y agoIt makes sense to answer in terms of ego, and it's true ego plays a role. But the way this truth is used to shield away from tough questions is precisely what sounds sectarian to me.