A Tad Bit of Madrid & A Little More of Porto
A revisit is refreshing, literally and metaphorically. I had a few extra hours in Madrid before flying out to Porto. Not taking advantage of this would be plain lethargy. But, lethargy is non-existent at the beginning of exciting trips and I headed into the heart of Madrid.
My first visit to Madrid some four years ago was quite a milestone. Under the supervision of my sister, I had my first ever beer. What followed after were all possible extremes of alcohol-induced behavior, largely inspired by "college". And now having graduated, there is no real excuse to let alcohol take control. So, to come back to Madrid, actually enjoy a beer and not drink it just to lose my wits is refreshing. The other interesting part of Madrid was eating some typical spanish garlic prawns that my dad was obsessed about and spent a whopping three days trying to explain to mum how to cook it. Three tries later, mum nailed it and I now know exactly why my dad was so adamant about it all.
Porto is the most offbeat city on my extremely conventional euro trip. And that's not saying much. The irony of evaluating the first destination is that there is nothing to compare it with. And, the joy of holidaying makes everything seem more dandy than it is. One thing I can affirm through experience is that the hostel I lived at in Porto, Yes! Porto is the best hostel I've ever stayed in. And that's saying a lot. Besides being friendly, socially encouraging, party-promoting and tours-providing, they offered a 10 Euro home cooked Portuguese meal which included a soup, a starter, a main course, some desert and 5 alcoholic beverages. Not only was it cheap, but they also got the whole hostel together and gave us a taste of some local food. Brilliant. And I could go on and on about the hostel. I really could.
I walked around the first day breathing in all the localness I could. Porto is so beautifully tiny that it didn't take long to get an idea about the pretty city. Porto is officially the only place in the world where port wine is made, much like champagne and France. So, I undertook a day trip into the port-wine-producing paradise that is the Douro Valley. Not only was the valley stunning, but the vintage wine that we tasted was absolutely sinful. I've never had any form of alcohol that was as smooth as the vintage wines I tried there. It's only for the best that I cannot currently afford it. This day also included trips to smaller towns close to Porto including Aramante and Larego. This port-wine tour was slightly expensive so I was the only backpacker among some older, well-to-do people. But, the fellow tour-members were a fascinating bunch and included beer/restaurant owners, and a technologist who was traveling with his family in a mobile home across Europe. Someday, I will dare to do the same. Someday.
The second day left me Porto-ed out. I did two city tours back to back, one was a walking tour and the other was on a Segway. Yes, a Segway. While the former was more insightful, the latter was more fun. Segways look awkward for sure but the concept is pure genius. The ease with which you can maneuver yourself uphill, downhill, left and right is so delightful. It's effortless, fast-paced and so bloody fun. I'd buy one as soon as I have excess amounts of money. Or, maybe I'll just stick to doing tours, that seems a little less socially awkward.
I had to switch hostels my last night in Porto. The super hostel I was in was booked because of a music festival that SXSW and ACL would laugh at. So, I moved further out close to the beach to this other hostel called Peste. I didn't expect much because it was a whopping 30km away from the center, but it was a delightful little house which was more of a friendly home than a paid-for hostel. Again, the people I met there were so wonderfully nice and so eclectic. They included animators, PHDstudents, film-makers and students. But, what brought us all together was that we were all travelers and well the fact that we could all also speak English. We drank and dined in Portuguese style which seemed not that different from what everyone does. The steak we had after was heavenly. It was rare and moist, dipped in some serenely delicious garlic cream sauce. The meat was tender and the whole experience was superme, despite being my second dinner of the day. Now, that's a sign of some good food. Once we were all buzzing, a bunch of us headed to the city to enjoy the nightlife. Like most European cities, the night didn't get started till 1am. Plus, you can drink on the streets so everything was Vegas/Nola style. We were actually buying beer (illegally) from these aunties on the street for a Euro that our host knew oh so well. There is this added advantage of partying with locals - they know so much more. But, the worst part of Porto was the nightlife. Yes, it was buzzing and lively and the crowd was great, but there was just way too much smoke. Everyone smokes in Porto. And when everyone is drunk and out, everyone smokes even more. Additionally, smoking indoors is allowed so that didn't help. I must have consumed over twenty cigarettes worth of passive smoke. My clothes, considering the slightly larger surface area, must have consumed several more. Everything on me smelt of smoke, even my underwear. There was a point when I found it kind of hard to breathe. Yes, it was bad. Worse than Dubai and Dubai is bad when it comes to smoking. I remember one of my tour guides was complaining about the same thing. Apparently 2020 is when they're going to ban smoking in Portugal. Right, I'll make a trip after that.
All in all, go to Porto. It´s not too touristy which is a massive positive and has some delightful sights to offer. The people are not too bad either.
P.S. Portuguese Beer = Super Bock = Super Indeed.
Europe Bound
Apparently, traveling makes you live longer. I am hoping to extend my life a little by backpacking around Europe for a solid 27 days, before unleashing myself into the big bad corporate circus. The 55cm x 40cm x 20cm bag is almost packed. Any piece of luggage bigger or additional to that costs an average of 25 Euros more. My average internal flight cost is 20 Euros. God bless Ryanair.
The sister has already warned me about how everything I take to Europe has a good chance of getting stolen. So, I am keeping it simple. No laptop and no shades, but I am wrapping my left wrist with a semi-decent watch. 7 tees/shirts, a pair of jeans, a couple of shorts, some flip-flops and a pair of shoes and I am all packed for my exciting yet intense journey ahead. Laundry should be a regular expense. It better be.
The urge to do this trip has been two fold. Firstly, traveling is a mind-enchantingly eye-opening experience. And secondly, I cannot claim to be a traveler without experiencing the historic beginnings of mankind that have manifested themselves in the form of this continent known to most of us as Europe. Porto, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, Prague and Paris should keep me historically satisfied for a while.
Yes, I am traveling by myself and I have no qualms about it. I will be running into at least one familiar person in each of these cities, which is refreshing because that will allow for company in just the right dosage. Most of me is bloody excited but a part of me is moderately petrified. Am I doing too many cities in too little a time? This seems way too intense. Nothing teaches me more than jumping out of my comfort zone. Let’s see how uncomfortable this gets.
P.S. Traveling is a great excuse to blog. It generates quality content. But, it’s time I start hunting for time.
India Bindaas – Blogging the NRI Mind
500 People + 3 Days + 2 Families + 4 Dress Changes + 18 Dances + Lots of Money + A Phantasmagorical Quantity of Food = Our Cousin’s Medium-Sized Desi Destination Wedding. India Bindaas was conceived somehow after this sweaty, tiring yet immensely memorable experience. While recovering back home in Dubai, through a somewhat-clichéd epiphany, we (my sister and I) realized that we had something to say that was a step aside from the perceived conventions of modern Indian thinking. Also, both of our blogs were not functioning anyway. So, we decided to invest our creative energy on a new patriotic escapade. Now, we are a couple of non-resident, cynical-yet-proud Indians ranting and raving, recollecting, reproving and rationalizing everything that remotely resonates with our rat-infested yet ravishing India. We hope you can relate, at least a little. Check our new blog out at http://indiabindaas.in.
P.S. Yes, we succumbed to the super Desi .in top-level domain.
Dhobi Ghat = A Bollywood Renaissance?
So I had the blissful pleasure of getting a chance to watch Aamir Khan Production's latest concoction, "Dhobi Ghat" on the big screen here in New York City. I am an AK fan, so yes I was excited to witness this spectacle. By the time the credits rolled, I was not only satisfied, but supremely amazed at the boldness and the silky, pure nature of this film. It was real, believable, emotional and stirring, but yet beautifully simple. I just had to break my three-month hiatus from blogging to review it.
The movie begins at this slow-rapid pace where everything seems painfully slow but is actually rolling on at a ten-minutes = one-night-stand pace. The first part focuses on character development and it is thoroughly pleasing to see that the Indian Film Industry has finally thought hard enough to develop interesting yet real characters. The film soon paves its way into a deep melancholy, but nothing that was sad enough to make you cringe. It climaxes with an acceptable and understandable disappointment. So yes, the end leaves you wanting more and does seem a little sudden. On retrospection though, this movie has deep, layered messages about India and life in Mumbai. Everything is transient, and so much happens, but in the end, everything and everyone moves on.
One of the dominating reasons I like this movie is that it was not a conventional Bollywood flick. It has no songs, is barely 120 minutes in length and is not scared to be real about sex, language and reality. A lot of credit for this obviously needs to go to director/producer Kiran Rao. She had a fresh spin on each of the main characters, and in what some might find dry, there is a lot of honest depth to be found. Prateik Babbar, i.e. the "Dhobi" was simply brilliant. He was delightfully convincing and genuinely charming in his slumdog-like role in this movie. Aamir Khan and the other chick did a decent job at personifying their persona too.
All good movies have one stand-out scene that just blows you away. This movie had one too. It was a first-person take of one of the characters in the movie. She was simultaneously filming and drawing on the shores of a beach in Mumbai, and every attempt of hers at this was lost when the waves strolled over and erased her writings. She did this a couple of times, chuckled and talked about how things are as transient as her writing on the beach. The sea seems to eat up all the secrets and keep them away from the world, making it a truly faithful friend. Yes, it might sound a little corny and I am sure my description does not do it any justice, but if you do watch this movie, enjoy that scene.
All in all, Dhobi Ghat is no epic nor a life-changing mindf**k. It's a simple, classy, deep and a blissfully sorry movie that seems to throw fresh paint across the Bollywood landscape. It's daring and I love that about it. It's a must watch for sure. If not in the theatres, then definitely at home, but NOT while having dinner or eating lunch. Make time for this one and treat it with a tad bit of patience, and I promise you it will be worth the while.
P.S. The movie served as a lovely end to a 12-hour-day with a long-lost friend.
The Halloween Stare
So I am going to be a hundred-dollar-bill this Halloween. Yes, that is probably more American than any American will be, which is ironic. I am not American but am still imbibing the ultimate American education. Yes, it feels good to be an "exotic" (arguably) international student, but that sense of home that my country gives me, can never be matched. It is especially depressing whilst I am recruiting (for an internship/job). The "recovering" economy here in America prefers the local population, which is annoying, but fair. Why would a company spend time and money on an international student, when they can get somebody as good who is not going to increase paperwork? It is rational and completely logical but personally frustrating. Forget internships, it is hard even getting interviews. Even firms that preach "equal employment" are not considering international students - apparently we are the exception.
Yes, I am bitter and complaining. I am also downgrading myself a little by framing myself as easily replaceable but the dieing truth is that no one is indispensible. Modesty does not always reap benefits though so I am going to just say it - it sucks that the fate of an individual depends more on the interview than his/her actual capacity to work. It sucks, but it's again the only rational way of going about doing it. So, I need to turn my focus more towards improving my interviewing skills and how to fluff my resume. Ironic, to say the least but reasonable, none the less. Sure. I have a phone interview tomorrow. Let's see how that goes.
P.S. The reason for this mournful post is that I recently got rejected after a topsy-turvy interview. Phase 1 was bad, phase 2 was awesome. Bad beat awesome, unfortunately. I am bitter, and sad, and venting. Apologies. But, I feel that lifes staring at me like that friggin' pumpin pictured above.
Arsenal Devastation
I consider myself to be a relatively passionate Arsenal fan. And if you follow football ("soccer"), you would know how Arsenal literally threw away two points this weekend. A 95th minute equalizer from Darren Bent irritated the hell out of me and other Arsenal fans, especially when there were only 4 minutes of added time. Besides that, we had an arguably unfair sending off and a horrendous penalty miss. So it was all our fault, but was so so frustrating.
My weekend was similar. It was largely unconstructive and involved some horrendous decisions and miserably fortune. It was long but it felt like it was way too short. And how much ever "fun" is important in college life, it's pathetic when the aftermath is miserable. It was all my fault of course, but it was unfortunate, just like Arsenal's Saturday. Harry, a good friend and a big Arsenal fan, keeps comparing his life to the fate of Arsenal and I always ridicule him for it. So this is, in a way, hypocritical. But what Arsenal and I both need to do is realize that it's important to finish things off rather than rely on some magical fortune to guide us on the right path.
P.S. This resonates with the "change" post and proves how hard it is to actually change. Also, the weekend destroyed my goal of "blogging everyday."
Good Times, Kinda
So amidst a buttload of work, I conveniently used my spare time to revisit some of the best concerts I have ever been to. The first one I saw was my fave band MB2's "Storytellers" and damn, it's a good concert. They sound so good and their music is so damn good. Add some good headphones to the mix and a dark room, and yeah, that pretty much sums up awesome. It ended too quickly though so I got a hold of Robbie Williams - A Close Encounter - Live in Leeds. Now, I have actually been to one of the legs of this tour. To literally trace back the night through this concert was so uplifting. Life doesn't really suck at the moment, but I keep my self sufficiently busy to wallow in my self-pity. This was a good release.
Also, today, Arsenal dominated Braga, which definitely brightened up everything. The emotion music and sport can stir is tantalizing and sometimes all these neutral preachings of meditation that have perspectized my brain seem futile. There is nothing like feeling.
P.S. So the plan is to blog everyday. Let's see how long that lasts. Also, "perspectized" is not really a word. It's intended to conjoin "perspective" with "-zation," if you know what I mean.
Change
Every day before I sleep, I make these constant mental introspections and temporary decisions to change. They can be as superficial as “I need to put eye drops every day, not just once in a while” and as bloody important as “I need to eat healthy,” but more often than not, they just end up being these presumptuously ambitious thoughts. Positive indeed, but negative in the sense that it doesn’t actually happen. Maybe writing it out will make a difference.
There are things I really really need to change about myself.
- For the love of the almighty-person-sitting-up-there-or-wherever, I need to speak SLOWLY and confidently. English is pretty much my first language, but I can be so rapid and incoherent at times, that it’s frustrating. I just have this stupid paranoia that I sound weird. I need to get over it.
- For the love of my digestive system, I need to eat properly. I need to eat more vegetables and more fruits and less meat and less Ramen. I need to learn how to cook but I somehow feel that time is just too precious for that. I mean if you can order in cheap? Not cool. Ahh, I need to eat well.
- For the love of my time, I need to reduce the amount of time I spend on Facebook. Someone needs to come up with an application that measures the amount of time spent by an individual on Facebook and which then throws it in that person's face and says: "8hrs, 2mins & 15secs. Look how much you suck at life you self-obsessing, attention-seeking loser."
- For the love of my blood-pressure/stress level in the future, I need to stop delaying things to the last minute. Yes, I am very constructive in life and very energetic and enterprising and all that jazz-like-rock, but I need to stop leaving everything for just before it is due. I keep myself busy, but not at the extent of stressing out at the last friggin’ minute. I need to actually manage time.
- For the love of my father (and for the purpose of self-enrichment through networking), I need to keep in touch with family, friends and important people BETTER. I slack off way too much at the expense of “being busy.” Un-cool.
- For the love of my mental state, I need to stop over-thinking and over-analyzing every single instant of my life and just come to terms with what is. Also, I need to stop swelling in self-pity when my life is indeed very good. Who cares if I don’t have a woman to pursue. Okay yeah, I do, a little, but I need to get over it. I need to kinda meditate a little more.
- For the love of this blog, I need to write more because I enjoy it and because I actually have a friggin’ website that I have paid a hefty amount for. Plus, writing is therapeutic. This better be.
I have a paper due tomorrow that I haven’t started yet in the spirit of leaving things to the last minute. Plus, I also have a program to write, videos to edit for work and a sponsorship proposal I need to beautify ASAP. Yeah, I need to keep the showing-off to the minimum too. Change.
P.S. This post has too many “I”s for my liking. Just letting you know that I know.
The 10 Day Vipassana Meditation Course
Imagine this: a Godly salesman shows up at your doorstep and pitches a product to you. He says that if used properly, this product frees you from all misery. It guarantees you a peace of mind, freedom from misery, renewed positivity, exuberant energy, egoless compassion, eternal bliss, freedom from craving and aversion, and true happiness. Then he gets cocky and says that you do not have to believe him and that you can try it for yourself to see whether it works or not. And then he bamboozles you by saying that this product is absolutely free - all it would require is your honorable dedication. If a salesman said this to me, however Godly he sounded or looked, I’d first stare at him, then laugh and politely ask him to run away. If he persisted, I’d interrogate him not to learn more but to merely find a flaw in his logic and then politely ask him again to run away. If he somehow miraculously passed my interrogation, I would threaten to call the police. If he still did not seem scared at this empty threat of mine, I would get somewhat convinced because of his undying confidence. I would accept the product with a frown and give it a shot, willing to throw it away as soon as I found what the catch was.
Something of this sort did actually happen. The Godly salesmen were my mother, my father and my sister and this “product” was a meditation technique - Vipassana. I gave it a shot and came across something so brilliantly pure, something so simple yet revolutionary that it had the capacity to redefine the way I looked at everything. It has such unfailing logic and such obvious application that it is really a crime to not at least know about it. I excessively questioned its essence and my cynical-self failed to find a flaw. But, I did find a catch – it requires hard work and hard work does not come easy.
It is crucial to know what Vipassana is and what Vipassana is not. The official website (http://dhamma.org) puts it brilliantly:
What Vipassana is not:
- It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
- It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
- It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
- It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
What Vipassana is:
- It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
- It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
- It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
Yes, the above is true. It is almost scary how something so straightforward can be so effective. But it’s hard.
To understand Vipassana, I had to indulge in a gruesome ten-day meditation course that would teach me exactly how to make use of this. My mother inspired me to get on with it and before I knew it I was enrolled in a summer course in the United Arab Emirates, or rather in the middle of a desert. The meditation camp was located some fifty miles from Dubai in a city called Ras Al Khaimah. The secluded nature of this campsite can be explained by the fact that no road led to it. We had to conquer at least a mile of unpaved terrain before we reached the gates. We stepped out of the car and 105 degree weather greeted us with warm affection. We were to also eventually learn that creatures such as scorpions, snakes and rats were around to entertain our fears and that there was a beautiful but inaccessible swimming pool to tempt us. We were then enlightened with the rules – no talking or communicating with anyone, no internet, no mobile phones, eating only at meal times, meditating for ten hours a day and the list went on and on. We were basically converted into monks for the coming ten days. Fortunately, I was prepared for all this so it wasn’t a mental storm in any way.
The first three days were easy. I got into the routine and was excited at the prospect of what I was about to do. On retrospection, I don’t know why I was excited, but I was. Our day began at 4:30am in the morning with a loud bell and ended at 9pm in the evening. The schedule for the next ten days was straightforward - ten hours of meditation, no dinner, a five-minute break every hour and a video discourse from our teacher S.N. Goenka at the end of the day. These video discourses were crucial for our sustenance. They explained why we were doing what we were doing. For instance, the first of two meditation techniques we learnt was “Anapana.” This involved focusing on our breath and nothing else. In the discourse he explained how it helped concentrate our minds and how it was a stepping stone towards learning the main technique – Vipassana. Our teacher also spoke about the philosophy this type of meditation was based on. This technique had been passed down for 25 centuries in its purest form in the tiny country of Burma. It originated in India and was rediscovered by Siddhartha Buddha 2500 years ago. Some 400 years later, it got lost in India to Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and other such religions. But, it prevailed in Burma. S.N. Goenka brought it back to India from Burma in the 1970s after which has spread across the globe. Currently, there are over fifty meditation centers across the world in places such as North America, Australia, Asia and the Middle East and millions of people have benefited from this technique.
The essence of this technique lies in the fact that it is purely scientific and experiential. It is a non-religious; non-preaching art of living that is based on the universal law of nature and is applicable to all. It shows the path to enlightenment and even though attaining liberation is realistically impossible, it is possible if one works hard enough. The beauty of this technique is that all you need is yourself and truthful perseverance to reap its benefits. It took S.N. Goenka 10 hours over 10 days to explain the logic, philosophy and essence of Vipassana. So, explaining it in brief through this post is virtually impossible.
On the fourth day, we were finally taught the art of Vipassana. Surprisingly, I was super excited to learn this technique and couldn’t wait for the afternoon session. It finally came and my patience got the better of me because the teacher took so long to get to the point and explain the technique. But, I checked myself because the whole purpose of this course is to understand patience, tolerance and to free myself from the miseries of agitation, craving and hatred. Vipassana basically involves observing subtle sensations on all parts of your body and not reacting to them, or staying “equanimous” to them. It is based on the universal law of nature that says that everything is impermanent so there is no need for a reaction, because the sensations you are feeling will eventually pass away. This is the basis of Vipassana and it is mind-shattering. It makes so much sense and is so easy to comprehend, but at the same time, so difficult to implement. Our teacher told us that merely having such wisdom is not enough. One needs to train his or hers subconscious mind to stay neutral to sensations of joy and pain, because they are impermanent. He gives examples of how we get so attached to material things like our phones or our laptops or a piece of jewelry. He says that we are not attached to the object but are attached to the pleasing sensations these objects ignite within us. These sensations produce a craving and suddenly we see ourselves doing anything to obtain these objects. For instance, if we were to lose our phones, we would become so miserable. It is just a phone and it is not the end of the world, so why be miserably? That was easy to accept but what was a little more difficult to swallow was the attachment explanation. Attachment is the basis of misery. The more attached you are to something, the more miserable you become. This makes sense on a superficial level but then I am also attached to my parents and my family, is that wrong? If something does happen to any one of them, I will definitely be miserable because I am so attached, but then should I detach myself from my own family just to be happy? This dilemma was genuinely messing around with my head. So I spoke to the assistant teacher about it. He said that they were “my” parents and they take care of “me”. So I am attached to the pleasant sensations they conjure in “me”. They make “me” feel good. He said that it is all about “me” and “mine.” This self-propelling ego is one of the root causes of all that’s wrong in today’s world. Everyone is so selfish on such extreme levels that a lot of people get hurt along the way. Vipassana tries to destroy this ego. It tries to teach you to give without expecting anything in return because if you do expect then it becomes more about you rather than the cause. This is just a bit of what we were taught. I might not do justice to the explanation but the purity of the teaching was refreshing.
I was elated on the fifth day. Meditation was going well and there was this unexplainable joy that was constantly erupting within me. I couldn’t stop smiling and was thinking of how I would go back and blog about the brilliance of this course and how I would tell all my friends about it. I wanted to hug my parents, hug the Dhamma Sevaks, hug my best friends and unleash compassion in its true form. Yes, I was very happy. But, it kind of went downhill from there - not because Vipassana gets evil, but just because it gets much harder. Fifth day onwards, every day, every meditator is forced to sit in “Adhishtan” for three one-hour sessions through the day. “Adhishtan” means strong determination. So basically, we are not allowed to move our feet and our hands for an entire hour. This pretty much kills you. Sitting on the floor for an hour, cross legged with your back and neck straight is hard. After forty minutes, the pain rushing through your legs is almost torturous. The next twenty minutes is more like twenty hours and clock ticks ever so slowly. The pain is so severe, that your mind freaks out. Then why do this? Our mind naturally reacts to pain because it produces painful sensations and puts us in misery. Mere physical pain is also converted into severe mental pain. The purpose of Adhishtan or sitting through pain and not reacting to it is to change the normal habit pattern of the mind. Pain is impermanent and will eventually subside so why is there a reason to put yourself in unnecessary misery. So however crucifying it seems, it teaches you to understand pain and not react to it, which is brilliant. And that is the general nature of Vipassana. Every little thing that it teaches you is so pure and so right that you are ridden with guilt for not doing what you are supposed to.
The sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth day were hard, really hard. The not-talking part is not hard at all but sitting and meditating for ten hours a day is agitating. The sixth day was killer. It was mind-numbing and painful and agony doubled when I realized we were only half way though. Even though it is for the good, our minds are used to reacting negatively to anything that is hard. Even though we know that we shouldn’t get angry, we do. At this point, I couldn’t wait for the course to get over. I tried finding excuses to why this was pointless but it was all so flawless and all so pure that finding excuses itself was pointless. I started slacking a little and meditated for less and less hours each day and the general level of happiness subsided. There were times when I felt pathetic and agitated but there were still times when I felt really positive too. These rapid booms and recessions in the economic state of my mind was a first. I don’t remember experiencing such rapidly changing emotions ever before. According to the teacher, my mind was getting rid of its deep rooted defilements. This was conveniently motivating.
As the days progressed, I started losing my appetite and barely got any sleep at night. All we did was sit, walk, sleep and eat. There was minimal consumption of energy which allowed for a minimum consumption of food. Dinner was not served and I really did not need it, so it was no longer a big deal. Three hours of sleep at night was enough to fuel the entire day, so a lack of sleep did not really make me tired or drowsy. But what all this meant was that I had a lot of time to think. So I thought of everything imaginable. From the most wrong things to the most important things to the most irrelevant things, the brain was doing a thorough introspection. I thought of life, ambition, parents, friends, sex, future, Texas, and a plethora of other things I can’t recall over and over again. Yes, I knew a lot about myself but I also learnt a lot more. I learnt that my mind is at its creative zenith when it has nothing to do. I came up with two feature length movies that would make millions for sure. I also came up with a gigantic list of things to do once I am done with this course and also estimated how many emails and Facebook notifications I would have after these ten days.
I meditated for only four hours on the ninth day. I was too excited for the course to end and to run back home to civilization. By this time, I had grown sick of the food, the schedule, the shitty shower, the ants, the heat and the sitting down cross-legged bit. My right knee couldn’t stop eliciting sensations of pain and I was sick of saying the pain was impermanent. Yes, day 9 was hard.
We were allowed to talk to other meditators on the tenth day and that made everything a lot better. My roommate and I could finally converse and I realized that there was this weird bond that nine days of silence had created between us. My roommate, a super-ambitious and successful business man, had given up on the sixth day. He had his Blackberry with him and that was enough to keep him entertained for the ten-day period. We had a much needed conversation and I found out that he is officially the first person I have met who has triplet sons – very cool. There were 30 individuals who took part in the course. There were mostly South Asian adults but there were five “young” individuals. There was a 14yearold, a 16yearold, a 17yearold, an 18yearold and me. The 17yearold ran away on the third day because he just couldn’t handle the meditation. The 18yearold followed on the fifth day and it seemed like all the “young” people were getting scared away. It is understandable though. Even our teacher said that many people feeling like quitting on the second day and if they make it through that, then on the sixth day. One uncle had done 14 courses which included two 30-day courses. There was also this Jordanian/Canadian actor/director who was very insightful on life. There were also two “Dhamma Sevaks” or servers who took care of us and they were both awesome. One of them was an elderly man who had done Dhammaseva for over 15 courses and had such a genuine desire to take care of us that it was highly refreshing. I couldn’t wait to hug him at the end of the course. The Dhamma Sevaks don’t get paid and to give ten days of their lives to this cause is beyond laudable. It was good meeting everyone on the final day. There was such a positive vibe in the air that all my frustrations of the previous days evaporated and I was magically left with only positive thoughts about the experience.
There was one last discourse at 4:30 am on day 11 which seemed so very long and then I headed back home with a great sense of accomplishment. The technique I learnt has the potential to make my life a much happier journey and that prospect is enough. The fact that I was exposed to this was itself satisfying. I feel that everyone needs to at least understand what this course teaches and what the human mind is capable of. We are the only creatures on this planet that can achieve such devastating control over our minds. This ten-day course is just a start. Our teacher told us that this course is not going to give us liberation or anything but it is just going to help us take the first step on the super-long path to enlightenment. But the point is that I don’t have to be completely liberated to gain the benefits of this technique. The more I practice the more it will help improve my mind. So, after ten days, a lot of people have asked me if I have changed. Quite honestly, I don’t know. Yes, my ideology on a lot of things has been altered but I seem the same. I would only really realize any small change over the months ahead. What is crucial though is continuity of practice. Goenkaji urges us to meditate at least two hours day and do at least one ten-day course every year. I doubt I am going to follow that but I hope to do at least thirty minutes of meditation every day. There is enough proof around me that this actually works. Vipassana has dramatically improved the lives of mum and dad. It would be sinful on my part to not indulge in Vipassana but at the same time it seems hard. It is not the most entertaining of activities and would really require me to make an effort. But I really need to do it and I strongly recommend it to everyone.
P.S. I have spent three days trying to write this post about Vipassana and how I felt before, during and after the course. It has been hard to put my feelings into words and explain exactly what I went through. I really tried to keep it brief but being any briefer would do injustice to this experience. The person who enjoys reading this blog the most is me, and ten years down the road, this long post will definitely be worth it.