EktaJi, I attended S.N Goenka’s 10-day Vipassana retreat and felt like it promoted effort and also had a lack of emphasis on awareness of mental phenomena, focused more on physical sensations. I found a blog that exactly resonates with the thoughts I had about Vipassana meditation, and I wanted to know whether I misunderstood Vipassana, should I keep continuing the practice as it is prescribed, or incorporate awareness of thoughts while being aware of body sensations. I have found that you have recommended Vipassana in some of your blogs.

Extracts from the blog that resonate with my concerns: https://medium.com/@tristanflock/vipassana-with-sn-goenka-pros-mostly-cons-cbaa4bada653

Answer:

Yes, dear, I have always emphasized that if you cannot attend a Buddhadvaita retreat with Gnyana Sangha, you can do Goenka’s Vipassana, which is available worldwide, but with one exception: to remain as the witness of the breath and sensations. Otherwise, you will do it from the wrong standpoint of the body-mind person, and there will be tremendous effort involved. Effort implies doership and experiencership. That is the exact opposite of Annata or ‘No-Self’ teachings of the Buddha. If there is no Self, then how can there be a doer or experiencer? 

Regarding the article written, it is by one who is unaware of the witnessing stand, as there is no condemnation at that stand. Condemnation is born of aversion. The writer is operating from aversion. A simple distinction would have sufficed. The drama of finger-pointing happens only at the body-mind level. Therefore, ignore the judgments of the body-mind stand. Rise higher!

Reality is ‘No-Self’. Nobodyness is the highest truth. There exists no permanent ‘I’. There exists only phenomena or Dhamma. This is discussed and meditated upon in the retreat. Past retreat videos are freely available on the free Gnyana Sangha website – https://www.gnyanasangha.com/

If interested in Anapana, you can attempt the Anapana online retreat on the Gnyana Sangha website, which will provide you detail instructions on how:

• to witness the breath and not assume yourself to be the breather

When you learn the specific steps of Satipatthana after mastering Anapana, you will be provided the instuctions on how: 

• to witness the sensations and not assume yourself to be the body or having a body

Here is the website link to the Anapana self-retreat instructions – https://www.gnyanasangha.com/courses/Buddha-Advaita-Sabbatical-Retreat-Anapana-66604c6de3ca100061048d95

Feel free to join us for an in-person Gnyana Sangha Buddha retreat if you prefer personal guidance. The upcoming retreat flyer is attached below. Retreat Registration link – https://www.gnyanasangha.com/?gs-register

When you move to the higher Samadhis like Jhana, Bhahmavihara, and Shunyata after Satipatthana [Vipassana], there are clear instructions on how to stand as the witness of thoughts, feelings, and abide in and as the VOID, respectively. We dive deeper into higher Samadhis in the retreats with the aid of long Samadhi sittings and Dhamma journaling. Journals on each Samadhi level are available on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/author/ektabathija 

May all the resources help you on your spiritual path! Incorporate Awareness or Witnessing into your meditation technique and leap beyond!

Happy Samadhi!