My legs and back were tense and hurting, and the sacral singing in the hall made me slightly uneasy about what was to follow in the coming ten days. I was sitting on a big light blue pillow, in a pose that looked like a rather futile attempt to resemble lotus posture. It could not have been more than fifteen minutes since we started our one hour meditation - the first of my 10-day course - but already my cramped posture was starting to give me problems.
It had been one of those rash decisions I was trying to unlearn: reading my travel guide on the plane from Jakarta to Kathmandu, I had decided that in the land of Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, it would only be proper to try out some kind of meditation, and that the 10-day Vipassana course near Kathmandu would be the one. I cannot say I was not adequately forewarned. My guidebook mentioned explicitly that the course was for serious students only and involved getting up at 4 am every morning. Upon signing up to the course, I was pointed out several times that the timetable was demanding: getting up at 4 am, 10 hours of meditation per day, 6 hours of sleep per night, no real dinner (only tea and some fruits). The first three days were spent learning “Anapana”, a meditation technique focusing on one’s breath. The first day we had to turn our attention to the in- and outgoing breath, the second day to the triangle including nose and mouth, and the third day to the area below the nostrils and upper lip. During the scarce breaks from meditation, no book, no music, no writing, no phone, no talking with others… The next 7 days we focused on the actual Vipassana technique as originally taught by Siddhartha Gautama: scanning the body for different sensations, while making sure the mind stays balanced and does not start craving for pleasant or creating aversion against unpleasant sensations. 7 days of scanning your body, in perfect “noble silence”… By day 7, my mind started revolting and a lot of discipline was needed to not climb the meditation center’s walls; but somehow, I eventually made it to the finish. The application of the Anapana and Vipassana technique on such intensive basis was extremely demanding, both physically and mentally, but what kept me hanging in there was the philosophy behind the technique: one’s misery is not caused by external circumstances, but by one’s reactions to the sensations which those circumstances generate. Those reactions are deeply rooted in one’s subconscious mind and basically consist of craving in case of pleasant sensations and aversion in case of unpleasant sensations. When we do not obtain the things we crave, we are unhappy; the same goes in case things happen which we have created aversion against. The key to happiness thus lies within oneself: when we understand that all things are impermanent, and learn to observe the sensations (both pleasant and unpleasant) in an objective manner and without losing the balance of the mind (equanimity), the external circumstances will no longer be able to cause unhappiness. If my explanation does not make sense to you, no worries, I can assure you that guruji S.N. Goenka explained everything in a much better and much funnier way ;-) Should you want more info about Vipassana meditation (courses are available worldwide), have a look at http://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index If you prefer watching a documentary about it, have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkxSyv5R1sg
1 Comment
The rain season lasted long this year, and the morning of the 6th of October, when I set off for the Annapurna Circuit, did not give cause for optimism: rain was pouring from the sky… Not a comforting start, but by early afternoon, the sun was already peeking through in the village of Ngadi Bazaar. Gradually, the days became sunnier, the weather got colder and the landscapes got more and more spectacular. As from Manang (3500 m), acute mountain sickness (AMS) becomes a genuine concern for most, and taking some acclimatization days is usually not a luxury. Moreover it makes perfect sense to linger in that region, which, without a doubt, offers some of the most incredible views on the circuit (think: Ice lake trek, Tilicho Lake trek, Upper Khangsar to Yak Kharka, …). Slowly but gradually, the greenery disappeared, landscapes became more rocky and making it safely over the 5416m Thorung La Pass became the main focus of trekkers. Then, once that hurdle taken, the scenery changed again, with vast views of desert-like surroundings, then again more plants, trees and Nepali village life (including vast packs of goats and sheep, on their way down to the lower lands for being turned into Nepali dishes…). In short, Annapurna Circuit was an amazing and unforgettable experience, with breathtaking views, decent food and, last but not least, superb travel mates. If you ask me, everyone who has a good pair of legs, and is in reasonable health, should put Annapurna on their bucket list, at the very top!
It does not take long to realize that Pokhara is a town where the Nepali couleur locale is hard to find: pizzas, German Bakeries, hamburgers, and tons and tons of bars… But for a couple of days pre-trek relaxing, not a bad spot altogether.
In between Kathmandu and Pokhara lies the charming village of Bandipur: small, laid back, with beautiful views of the valley and the Himalayas beyond (provided there aren’t too many clouds).
Pharping, a town renowned for its many monasteries, was somewhat further away from Kathmandu: it took some time to get there, bumping at 10km/hr over roads in terrible condition, in a bus with so low a ceiling that a standard-sized European tourist cannot stand upright. And no, it is not customary that every passenger actually has a seat - you are lucky if you can actually stand with your two feet on the floor ;-) The day of my arrival in Pharping appeared to be the day of an important Newari holiday. The festivities would apparently be held at night, “probably after 10pm”. It seemed indeed that by that time, the entire village was out in the streets, a.o. to witness the ritual sacrifice of an ox. Timing of the spectacle was, as usual, very blurry: nothing seemed to be happening for a very long time, until about twelve o’clock, and then it was all over before you knew it… Very near Pharping is - or would be - the site of an important Hindu temple for making animal sacrifices - but the lack of any tourist signage and language barrier with the local goat herders made it impossible for me to find it.
|
Enjoying my blogposts? You can also follow me on instagram or facebook. Click the icons below!
Categories
All
Archives
April 2017
|