VIPASSANA According to the Doctors al —_ (3,15,000 Copies) LA SfEXPERIENCES OF FAMOUS PERSONALITIES | have gained immense advantages in life because of, Vipashyana. | have been able to keep many diseases like diabetes, depression, tension, blood pressure,, etc. at bay. It was because of Vipashyana that | was able to face many difficulties in life, which otherwise would have made life very difficult. Whenever | get bored or | start getting negative thoughts, | sit for Vipashyana meditation. Vipashyana is an invaluable treasure, which no wealth on earth can buy. My staff of around 1100 people also have undergone the 10-day Vipashyana course (leave with full pay). -Savjibhai Dholakia (Harekrishna Exports, Surat) | did my first Vipashyana camp in 2008 and | gained tremendously from it. It has enhanced my self- confidence and has also increased my capacity to deal with the tension and exhaustion of my professional life. A regular practice of Vipashyana has increased my mental capabilities, made me fearless and increased my self-confidence to achieve my goals. -Arbaz Khan (Actor) 4 | believe that Vipashyana is the only thing that i | do for myself and one that brings me closer to my és ownself. The rest is for others, which includes my ego, my hunger, my desires, my worldly needs, which never seem to end, and always remain unfulfilled. -Subhashchandra Goyal (Chairman, Essel Group and Zee TV) Out of 2000 people working in my factory, 1000 People have been to a Vipashyana camp. We give them leave with full pay for the 10-day camp, and it has yielded wonderful results! 1000 sadhaks working together in the same department in a factory! There is a marked improvement in their inter-personal relations and a huge increase in their capacity to work, resulting in better quality and quantity of production. -Jayprakash Agrawal (Chairman — MD, Surya Roshni Ltd.)Dear readers, Medical Science, today, accepts the fact that a man’s mind is the source and cause of many diseases. Mental problems and negative thoughts lead to many diseases. And Vipashyana is the most accurate and effective technique to purify the mind. It is my personal experience that Vipashyana leads to positive changes in one's personality and enhances one’s capabilities. This is supported by many people, who have shared their experiences with us in this book. Specialists and experienced doctors from various fields of medicine have shared their experiences of Vipashyana. | sincerely hope that this will inspire and encourage you'to do Vipashyana. This book is for you, your family and friends. | hope it inspires you to do Vipashyana. It is my sincere hope and Prayer that you will attend Vipashyana meditation camp at least once in your life, at the earliest. LSita aes Bente een cs Oe TERR Stes) COLLECTION AND PUBLISHER Dr. Wadhwani - drwadhwani@ yahoo.co.in Dr. Rajiv Maru — rajivmaru@gmail.com Dr. Kanubhai Kalasariya Nd Re-printing of the letters of this book will be done with the permission of the publisher. = DONATION IN BEST WAY Did you get solution of doubts of your mind by this book ? If all your doubts are clear after reading this book, then give this book in hand of your friends, relatives whoever you know and you can be the purpose of imparting religion. Donating knowledge is the best among other types of donation. It not only gives birth to everlasting tradition but also arises such situations that donor's knowledge nourishes. You can be helpful by supplying this book in library of your residential area as well as if it is possible for you that it can reach atleast to ten persons among your friends/relatives and be the part of knowledge donor. AVAILABILITY CENTRES Bhavnagar : Mohanbhai M. 98248 82331 : Dr. Suchak Sir M. 87583 71717 Shihor : Himanshubhai M.081418 50850 Vadli : Dr. Baldaniya Sadbhavana Trust Hospital Mahuva__ : Dr. Kanubhai Sadbhavana Trust Hospital Talaja : Pravinbhai M. 94261 65380 Gadhada =: Manojbhai M. 99135 19100 Gariyadhar : Pinakbhai M. 93753 39323 Palitana =: Alkaben Shah M. 93749 99866 Mumbai =: Shri Niteshbhai Kothari Ph. 022 - 2287 1694 : 3 rPREFACE There are many methods of meditation in the world. Most of the meditation techniques give importance to only concentration. Concentration leads to peace and happiness in.the conscious mind. But is not permanent. If you want to experience everlasting peace, happiness, love and kindness, you will have to purify the — subconscious mind. You will have to remove negative emotions like desire, anger, greed, jealousy, ego and hatred. And this can be done only by purifying the subconscious mind. Vipashyana is a unique technique of not only improving concentration but also purifying the mind. And so, saints and religious leaders across board are taking advantage of Vipashyana meditation. At the intellectual level, we believe and understand many good things. We share them with others also. But practically, it is a different scene. There is a huge gap between our speech and conduct. There is a marked difference between what we think and how we actually behave. Vipashyana is the technique to implement our thoughts in our own conduct. Today, stress and tension are a part of our lives. They are the root cause of many problems. Life does not fulfil all your desires. In today’s éver-changing lifestyle, it is difficult to lead a stress-free life. And so it is necessary to learn how to maintain an equilibrium even in adverse situations. And that is exactly what Vipashyana teaches us. This meditation is useful to everyone, including officers, industrialists, businessmen, intellectuals, scholars, youth, students and pregnant ladies. Do not miss any opportunity to make this mediation a part of your life. Every year, more than 1:lac people in more than.100 countries across the world learn this mediation. And most of them feel that they should have learnt it.much earlier in life. This book contairis experiences of a few doctors. Including experiences of all the doctors would mean printing a huge volume. This book is a humble effort to educate the people about the huge benefits of this invaluable meditation - Vipashyana. All my friends who seek wealth, position, prestige, power, material gains and who run after worldly things are requested to read this book. Today, it is necessary to understand and pursue spirituality with a scientific bend of mind. The knowledge and practice of Vipashyana is the true way ahead. 3os INDEX What is Vipashyana ? Its Uniqueness. The 10-day Vipashyana Camp. Do | Need to Meditate? ..... A Few Clarifications Regarding Meditation. Are All Techniques of Meditation Similar ? . Sensations — the Junction Point of Joy and Misery Vipashyana and Medical Science Vipashyana and De-addiction. . Helplessness or Slavery? .... 10. Unconscious Mind or Superconscious Mind ? 11. Aanapaan Meditation for All. 12. Vipashyana — A Tool to Change Your Nature . 13. Equanimity of the Mind 14. Immense Strength with Vipashyana. 15. In Memory of My Mother....... 16. Essential for a Busy Professional Life . 17. Vipashyana is a Unique Technique . 18. What is the Purpose of Life ? 19. | Write My Own Destiny. . . 20. Vipashyana—The Best Technique’ of Meditation. 21. From Negativity to Positivity. . . 22. Vipashyana—An Amazing Gem. . 23. Experiences of a Pregnant Mother . 24. Solitude is Important for Good. Health . 25. Dhamma Child. 26. Vipashyana and Pregnancy . . 27. Cure for Diseases —A Byproduct of wibashyane 28. Easy Pregnancy at a Late Age. 29. Love and Compassion 30. The Art of Living in the Present... 31. Mind is the Root Cause of Misery’. 32. The Purpose of Life 33. The Best Technique to Detachment (Sakshibhaav) 34. Oneness with Patients 35. Scientific Base — Realistic Approach . 36. Vipashyana Makes You Steadfast ... 37. Vipashyana—A Unique Technique. . . 38. Pragya-Agyaan (Ignorance of the Intelle is the Cause of All Diseases. 39. Freedom from Stress and Transformation. 40. The Golden Key to Peace of Mind and Good Health. 41. Training to Achieve the Unattainable Goal . 42. Vipashyana —the Turning Point of My Life . 43. List of Vipashyana Self-discipline Centres of Gujarat . .. 47 a 4 DON DOP 0. =WHAT IS VIPASHYANA ? ITS UNIQUENESS Vipashyana meditation is an easy and simple way to a happy life. It makes our mind truly peaceful, and so, our life more meaningful. Vipashyana means to accept the things and situations as they are. And this can be achieved by purifying the mind: through self-observation and self-realization. We all know that sometimes our mind becomes agitated or depressed and sometimes we lose our mental equilibrium. When we become angryor agitated, it is not limited to ourselves alone. We transfer it to others. And so we can surely say that life is certainly not an accomplishment in itself. We all wish to lead a happy and peaceful life and also let the others live so. But in spite of wishing thus, we are not able to do so. The question then arises : How do we live a balanced and”contented life? Vipashyana is not an intellectual sport. It is a noble way of life, which lets you and others live a happy and peaceful life. It is the ultimate meditation for self-dependence. It is a technique to judge oneself on the basis of self-observation. Vipashyana is a journey, an effort, a practice and an exercise to lead us from ignorance to knowledge, from impurity to purity, from the mundane to the spiritual, from ill-health to good health, from sorrow to happiness. Vipashyana teaches you to be constantly aware of yourself and try to prevent new impurities like anger, fear, jealousy, ego and other vices from entering the. mind and getting rid of existing impurities. A pure mind is filled with good thoughts. Many physical and mental diseases arise from the mind. They are called psychosomatic diseases. A pure mind, devoid of negativity and impurities, automatically cures all the diseases. (But this. does not mean that you should practice Vipashyana with the sole aim of curing yourself of diseases.) The main aim of this meditation is to get rid of all negativity and thus purify the mind. Only then will it lead to mundane and spiritual advantages. When faced with an adverse situation, it is foolish to react to it without really understanding or analyzing it. This is mental impurity, negative excitement, imbalance, restlessness — and therefore sorrow. Vipashyana is facing an adverse situation with a calm and balanced mind. 7 ziVipashyana means transforming oneself before trying to transform others. Vipashyana means purifying the mind. A pure and peaceful mind is filled with love and kindness. This is the ultimate achievement of life. And that is the ultimate goal of Vipashyana. Vipashyana is an easy, simple, practical but a scientific technique of meditation. It has nothing to do with any religion or faith. It is a universal remedy for universal ills. A person can practice Vipashyana and gain immense benefits without leaving his religious belief or faith. A technique without any religion or faith: Though Vipashyana has emerged from Buddhism, it does not encourage or follow any religion or faith. A person of any faith can practice and benefit from Vipashyana. Lord Buddha only preached dharma—a path to religion and truth. He never called his followers Buddhists. He called his followers dharmik (pious) people who seek and follow truth alone. All human beings have similar problems. This truth is the basis of this meditation. Vipashyana is a powerful technique to remove all problems and it can be practiced by any person. Vipashyana camp heartily welcomes all those who sincerely want to learn this technique. It is not limited to any particular nationality, religion, caste, creed or faith. Many people, including Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and others have successfully learnt and practiced Vipashyana. If a disease is universal, its remedy should also be universal. For instance, when we get angry, it is not Hindu or Muslim anger; it is not American or Chinese anger. In the same way, love and kindness also does not exclusively belong to any particular religion or faith. These are universal thoughts that arise in a pure mind. And so people of different religions, after practicing Vipashyana, experience a positive change in their personality. Study : The 10-day Vipashyana camp, founded by Shri Satyanarayanji Goenka, teaches this technique in three steps. To learn meditation, you need to be guided by a certified teacher in a 10-day camp. You have to stay at the Vipashyana centre. > a feThe three steps of learniny (meditation) and pragya ( - sheel (moral conduct), samadhi ‘isdom) Sheel Sheel or moral conduct is the basis of this meditation. During the camp, you have to keep away from violence, theft, lies, immorality and intoxicating drugs. This prepares the mind for the next step. Aanapaan Dhyan Samadhi Aanapaan means to be aware of or experience one’s own breathing — mindfulness of breathing — inhalation and exhalation. You do not have to alter the breathing pattern —that is you do not have to increase or decrease it or combine it with any word or imagination. All you have. to do is to experience it as it is. Easier said than done. When a person comes to the Vipashyana camp, he thinks it is a very easy process, but yet the mind is distracted within a few seconds. And then he realizes how restless the mind is. And ds soon as he realizes this, he starts Practicing with perseverance and soon the mind becomes calm and peaceful. Samadhi is a technique to train the mind to be focused, in which the mind has to be concentrate on one thing. In Vipashyana, the mind is focused on the natural breathing pattern. It is called Aanapaan Sati. Aanapaan makes the mind more focused, calm, sharp and quick, which makes it possible to reach the sub- conscious mind. This means that observation of the breathing Pattern is a tool in Vipashyana. Samadhi makes the mind aware and strong, and pure to a certain extent. Scientifically speaking breath is a natural support. It is connected to the mind and the body. All our negative emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, jealousy, ego, greed, etc. have no form, shape or colour. They lie in the subconscious mind, in an abstract or indistinct form. And breath is the best medium to reach to these negativities. For example, whenever a negative emotion (anger, fear, jealousy, anxiety) rises, it affects the body in two ways: (1) The normal breathing pattern changes and (2) You experience a feeling in the body. When you are angry, your breathing becomes fast. It is difficult to get rid of anger. But if you have seriously observed your own breathing pattern, you will realize that whenever you are angry, it is easy to concentrate your mind on your.breathing oC @pattern: In Vipashyana camp, a person is asked to concentrate on and observe his breathing pattern for three and a half days. Samadhi is taught on the basis of one’s own experience and not on any belief. Pragya Pragya means direct knowledge — which is gained out of ‘one’s own experience. It is the wisdom of experience. The next six and a half days, you will be taught to be indifferent to the feelings on the body. If you can remain indifferent and do not react to any feeling that arises on the body due to anger or any other negative emotion, the anger will subside considerably. A regular practice of meditation will gradually help you to get tid of anger and all other negative emotions. Vipashyana meditation is taught free of cost across the world. The entire cost is taken care of through voluntary donations of sadhaks. These sadhaks are the people who have participated and benefitted from earlier camps and would now like others to benefit from it. Even the principal teacher and his assistant teachers work without any remuneration. All these people give their valuable time and voluntarily work for the camps, without expecting anything in return. This system is like the tradition of selfless service, wherein knowledge is generously imparted out of feeling of gratitude and contribution, without any commercial gains attached to it. The Current Position Due to the use of technology in the fields of transport and communication, agriculture and medicine, there has been a great change in the lifestyle of man. But this material progress is merely an illusion. The reality is even in rich and developed countries, men and women are living in stress and tension. The citizens of this country have been affected by problems arising out of differences of caste and religion, idol-worshipping, and other such controversies. The future of our culture and heritage has been adversely affected by poverty, war, chemical weapons, diseases, drugs, terrorism, pollution and erosion of moral and ethics in society. Just one look at the headlines of a newspaper gives us an idea of the depression, fear, misery and terror that we are facing every day. 7 5One may think that these problems have no solution. But is that true? The answer is a definite NO. Today, there are winds of change blowing across the world. Everyone wishes to find a way to regain peace, unity and compassion. Vipashyana could be that solution. It will help human beings ‘to rée-impose their faith in humanity and virtues of mankind. It could free them from social, communal and economic problems and give them a feeling of security. Vipashyana and Social Change Vipashyana meditation is a technique that frees you from all your problems and worries. The root causes of our sorrow —anger, jealousy and attachment can be dealt with through Vipashyana. A person who practices Vipashyana regularly, will gradually get rid of his stress and tension and start living a happy, healthy and worthwhile life: There are many examples that prove this. Vipashyana camps are conducted in many prisons across India. Kiran Bedi established a permanent Vipashyana Centre in Tihar Jail. As a results, even the convicts there got an opportunity to mend their ways and enter the mainstream society. Many camps are conducted throughout the year. Similarly, large corporate houses, government and semi-government institutions and hospitals send their staff to attend Vipashyana camp (leave with full pay). Sociologists and researchers from renowned universities have conducted surveys and concluded that such camps have yielded wonderful results. Shri Goenkaji’s teacher, Sayaji U Baa Khin’s term in government service proves that even government administration can be markedly improved with Vipashyana meditation. Sayaji was the chairman of many government departments. He taught Vipashyana meditation to all the people working under him and made them more sincere, efficient, disciplined and accountable. There was an unbelievable improvement in their performance and reduction in corruption. Similarly, officers holding high posts in the Home Department of Rajasthan government, affirm that because of Vipashyana meditation, they have been able to take decisions and complete assignments more quickly than before. It has also improved their inter-personal relations. NK r 9 2/Vipashyana According to the Doctors\s An institution called Vipashyana Vishodhan Vinyaas has collected and compiled many examples that prove Vipashyana’s benefits in health, education, rehabilitation from drugs, etc. These experiments prove that a change in society begins with a change in an individual, which means that each individual has to first change himself. Merely lectures and philosophy will not change the society. Even in students, merely books are not enough to teach them the virtues of discipline. Fear of punishment will not transform criminals into good, law-abiding citizens. And fear of punishment will not eradicate social disparities and differences also. Each individual himself is the key to change. Treat him with love and compassion. Teach him to transform himself. Merely preaching will not make him follow moral conduct and practice virtues. He should be inspired from within to transform himself. Teach him to search his own being. Teach him to seek a process that will transform him and purify his mind. Only this kind of transformation is everlasting. Vipashyana has the power to change people’s mentality and character. Anyone who truly wishes to do so, has an opportunity waiting for him. THE 10-DAY VIPASHYANA CAMP People are generally surprised to know that the camp duration is 10 days. Every person thinks that he is too busy to spare 10 days for the camp. Why should | blame others? Even | was hesitant to attend my first camp. But just two days before the camp, my guru enlightened me about the universal approach and scientific basis of this meditation. | then gathered the courage to attend the camp. In a matter of two days, | was attracted towards this meditation. At the end of 10 days, | felt immensely grateful for having gained this divine knowledge. My life had changed! And not only me, almost everyone in that camp felt the same way. Many people come to the camp with a sullen face, and at the end of the 10th day, their faces are glowing with happiness. Every moment of our life is priceless. And so 10 days of someone's life cannot be just wasted. People are actually benefitted from the camp. And so every year, more than 1 lac 10 iepeople from different walks of life and religions, attend these camps at 130 Vipashyana centers across the world. 10 days? Well, now we have 20 days, 30 days, 45 days and 60 days of camp! @ Silence : People are not only skeptical about the 10-day duration, but they are afraid of remaining uncommunicative (silent) for all days, except the last 10th day. But whenever a sadhak is not clear about the process of meditation, he can meet the teacher and seek clarity on his doubts and apprehensions. He can also talk to the administrator regarding any facility or system at the camp. However sadhaks are not allowed to talk among themselves. Each sadhak realizes how restless the mind is. And silence is the best way to calm the mind. He starts understanding the importance and value of silence. And hence it becomes easy to remain silent. -Satyanarayan Goenka DO I NEED TO MEDITATE? Does everyone need to meditate? Well, some people believe that they have everything, in life and do not need to meditate. But that is a big mistake. Understand the following five points : (1) Every person will be afflicted with some disease to go through some sorrow. (2) No one can escape old age. (3) You will lose someone you love and meet someone you may not like. Everything in life does not happen as per our choice and wish. (4) One who is born, will die one day. (5) You have to bear the fruits of your karma. Each one of us has to go through all these things. Next birth or the journey after death will depend on the condition of the mind at the time of death. We know that our mind is always full of anger and hatred, but we are not aware of it. Your life, your death and the journey thereafter will all depend on your nature and character. » 11 (Vipassana Principal Teacher) 7A regular practice of meditation helps to stabilize the mind — maintain its equilibrium. This will help us to face any situation with courage and calm. Prevention of angry and hateful reactions will save the person from regression. There are many advantages of meditation. And therefore, those who do not meditate, are deprived of these advantages. Those who practice meditation, not only improve their life, but also next birth. A positive approach to meditation, understanding meditation and practicing meditation are the only three requirements. Does meditation mean good health? Yes, meditation leads to good health. Health is a by-product of meditation. Our physical, emotional and social ills are due to our spiritual limitations and deficiency. As you practice meditation, your mind will become pure and as a result you will get relief from your diseases or be cured. But the main aim of meditation should be spiritual growth. There are no evident changes in those who meditate. Meditation is a slow and gradual process of change. A person's nature and character are a result of their past life karma. You can see changes in those who practice meditation regularly. How is it possible to spare 10 days for Vipashyana medi- tation? Everything that is a precious, has its cost. Considering the long-term benefits of meditation, the 10-day duration is nothing. Meditation improves our capabilities, efficiency and performance. You can finish complicated work in less time. Thus, you save time and effort. Time spent in meditation is a golden investment. Vipashyana is a meditation that gives a new turn to your life. How many years do we spend in education? Yet we do not learn the art of living. And 10 days are too less to learn the art of living. This book contains experience of doctors who have attended Vipashyana camp. If a doctor can spare time for Vipashyana, why not you and me?.It is just a matter of priority. A FEW CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING MEDITATION Any lack of information, misunderstanding or bias regarding meditation makes its learning difficult. Here are a few questions and their clarifications that would direct and guide anyone who is interested in meditation. ro 12What is meditation? Is it a condition, where the a becomes relaxed and without any thoughts? Meditation means concentration and. stability of the mind and feeling of oneness and equality. When the mind concentrates and stabilizes on just one single thought or idea for a long time, other thoughts gradually disappear and then ultimately stop. Sometimes the mind stops thinking — totally blank. In this way, when the mind becomes less restless, it slowly become relaxed. A relaxed mind, without any thoughts is a milestone of meditation. Meditation is not for a mind without thoughts, but a mind without any negative thoughts. Is meditation always helpful? That depends on what you concentrate on while meditating. Meditation needs some support—in the form of any thought or idea that you want to concentrate on. If you concentrate on negative emotions like anger, hatred, attachment or greed, then you will gain any real advantage of meditation. If you truly want to immensely gain from meditation, you should concentrate on positive thoughts and ideas. Such a meditation will purify the mind and the soul. Why should | do meditation? It is a common belief that man whose power of concentration is good and can attain a perfect balance of mind, can achieve better results that any other person. Any person, whether he is a student or a businessman, a religious leader or an administrator — can gain benefits of meditation. Who should meditate? Anyone who wishes to live in peace and harmony should do meditation. Is meditation a religious process? Basically, the mind is pure and unpolluted. If the mind is pure, both the mind and body are healthy. Meditation is an exercise to make our restless and weak mind. Meditation is a remedy for mind that is afflicted with negative emotions like anger, hatred, ego, greed, materialism, etc. Healthy mind and healthy body is our first duty — dharma. Meditation makes the mind strong and healthy. In that sense, yes, meditation is a religious process, ia » 13|which is beneficial to all. (However, from a purely religious point of view, meditation may not be a religious process !) When should one start meditation? It is rather unfortunate that since ages, people believe that meditation and bhakti- devotion should be done in old age. This is a wrong impression about meditation. Meditation is an art of living. Ideally, it should start even before you start breathing — that is when you were in your mother’s womb! Thus you can gain benefits throughout your life. But yet, you still have the opportunity to start meditation. You should try your best to channelize all your energies towards learning meditation. Leaving all worldly responsibilities and spending 10-days in a Vipashyana camp is selfishness and escapism. If you avoid your responsibilities, it is selfishness. It is escapism. Meditation is a tool to achieve your goals. It is selfless. It purifies the mind. When you are ill, you go to a hospital for treatment and cure. You do not spend the rest of your life there. As soon as you are fit again,.you resume your daily life and routine. Similarly, Vipashyana camp is meant to purify the mind and make it healthy. As you as your mind is pure and healthy, you can resume your daily life and duties. You will then extend these positive changes to others around you. Meditation is a boon to people who are stressed and aggrieved. But do people who are happy and contented, also need meditation?’ $ People who are happy with what they have achieved in life (money, power, position, prestige, etc.), are ignorant of the uneasiness and angst of the subconscious mind. They :believe that they are happy, but their happiness is not everlasting. At the same time there is a constant increase in the level of stress and tension in the subconscious mind, which will ultimately appear in the conscious mind. When this happens, such so-called ‘happy’ people also become unhappy and: distressed. Thus, a sensible person will start and make an effort to avoid that kind of situation. ARE ALL TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION SIMILAR? In most of the lectures and books, it is often said that all techniques of meditation are’ similar. But that is not true. XV ra rThere are many techniques of meditation. And each is different from the other in terms of its process, focus, belief, aim and result. Research has proved that each technique, both individually and in its focus, has different results and advantages on the nervous system. This can be seen through electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern. Techniques of Meditation : Daniel Goldman wrote ‘Emotional Intelligence’, which was a best-seller with more than 50 lakh copies sold across the world and was translated in more than 40 languages. Goldman was a professor of psychology at the Harvard University. He has authored another best-seller ‘Meditative Mind’. In this book, he defines two techniques of meditation : (1) Concentrative Meditation (2) Mindfulness Meditation In most meditation techniques, the mind is trained to concentrate or focus on a single thing. But in Vipashyana, besides the concentration of the mind, the purification of mind is also equally important. The main aim of meditation is to remove the negativity that lies deep in the subconscious mind and thereby completely purifying the mind. Hence Vipashyana is a complete meditation. In the articles and charts that follow, you will understand how scientific yet easy, the technique of Vipashyana is. SENSATIONS - THE JUNCTION POINT OF JOY AND MISERY Vipashyana is the only technique that concentrates on the sensations that arise within the body. Our sensations are the junction point of all our joys and misery. When we react to sensations, it multiplies our misery, but if we remain equanimous, our misery will diminish and our joy will multiply. Biochemicals produced in the body make us experience sensations. And this process is taught in Vipashyana meditation. This scientific fact applies to one and all, irrespective of our belief and faith. EB) re ioLet us understand this through gative ‘though produ wich tri BK ne! Anger/Negative emotions (fear, anxiety, jealousy, greed, sensations) L Harmful chemicals are released in the blood, which trigger unpleasant sensations in the body 1 Unaware of unpleasant sensations | Mind reacts P More harmful chemicals are produced and this leads to more intense sensations v You are caught into a vicious cycle and as a result, you become more angry, unhappy, uneasy and anxious given in the next articles. What does Vipashyana teach? ces a chemical, unpleasant Sensation, in the body sensations and as a result no Moreover, as per scientific approach, the clarifications is a chart. it in the ming, I9gers What is ‘the study of Vipashyana ? Equanimize for the sensations b When you are angry, you learn to be unmoved by the . unpleasant sensation Mind stops reacting to new chemicals are produced rotect yourself from the effects of harmful chemicals. Mind remains calm and peaceful. Due to a equanimity (not reacting), the vicious cycle of sensations stops and useful chemicals are released in the blood As a result, you feel positive sensations and experience peace, happiness and bliss in a true sense r \\ 16ao ‘VIPASHYANA AND MEDICAL SCIENCE -Dr Jayprakash Bhatt [M.D. (Pathologist), Rajkot.) Any form of negative emotion releases a kind of chemical in the blood, which we experience in the form of unpleasant sensations. Vipashyana meditation lays a lot of emphasis on the sensations that arise within the body. These sensations are a junction point, from where you can go in two different directions. One path leads to increase in misery and the other leads. to freedom from misery. If you start reacting to sensations, your misery will multiply. But if you are unmoved by sensations, your misery will decrease. Anger produces a certain kind of chemical, while fear produces a neuro chemical. Similarly different negative emotions like greed, lust, jealousy, égo, etc. produce different kinds of chemicals, which start flowing into the blood. Scientists in the west have identified around 40 kinds of such chemicals. More than 100 chemicals are produced due to negative emotions. Research is still going on in this regard. For example, when you are angry, immediately two processes start on the astral (subtle) level — electromagnetic and biochemical. As a ‘result you start experiencing unpleasant sensations like heavy breathing, palpitation, trembling, stress and tension. If you are afraid, you experience unpleasant sensations like trembling, shivering, faster heart beats and sweating. Thus a negative emotion or feeling triggers an unpleasant sensation within the body. If you react to these sensations, stress chemicals like cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine are released into the brain, the nervous system and the body. When such chemicals are regularly produced in the body, it results in a number of diseases. These chemicals trigger a number of sensations within the body. Sensations trigger negative emotions. Negative emotions, in turn, produce harmful chemicals. These harmful chemicals intensify the sensations and thereby intensifying the negative emotions. This is what is called the vicious cycle of chemicals, sensations and negative emotions. It becomes very difficult to break this vicious cycle and get out of it: Ultimately, there is an increase in negative emotions. The stronger the negative emotions (anger, ’fear, anxiety, greed, etc.), the greater is the release of chemicals in the blood. The greater the quantity of chemicals, the more intense. and the longer is its effect on the body. Vipashyana teaches one to be unmoved and unaffected by sensations arising within the body. Y 7 rTherefore, instead of reacting to sensations, we should learn to experience them with equanimity. If you stop reacting to sensations: and remain equanimous, the body does not produce stress chemicals, but instead produces good chemicals (DHEA, GABA, Melatonin, Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphine). These good chemicals prevent many diseases and also help to cure some diseases. In this way, Vipashyana works on the source of diseases and misery. And as a result, you start feeling happiness, peace, sympathy, friendliness, etc. Neuro-Plasticity research has also proved that Vipashyana has considerably helped to develop brain cells. Centuries ago, our rishis had already experienced this. Negative emotions give rise to unpleasant sensations or unpleasant sensations give rise to negative emotions. Whatever it may be, if you learn to remain equanimous, the intensity is considerably’ reduced. VIPASHYANA AND DE-ADDICTION —Haresh Sichani (Satyam Metals, Rajkot.) To understand Vipashyana from a scientific point of view, let us try to understand the sensations that are triggered by addiction (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) An addict knows that his habit is very harmful. But in spite of knowing this, he cannot stop or control his craving to have more. As a result of such strong craving, the body releases some neuro-chemicals into the blood, and this in turn, triggers some unpleasant sensations. The craving is not for the thing that one is addicted to (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes etc.). But the craving is for the sensations that are triggered by it. In short, the addiction is to the sensations and not the cause (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.). And this is my personal experience. | remember the days. when |. was an alcoholic: | was frustrated. Vipashayan has: helped me to get rid of my- addiction and increased my capacity to work. There are about 250 workers in my factory. All-of them have the freedom to attend Vipashyana camp as and when they wish—and that too, on leave with full pay. Many of my workers who have attended the camps have been able to get tid of their addiction. The main focus of Vipashyana meditation is sensations. Hence a person who does Vipashayana, learns to experience all the sensations that’ arise within the body with equanimity. With Vipashyana, de-addiction becomes very easy. ro a7 Addiction does not mean addiction to drugs, alcohol, etc. Our negative emotions are the greatest addiction that we all have. Some. are addicted to fear, while some are addicted to jealousy. Some are addicted to anger, while some are addicted to anxiety and ego. In short, each negative emotion is an addiction. A person who is addicted toa particular-negative emotion, keeps on arousing it..A fearful person will. keep on arousing fear, while an angry person will keep on arousing anger. In short, an addicted person will keep'on arousing the addiction. And Vipashyana helps in an easy and quick de-addiction. HELPLESSNESS OR SLAVERY? -Dr Rajen Jagad (Gastro-Surgeon, Rajkot.) Peace and happiness is what we all desire. As we grow older, we experience more and understand more. But in spite of that, what happens to our behaviour? What does our behaviour show ? Has our happiness and peace increased or decreased ? How many negative emotions (anger, lust, greed, fear, anxiety, jealousy, etc.) did we have when we were younger and how many do we have now, as we grow older? If the answer is—more, then we have to think and decide whether we are religious or not. In fact, each one of us ttiés to be as pious.and religious as possible. And that is why as we grow older, we want to protect ourselves from negative emotions and misery and so we pay more attention to prayers, religious rituals, fasts, religious discourses and pilgrimages. All this was almost nil in our younger days. And how much it has increased as we grow older. But yet the slavery of the mind has also increased. How helpless we are! Instead of purifying the mind, we are polluting it. In childhood, if we fought with: someone now, we would be having meals with them the very next moment. And what is the situation now? We want revenge. We cannot forgive and forget. Why does this happen? When we pray or perform religious rituals, we do it with: our conscious mind. But it does not reach our subconscious mind. And so we cannot change the way we think and act. We cannot change our nature. And our nature is the cause of our happiness and misery, peace and restlessness, And it is necessary to understand this and rectify it as early as possible. It is necessary to understand the language of the 19.= subconscious mind — the nature of sensations. And only this can gives us peace and happiness and multiply’it day by day. And so a person who learns Vipashyana experiences and enjoys peace and happiness easily. UNCONSCIOUS MIND OR SUPERCONSCIOUS MIND? -Dr Paresh Shah (Psychiatrist; Rajkot.) What we call the unconscious mind is actually the super- conscious mind. For example, a person who is in deep sleep, will be awakened by a mosquito bite. If he feels hot, he removes his blanket. If he feels cold, he covers. himself with a blanket.If he is tired of sleeping on one side, he changes over to the other side. In short, any unpleasant sensation in the body, makes us react instantly, even if we are in deep sleep. How does -this happen? Our conscious mind is asleep, but our unconscious mind is always awake and so it makes us react. And on what basis does the unconscious mind make us react? Well, on the basis of pleasant or unpleasant experiences: of the body—that is, on the basis of physical sensations ! Our intelligence, that is our conscious mind knows that we should not react with anger or jealousy, we should avoid fear, anxiety, greed, etc. But the unconscious mind does not understand this, because it understands only one language —the language of, pleasant and unpleasant sensations. If you wish to. change the nature of the unconscious mind to react, you will have, to. learn to make yourself aware of the physical sensations and yet remain equanimous. And this is what Vipashayana teaches us. As long as we do not learn to be aware of sensations and: remain’ equariimous, it will be very difficult to change the unconscious mind and become equanimous. We all know and understand that we should avoid anger; fear, anxiety, jealousy, and other such negative emotions.But yet’ these emotions arise because they are subtly hidden’in ‘the unconscious mind. Whenever they arise, a certain kind of neuro-chemical is released into the blood, which we experience in the form of unpleasant sensations. In fact, the unconscious mind is continuously super- conscious ‘about these sensations. 20All the pleasant and unpleasant sensations arise due to neuro-chemical produced in the body and when we react to them, some more harmful chemicals are produced in the body. As a result we become more restless; though this is only fora while. Creation and destruction are natural. If you realize this, you will stop reacting. Vipashyana meditation helps you to make even your unconscious mind equanimous. AANAPAAN MEDITATION FOR ALL Aanapaan meditation camps are regularly held for children across’ the world. Such small camps lay the foundation for Vipashyana meditation. The duration of these camps-is 5 hours and for the age group of 11-12 years to 15 years. Adults who do not find time to attend the 10-day Vipashyana camp may practice Aanapaan meditation for 10 minutes in the morning and evening to get its benefits. Several people who have practiced Aanapaan meditation have immensely benefitted by it and they become confident that if a 10-minute meditation can yield so many benefits, what wonders would a 10-day camp do to them. The instructions for this 10-minute meditation can be downloaded for free from www.vri.dhamma.org Steps: (1) Sit straight. (2) Close your eyes. If you wear spectacles, remove''them for the meditation. (3) Do not open your mouth. (4) Focus on both the nostrils. (5) If your mind gets diverted, bring it back to focus on the breathing pattern. (6) Breathe normally. (7) Do not associate any word-or'idea with each inhalation or exhalation. If possible be minutely ‘aware of each inhalation and exhalation. Benefits : (1) Mind becomes focused. You can get rid of fear, anxiety, stress. (2)You can get rid of nervousness. (3) Students can concentrate on studies and, progress well. \ 21 f(4) Increased efficiency in sports and other arts. (5) Capacity to understand and explain things improves considerably. (6) Increase in self-confidence. (7) Increase in awareness. (8) Increase in mutual well-being. (9) Mind becomes stronger. (10) Improves memory. To gain these: benefits, practice Aanapaan meditation for 10 minutes, ‘twice a day-early morning and before going to: bed. VIPASHYANA - A TOOL TO CHANGE YOUR NATURE -Dr N. D. Suchak [M.D. (Pediatrics)] An introductory session for doctors in Bhavnagar inspired me to learn Vipashyana meditation. Professional commitments and other activities delayed my decision. And | regretted the delay only after having joined the Vipashyana, camp. So far | have attended three camps. | practice Vipashyana meditation every day, without fail. And as a result, | have had some wonderful and overwhelming experiences. Physically and mentally, | became more healthy and alert and. also.found an increase in my self- confidence. | suffered multiple fractures in my legs in an accident in December 2013. | was advised bed rest for 3 months, during which | totally dedicated myself to Vipashyana mediation. As a result, | recovered faster than expected. In March 2014, | got an opportunity to share my experiences at an introductory session at Yashwantrai Natyagrih in Bhavnagar. Out of all the attendees, at least 100 registered for the 10-day Vipashyana camp at Rajkot. In May 2014, my family and | got an opportunity to attend a camp in Igatpuri. What | gained from Vipashyana : (1) Increase in my efficiency and capacity to work. (2) Decrease in negative emotions like anger, fear, anxiety and insecurity. (3) Better’ physical and mental health. 22 i(4) Could sleep well and was less stressed. (5) As a result of Vipashyana meditation, negative emotions like greed, ego, restlessness, etc. were reduced. As days go by, there is an increase in emotions like love, kindness, sympathy and equanimity. This led to peace and happiness. | have been able to be more friendly, loving and compassionate with my patients. | no longer compete for success and | have become more patient and tolerant. | have gained a lot from Vipashyana and | wish that even my family, friends, patients and the society should also gain from this wonderful practice. My family and friends have gained a lot from Vipashyana. And they all feel that they should have learnt this meditation much earlier in life. My hospital has a separate meditation hall, where Aanapaan meditation (which is the first step to Vipashyana meditation) is taught. Even my hospital staff is free to attend any Vipashyana camp whenever they wish to. 1 wish all the readers will learn Vipashyana and gain immensely from it. EQUANIMITY OF THE MIND -Dr Vishnu Dhol (M.S. (Eye-Surgeon), Junagadh.] The main aim of Vipashyana is to control the mind and get rid of negative emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, greed, jealousy, etc. This will finally lead to equanimity in life and give peace, happiness and enthusiasm in the true sense. All these benefits are created in the subconscious mind and so it becomes easy to remain equanimous in life. As you progress in this meditation, the benefits also multiply. And so | have attended three 10-day camps. Vipashyana is not a faith or religious practice. It is not a prayer or worship. What | gained from Vipashyana : (1) Equanimity of the mind (2).Reduced negative emotions like anger, jealousy, etc. (3) Increased concentration in work (4) Better efficiency hs, \ 23S (5) Better results (6) Increase in self-confidence (7) No stress or exhaustion (8) Better behaviour and improved relationship with people (9) Improved ability to take the right decision in critical situations. Inspired by the positive changes in me, my family and my hospital staff have also learnt Vipashyana meditation. There are innumerable benefits of Vipashyana. | urge everyone to find time and attend a 10-day camp at least once. You will be immensely benefitted. MENSE STRENGTH WITH VIPASHYANA ~ Dr V. C. Kaataria [M.S. (Optho.), D.O., Director. — Government Eye Hospital, Morbi.] On‘the advice of Dr Vallabhbhai Kathiriya, | first attended the Vipashyana Camp at Dhammakot, in 1997. | experienced amazing peace of mind and also felt as if | had learnt something that | was long craving for. Having learnt such pure and finest technique, life gradually started changing positively. Till now, I have been to 12 Vipashyana camps. Every year, | attend a 10-day, Vipashayana camp. Personally, | have benefitted a lot because of Vipashyana. 1 was able to bear the sudden loss of a loved one. This is such a wonderful technique of meditation that words cannot describe it. It can best be experienced. It gives you immense strength to work. | can work for 12 hours and perform around 50 cataract surgeries in a day. And this has been made possible by Vipashyana meditation. Vipashyana has brought about a gradual change in my personality. | can experience the change. There has been a marked reduction in anger and jealousy. | attend Vispashyana camps regularly and practice meditation daily. And:| firmly believe that | am enjoying the. fruits of it: It makes you aware and alert for every moment. My hospital has a separate hall for meditation, where meditation is regularly practiced. About 7 members of my staff have also learnt Vipashyana meditation. | believe that complaints of most of my patients are quite common and can be cured by Vipashyana meditation. They do not require any medicines. '!\ often advice: Vipashyana to. my patients and they are benefitted by it. 24 (J Xe In short, Vipashyana meditation has benefitted me immensely and | wish.more and more people should also gain from it. As a doctor and as a human being, | value this meditation from a scientific point of view and feel that no other technique is better than Vipashyana. | request .all the people to take advantage of this wonderful technique. MEMORY OF MY MOTHER = Dr B. T. Vaghasia (M.B.B.S.;-CGO) | have learnt many techniques of meditation and done many experiments. But all those now seem to be stepping stones to Vipashyana. When | ead the book ‘Vipashyana — Doctors’ Perspectives’, | ‘immediately decided to attend a-camp. My wife and | joined the’ 10-day Vipashyana camp at Dhammakot just 72 hours after my | lost my mother. Generally people say that-when you lose a loved one, you should spend extensively on religious activities so that their soul rests in peace. Doing Vipashyana, | did not realize when and how | overcame grief of losing my mother. | started connecting with her in a true sense. | prayed for her from the bottom of my heart. After attending the first camp, going back home was like entering a completely new: world. | was at peace with myself. There was no stress, tension. | was a part of the next three camps later. Ihave been regularly ‘practicing Vipashyana at home for the past’two years. | have faced all situations — good or bad— with equanimity. | felt great compassion for poor patients. Today l.spend.a greater part of my day-in happiness and peace. My family and friends have also acknowledged the changes in.me. I have learnt to accept the things as they are. | have learnt to control all negative emotions. _ _ In short, my personal experience says that Vipashyana is the only technique that is universal and above any religion or faith. It is the only technique that helps you attain true peace, contentment and happiness. ESSENTIAL FOR A BUSY PROFESSIONAL LIFE —Dr K. K. Raval,[M.D. (Med.), D.M. (Gastro.); Delhiand Rajkot.) Vipashyana has changed my life. It has taught me to become happy and remain: happy and make others also happy. oy a ifThis is a matter of experience. A 10-day Vipashyana camp has given me the peace of mind that no wealth can ever buy. There has been an immense increase in my efficiency. | have learnt to remain calm and compose in the most critical situations. Vipashyana is a must for every busy professional. Mind is the starting point of more than 90% diseases. Vipashyana meditation is a fantastic surgery to purify the mind. It reaches the root cause of diseases and removes it completely. It is a great support to medical science. Curing of diseases is a by-product of Vipashyana. The main aim, however, is spiritual development. -Dr Shrenik Shah [M.S. (E:N.T.)] Vipashyana meditation is a scientific technique. It is a kind of software for the mind and body, which makes our system and daily life easier. We learn to be calm and composed and equanimous. It can be learnt free of cost from a trained teacher, irrespective of one’s religion, caste and faith: -Dr Mayank Thakkar [M.D. (Physician)] VIPASHYANA IS A UNIQUE TECHNIQUE -Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria [M.S. (General)] About 12 years ago, | had heard an audio tape of Pujya Guruji Shri Satyanarayan Goenka in Kalsar village, | was touched by these words : “According to the laws of Nature, everything goes on perpetually. True dharma lies in understanding and accepting these laws.” | remember reading a message of a Guru Nanak when | was a child. It said : “God is one. All the religions lead you to one God. What is there to argue about? Dharma does not mean. applying tilak or faking good behaviour. True dharma means living a pious life” To make our life pious or to keep our life pious, we have to first purify our mind. To purify our mind and to always keep it pure, we have to understand the laws of Nature. According to-me, Vipashyana is an effort to understand the laws of y 26 5Nature. Simply putting it, Vipashyana means ‘a unique way to look (at things)’. But then how do we learn that ‘unique way’? Here ‘looking at things’ does not mean looking with our eyes. We do not possess any divine vision. The eight verse of chapter 11 of the Bhagwad Geeta says that Lord Krishna blessed Arjun with divine vision to have a glimpse of His Vishwaroopa. Vipashyana meditation is the art of obtaining that divine vision. Today, science accepts the fact that the mind and body are inseparable. Till now, medical science treated them separately and hence any research done therein was in the wrong direction. It is futile to examine only the body or to prescribe various medical tests (x-rays, etc.) to treat a physical ailment. It does not guarantee the cure of any ailment. In fact, sometimes you feel the ailment has worsened. You will all agree that many a times, medicines prescribed for a particular ailment may give rise to several new ailments. Vipashyana begins when we learn to look at the mind and the activities of the mind (thoughts, emotions, etc.) separately. When we focus on the activities of the mind, we realize that the mind wanders aimlessly, without any direction and we need some technique to control it. And to me, Vipashyana is the best technique. | find the technique of Viapshyana meditation so profound, that | have not been able to explain it to others. When | attended the first camp at-Dhammakot six years ago, | only wished to understand the laws of Nature. Today | am confident that Vipashyana meditation is a unique technique. 1am general surgeon and | have performed around 50,000 surgeries to cure various physical ailments. But | think Vipashyana is the only surgery that cures the ailments of the mind. It is unique. Amazing. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? —Dr Jagdishbhai J Bhatt [M.S. (E.N.T.)] What is the purpose of life? | spent half of my life in trying to find the answer to this question and at last gave up, because | could never find a satisfying answer. But | found the answer only when | started doing Vipashyana meditation. My colleagues and close friends have attended several Vipashyana camps. They are far ahead of me. a 27When | attended the first 10-day Vipashyana camp last year, the experience was too amazing to be described in words. The first:3-4 days were tough. But the remaining 6 days passed like a moment. At the end of the 10th day, it seemed as if life had taken a new-turn. My attitude towards everyday situations changed completely. I learnt to accept people and situation as they are. When this became a habit, life was easy and beautiful. 1 WRITE MY OWN DESTINY -Dr Anish Chandarana, [M.D., D.M., (Cardiologist), Ahmadabad.] When my wife, Dr Parveen, was three months pregnant, a friend suggested Vipashyana meditation. To learn more, | immediately started reading the book ‘Goenkaji and Vipashyana ‘Meditation’ by Dr Savitri Vyas. And within days, I'made up mind to attend the 10-day Vipashyana camp. We were excited by the fact that not only both of us, but even our to-be- born child would be immensely benefitted. As a cardiologist, it was difficult for me to be away for 12 days. But | was determined. At the end of the 10-day camp, on the day of Mangal Maitri, | cried uncontrollably. | had realized how our negative emotions make us unhappy and stressed out! As expected, both of us were immensely benefitted by Vipashyana. And we saw many positive traits in our new-born son too. He was a quite baby. After that we got opportunity to attend two camps : (1) When our son was 5 years old and was ready to live without us. (2)When my wife was again pregnant. What | learnt : (1) Food and lifestyle : Eat simple, hygienic and nutritious food. Have a good, healthy breakfast and avoid eating anything after sunset. Go to bed early and wake up early. Be aware of your surroundings all the time. Do not pay attention to unnecessary things. (2) Maintaining relationships : We come in contact with many people and sometimes unknowingly, we start hating their Negative qualities, limitations or bad behaviour. During Vipashyana meditation we become aware of our own negative emotions. Like the people we hate, we also have similar or almost similar negative qualities, limitations and traits of 4 28 ieA » bad" behaviour. And when we become aware of this fact, we can considerably reduce our hatred or dislike for those people. We learn to forgive and forget. This reduces a lot of emotional burden and we can also inspire others. (3) Enjoying. solitude : Today, due to. our busy schedules, all of us are constantly surrounded by people, situations. and emotions. Some people hate to be alone because of lack of self-confidence and will power. But being alone — solitude —is necessary for self-realization and peace. Vipashyana meditation teaches us the importance of solitude. (4) Moral conduct : Vipashyana helps us to happy in all ways — physicallly, emotionally, mentally, socially, professionally and financially. The more serious you are about Vipashyana, the more benefits you get. (5) write my own destiny: We face many problems and tough situations in life. And at such times, we become sad, disappointed and dejected and start blaming people or situations for our misery and curse them directly or indirectly. But as you practice Vipashyana meditation, you people or situations are not really responsible for our misery. In fact, our reactions to them make us miserable. And these reactions are triggered because of our past influences and negative emotions. This is what Vipashyana makes us aware of. We cannot control situations and they are not responsible for our misery or happiness. But we can. control our mental situation, and that is the real cause of our misery or happiness. In this way, as one progresses in Vipashyana meditation, one realizes the awakening of eternal peace, eternal compassion, eternal brotherhood and eternal equanimity within oneself. |’ wish that everyone should learn this unique technique and make life beautiful and. happy. 7 VIPASHYANA - THE BEST TECHNIQUE OF MEDITATION = Dr Mahesh R. Desai, [M.D. (Psychology), D.P.M., Sutat.] When I decide to become a psychologist, | had made up my mind to experience the meditation, which | would recommend to my patients.(4) When I learnt Vipashyana meditation for the first time in 2007, | realized it was the best technique of meditation. (2) Initially, you have to focus only on the breathing pattern. And so it is quite easy. (3)We can experience the change in our emotions and feelings in the form of sensations. (4) Once you learn it, it can be practiced anywhere. (5) Vipashyana camps are conducted for free. Training, lodging and boarding —all are free of cost. How I benefitted : (1)1 could control my temper. (2) 1 became more patient and calm. (3)1 could sleep better. (4) 1 can work for long hours without getting tired. FROM NEGATIVITY TO POSITIVITY —Dr Wadhwani [M.D. (Physician), Jetpur.] When | was first introduced to mind, | realized what mind is and how it works. This was not taught in medical college. In fact it is never taught and (so) no one learns about it. My attitude changed from negative to positive. My ego and prejudices gradually started decreasing. There was a marked increase in love and affection in personal and professional relationships. There was a change in my nature and personality. There was less anger, jealousy and increase in truth and honesty. | can remain equanimous even in the most critical situations. My adversaries became my friends and hence there was a reduction in jealousy and competition among us. | became. emotionally strong and hence there was increase in efficiency to diagnose. My food habits changed, | could sleep well. | was a changed personality. It was the beginning of \self-development. Selfless Service | could learn Vipashyana because of our teachers, dhamma volunteers and organizers. In order to pay back for their selfless service, | decided to spread the idea of Vipashyana to as many people. as possible. It was my way of, serving the society and | felt that the advantages | gained-by this service are far more than those that | gained by learning Vipashyana. In short, any 1 30) ieK meditation (sadhana) is incomplete without service (seva). This selfless service strengthened my meditation and made me more equanimous and compassionate. As a result, selfless friendship and unconditional love became a part of my everyday life. This made life simpler and easier and helps to handle various situations easily. Practising meditation and serving to spread the idea of meditation are complementary to each other. | have experienced that selfless service is the key to self-development. Serving as a doctor : As a doctor | am doing a good deed by advising Aanapaan meditation and Vipashyana meditation to my patients. | have taught Aanapaan meditation to more than 3000 patients. Patients are happy; and this makes me happy. As a result, | can practice Vipashyana more deeply. Having attended seven camps, | truly feel contented as a doctor. VIPASHYANA - AN AMAZING GEM -Dr ndra C Shah (M.B.B.S., Surat.) My first Vipashyana camp was in 1987. | realized it was an amazing technique of meditation. It was very useful to me. But my learning was delayed for many years due to several reasons like laziness, orthodox atmosphere at home, religious beliefs, etc. It was because of an ailment of a loved one that | got another opportunity to attend the camp in 2004. At the end of the 10th day, | felt as if | had discovered an amazing gem. | attended many camps after that. | strongly felt that | must have done this meditation in my previous birth. I have been to Rajkot and Bada (Kutch) camps many times with around 30 to 50 students of Vipashyana. All have benefitted in some way or the other. In my own family, my wife, my children, my daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, brothers and many others have learnt Vipashyana meditation. And each one has experienced a positive change in life. What | experienced : (1) Marked decrease in anger. (2)Was able to remain calm and composed and equanimous in adverse situations. (3) Feeling of friendship and compassion towards adversaries. Marked reduction is hatred and ill-feeling. (4) Pure and selfless love for one and all. 31(5) Cured of ankle pain and knee pain. (6) Became more flexible. (7) Became tolerant towards other religions and faiths. | no longer hate people who are communal. In fact, | feel a lot of love and compassion for them. (8) |. have become a perfectionist and can take right decisions quickly. EXPERIENCES OF A PREGNANT MOTHER —Shruti, Raghuvir (Near SBI, Saru Section Road, Jamnagar.) | would like to share how my child-and | benefitted by Vipashyana during my pregnancy. Due to Vipashyana, | had no problems during my pregnancy. A child develops the senses of touch and hearing from the fourth month, and the senses of memory and comprehension from the fifth month. | did Vipashyana during my pregnancy and prayed for the well-being of my child. | could feel every movement, every feeling and every emotion of my child in my womb. | gave birth through normal delivery. It is the most difficult phase of a woman’s life. But Vipashyana gave me a lot of courage and patience. It gave me an amazing strength, which helped both me and my child. My child is also immensely benefitted — physically, mentally and spiritually. She is growing and developing fast. She is active and alert. | urge all pregnant women to do Vipashyana meditation. SOLITUDE IS IMPORTANT FOR GOOD HEALTH -Dr Uma Bhatt (B.D.S.) | got to know about Vipashyana from close relatives. Till 2007, | never knew about Vipashyana. | attended my first camp in June 2008. At the end of the camp, | felt better and accepted the fact that this is also a way of living. Vipashyana can also be a part of your daily routine. During the camp, | got answers to a lot of questions. You learn to think without reacting to people and situations. | experienced that | was immensely benefitted — physically and mentally—just by observing the breathing pattern. It was not difficult to live alone. It is not difficult to remain silent. It was a new experience. | realized that solitude is good for health and one should not fear being alone. 32) f— Lya DHAMMA CHILD —Dr Rajiv Maru [Child-Specialist, M.D. (Ped.), Rajkot.] It is not easy to raise a child. And this generation is more active and intelligent. | had read a lot about how Vipashyana helps during pregnancy. During the last few years, | have come in contact with many mothers, who have done Vipashyana during pregnancy. Their children are definitely different (better) than the other children. These children are quiet, happy and active. This showed right from their birth. Usually, children cry a lot during common ailments, but these children could bear the ailment and remain calm. Even the medicines were far more effective in these children. Injections gave them less pain and they did not cry much. This was common in all ‘Dhamma childern’. In short, it is like Abhimanyu’s knowledge of the chakravyuha from his mother's womb. Vipashyana during pregnancy made these‘ children very different from other children. A Dhamma child is easy to raise. Most of the families who practice Vipashyana have experienced this. | would request all pregnant mothers to attend Vipashyana camp. It is more essential than anything else. | hope that the readers will understand how Vipashyana makes life better and meaningful. In this age of busy and stressful life, Vipashyana is like an oasis in a desert. It gives you peace and happiness. It gives a new direction to life. VIPASHYANA AND PREGNANCY —Dr K. K. Parakhia [M.D. (Gynaec.), Junagadh.] Pregnancy is like shared life for mother and child. Doing Vipashyana meditation during pregnancy is like a boon for the mother and the child. Along with the child’s development, it also develops positive sanskars and education. Vipashyana during pregnancy, purifies the mind of both the mother and the child. How a mother benefits : Vipashyana during pregnancy considerably reduces some common complaints like stomach pain, backache, nausea, morning sickness, bad mood, anxiety, stress, changes in dietary habits, headache, constipation, high BP, etc. This -happenes because a mother who does Vipashyana learns to be eqaunimous. > 33 “ Aed A mother who has practiced Vipashyana during pregnancy gives birth through normal delivery, without much pain. This is because Vipashyana gives her the strength and courage to bear the pain. This helps in normal, easy and less painful delivery. The mother does not suffer from any anxiety about pain, but in fact, she becomes equanimous to ‘it. Vipashyana reduces any remote chance of delivery through C-section. Vipashyana give a mother self-confidence, courage and strength. It increases her physical, mental and spiritual energy. This helps in easy and normal delivery. Post-delivery complaints are also reduced considerably. @ How a child benefits : During pregnancy, a mother’s thoughts, emotions, feelings, anxiety, etc. have a great impact-on the child in the womb. The child is also affected by the likes and dislikes of the mother. A mother who practices Vipashyana during pregnancy is above all kinds of likes and dislikes. She learns to remain equanimous. And so does the child in the womb. The mind-training of the child begins when it is in the mother’s womb. It becomes increasingly sensitive. Vipashyana purifies the mind and the body of both the mother and the child. It frees them from negative emotions or impurities that lie in the subconscious mind. Vipashyana helps in the physical, mental and spiritual growth of a child. The child becomes active and intelligent, with a powerful memory. He/She becomes more focused and resolute. There are no health issues like attention deficit, hyper-activity, disorder, short temper, etc. The child is born with good character and pure mind. He/She is a happy child. CURE FOR DISEASES - A BYPRODUCT OF VIPASHYANA —Dr Yagnesh Popat [M.D. (Ped.), Rajkot.] Today, in spite of all material comforts, man still remains unhappy. He suffers from fear, anxiety, short temper, jealousy and bloated ego. Gradually, negative emotions have increased in man. As a result, he is afflicted by some disease. Vipashyana is a spiritual meditation, which helps in the treatment of ailments. But it should not be taken as a cure for all ailments. In fact, one should not learn Vipashyana to cure an ailment. It (cure) is only a byproduct of Vipashyana, the main aim being spirituality. 34LY EASY PREGNANCY AT A LATE AGE —Dr Alpa K. Lakhani (D.H.M.S., Dr Lakhani Hospital, Jetpur.) Pregnancy at the age of 41 was considerable easy and safe because of Vipashyana. | was able to remain equanimous to a great extent. Conceiving at a late age is also a miracle, which happened because of Vipashyana: | would term it as a ‘creative physical reaction’ to meditation. | did not have any complaints, which usually arise in pregnancies at such a late age. | was fresh, mindful and equanimous when | gave birth to my son. | also found that there was a marked decrease in the degree and intensity of my anger. This made my daily life easier, happier and equanimous. Looking after my child, responsibilities at the hospital, doing household chores and, of course, Vipashyana-1I could manage all these only because of regular practice of Vipashyana meditation. | had learnt effective time management. | developed a positive attitude in life. | realized that, at last, my life was going in the right direction. LOVE AND COMPASSION -Dr Dhirubhai Shah [M.D. (Ped.), Junagadh.] Swami Vivekanada has said:Do not believe because someone tells you. Believe only what you experience. Vipashyana is also all about experiencing it yourself. Experience it and then accept it. | am learning to discover and know myself without any religion, caste, creed, faith, worship, prayers, etc. | am learning to be equanimous towards negative emotions like anger, greed, lust, etc. | learnt to remain equanimous in all situations. | have become compassionate for all creations of God. | have learnt the art of living by being more understanding and compassionate with family and all other relationships. YY 35THE ART OF LIVING IN THE PRESENT -Dr Kishor D. Lakhani, [M.B.B.S. (DGO), Dr Lakhani Hopsital, Jetpur.] For past many years, | wished to attend a Vipashyana Camp, but somehow it never materialized. But in 2006, | went through a great personal tragedy and Vipashyana became a means to overcome that situation. And it worked for me. | was fortunate to attend one 10-day camp and one 20-day camp. Vipashyana meditation gave life a new meaning — a new direction. | realized what shuddh dharma is. \t was my ambition to experience the ultimate height of shuddh dharma. And it should be the goal of this precious life. I regretted the fact that | had wasted a lot of) my valuable time seeking wealth, prestige and power. But then | was fortunate to have come across a tool called Vipashyana meditation, which helped me get out this these dilemmas. During the process of learning Vipashyana, | realized that it is not about imagining anything or. believing without experiencing. It is only a scientific technique, which one needs to personally experience. | also realized the fact that the root causes of our misery and happiness are within us. There are no external factors responsible for our misery and happiness. | understood that our negative emotions and feelings give us so much stress and misery. Having practiced Vipashyana, | developed the ability to know and experience my negative emotions with equanimity rather than dealing with them at the intellectual level. Because of Vipashyana... (1)1 learnt to live in the present. (2)1 became’ more patient. (3)1 experienced an increase in working capacity and concentration. (4) | felt love and compassion for all creations of God. (5)I realized | had gained a tool to live a pious life and maintain.a pure lifestyle. (6) | developed.a positive attitude in life. | stopped reacting to worldly situations. Vipashyana meditation helped me to overcome the. grief of the sudden death of my 14 year old son. | got the strength and courage to bear the irreparable loss. 36MIND IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MISERY ~Dr V. J. Sureja (M.B.B.S., Bantwa.) | would work for 18 hours a day, without worrying about Physical or mental exertion. | earned a lot of money and blessings of people: But | always felt that something was missing in life. 1 was not at peace with myself. | was not really happy. | started doing yoga, which helped my physically, but what about the mind? Dr Wadhwani advised me to attend a 10-day Vipashyana camp to purify the mind and gain true peace and happiness. | attended two such camps. Vipashyana gave a new direction to my life. | had read in the shastras that mind is like a restless monkey. It is difficult to control it. When | learnt Vipashyana, | realized how restless the mind is, but as | progressed in this meditation, my mind became calmer. | could remain calm and composed in adverse situations. | got time for self-observation. My mind could concentrate more, think better and as a result my working capacity became better. | am able to remain fresh, energetic and happy throughout the day. Professionally also, | made good progress. In this way, Vipashyana helped me to gain true peace and happiness in life. Physically and mentally, too, | was immensely benefitted. As a result of that, | have been inspired to work with energy and enthusiasm of a young man. My wife Vanita also accompanied me for both the camps. She also benefitted a lot. Many of my doctor friends have also benefitted because of Vipashyana. Vipashyana is a scientific technique to purify the mind and the brain. Today, science accepts the fact that the mind is the root cause of all our miseries. There are so many cases of psychosomatic diseases today. People suffer from hormonal imbalance. All this leads to various diseases. As a byproduct of Vipashyana, hormones are balanced and hence you can get rid of many of your physical ailments. People complaint about lack of time. But you must find time to achieve or accomplish something in life. Even an unused car needs to be sent for servicing every now and then. And our body is an invaluable gift of God and so should we not look after it? It is my humble appeal to all readers to find 10 days to attend a Vipashyana camp. and purify the mind. No words can express the benefits of this meditation. . 37 rTHE PURPOSE OF LIFE -Dr Mehul Bavisi [M.D. (Radiologist), Surendranagar.) | attended my first Vipashyana camp out of curiosity. And then I realized what true dharma is. | could understand dharma from a scientific point of view. | realized that there was a change in my attitude towards life. Vipashyana meditation... (4) improved and increased power of concentration. (2) made me more energetic and full of enthusiasm. (3) improved my inter-personnel relationships. (4) made me more sympathetic and compassionate towards my patients. (5)1 realized the purpose of my life: THE BEST TECHNIQUE TO DETACHMENT (SAKSHIBHAAV) —Dr Vallabh Kathiria [M.S., Ex-Minister of Health (Central Government), Rajkot:] Our life is precious. Every human being is born to progress towards the path of moksha (emancipation). Each and every person is potentially divine. When you are free from your past karma, free from any kind of hatred, ill-will and attachment — you start your journey towards perfection — fulfillment. And this is possible only through meditation. When you start observing your own breathing pattern with @quanimity and as your power of concentration increases, you open the doors of knowledge — enlightenment. Vipashyana is the best ‘technique to shed your accumulated karmas by learning to experience the sensations within the body with equanimity. It is the art of living in the present. It does not focus on anything imaginary. Vipashyana is the best meditation technique that teaches you to accept the present situation, observe your breathing pattern and experience’the sensations within the body with equanimity both at the mental and physical level. As you practice Vipashyana, you shed your accumulated karmas, thus opening the doors for moksha. You become fearless, remain calm and composed in crisis and broaden YT ry iyour vision to see life and people in a wider perspective. You improve your performance and concentration in work. You can easily understand and deal with adverse situations in life. It helps you to keep aloof from many’ social vices. All this makes life pure and blissful. You ‘live with contentment, peace, purity and piety. It changes your attitude towards people, society and world at large. These are the benefits of Vipashyana. | bow to the great péople who ‘showed me this wonderful path and | bow to all My’ gurus who taught me to’tread this path forever. | request all the readers to attend at-least one Vipashyana camp. If it suits your nature and mindset, it would be a pleasure to attend the camp together. ~ ONENESS WITH PATIENTS ~Dr Jayesh Pandya [M.D. (Child Specialist), Bhavnagar.] My wife and | were fortunate to attend the 10-day Vipashyana camp conducted by Shri Goenkaji in Igatpuri. Till today, | have continued to observe my breathing pattern and the: sensations within.the body. | have benefitted in the following ways : (1) sleep enough: Not more. Not less. (2)1 get up at 4 a.m. But I never feel sleepy. or tired. (3)1 wish to do good for others. (4) 1 am more friendly and compassionate with my patients. (5) Patients also feel the oneness with their doctor, (6) 1 have been able to control my chronic acidity. (7) | do not resist change. | accept it as a: challenge and test. And if deem fit, | implement those changes. Vipashyana is a powerful and effective tool. It is. worth doing. Experience the joy of sharing your peace of mind, inner prosperity and wealth with others. Scientifically speaking, Vipashyana helps to release many of good chemicals like serotonin, endorphine, etc. from the pituitary glands. It controls. your adrenalin and thus reduces stress, blood sugar, muscular pain, etc. It control all physical and mental ailments and balances your life. It is a byproduct of Vipashyana. 1 39 K rSCIENTIFIC BASE - REALIS APPROACH —Dr Rajiv Maru [M.D. (Ped.), Rajkot.] After having practiced as a doctor, | realized that though |-have earned wealth and prestige, | have lost peace of mind and happiness. | had all material wealth and comforts, but. | was not really happy. A child is overjoyed even with a broken toy.. Where was that happiness missing? At such a time, | came across Vipashyana. Doctors usually accept things only if they have a scientific base and a realistic approach. And | saw both these in Vipashyana meditation. There was no question of imagining anything as true or simply accepting anything just because it.is told or taught. How I benefitted : (1) Life is happier and easier than before: (2)1 can understand the problems of ‘my patients better. And so. the treatment is also better. (3)The atmosphere at home and) at hospital is peaceful and joyful. (4)1 have been able to keep away from: the negative vibrations of patients. | can perform internal cleansing. Vipashyana meditation has given me a new life — a real life. Me and many other doctors have gained immensely from Vipashyana meditation. Therefore | request all readers. to learn this invaluable art of living. | hope you will attend at. least one Vipashyana camp and make your life as well as that of your family and friends, full of peace and happiness. VIPASHYANA MAKES YOU STEADFAST —Dr H. G. Tanna [B.A.M.S., M.B.B.S. (D.Ped.), Jamnagar.] Vipashyana is a unique vision to view the world and oneself. We see the world from many different angles. Our sanskars, our surroundings, our mindset and our approach to life play a very important role in how we perceive the world to be. The same thing is perceived differently by different people and that decides whether it gives us happiness or misery. How can we change all this ?‘How can we free ourselves from this predicament ? Well, Vipashyana is the answer to all these questions. Vipashyana is like a refinery, where all unwanted r ‘ 0things like greed, lust, anger, jealousy, etc. are processed and refined and come out in the form of purity, piety, ethics, morality, equanimity, etc. As a result we realize what we really are and thus achieve equanimity. The ultimate goal of Vipashyana is to tread the path of total detachment and achieve moksha (emancipation). There are many byproducts of this process — equanimity, peace of mind, freedom from stress, fear, anxiety, jealousy and hatred. This, in turn, increases your physical and mental capacity. Most of the diseases are psychosomatic. And when your mind is purified, you are free from the diseases also. Gradually, you progress to become more and more steadfast. We purify the mind and thereby work towards our ultimate goal — moksha. | attended two 10-day camps, but | did not experience its wonderful effect. It was only when | started practicing it regularly that | gained a lot. We all no that we get nothing without effort and whatever we do is never wasted. Therefore, | request all to learn Vipashyana. VIPASHYANA - A UNIQUE TECHNIQUE —Dr M. M. Oza [M.S. (Ortho.)] | had heard about Vipashyana almost two decades ago. But when | learnt about its strict routine and remaining silent, | was discouraged. So | did not think about it for many years. Therefore | request all readers that, like me, they should not waste time thinking about whether they would be able to do this meditation or not. Last Diwali, | came across an article on Vipashyana written by Dr Anish Chandarana. It inspired and encouraged me to learn Vipashyana. So | joined a camp in November 2014. It was then that | realized how wrong | was in thinking that this meditation is tough. | regretted my negative thoughts and beliefs about Vipashyana, about which | did not care to find out much. If you think that this meditation is difficult, you are wrong. It is difficult to believe that this unique technique is really quite simple and easy. But believe me, it is. Vipashyana meditation is very easy to learn and it is scientific, too. | gained so much from my first camp that | was tempted to attend another two-three camps to gain more and more. Generally, a period of 3 months is advised between two camps. 41But when my teacher recognized my true feelings and strong curiosity, he laid all the rules aside and permitted me to do three-camps. | thank God for that. | attended three 10-day camps in a period of four months. And it helped me in amazing ways: (1) became more reserved. (2)The number and intensity of my problems reduced considerably. Even big problems seem too small and negligible. (3)1 learnt the art of living in the present. (4) 1 do not react to any good or bad situations. (5)My mind has become more pure. Life is easier. There is peace and happiness in life. (6)1 have become more alert and conscious. (7) 1 do not get angry easily. (8)I have been able to get rid of past baggage and negative emotions. (9) Life is free of stress and negativity. (10) | can sleep well. | have no vices, but | have seen many people getting de-addicted after doing this meditation. There is reduction in psychosomatic diseases. | hope many will make their life happy and peaceful by learning this unique technique. PRAGYA-AGYAAN (IGNORANCE OF THE INTELLECT) IS THE CAUSE OF ALL DISEASES -Dr Jay Sanghvi [B.S.A.M., N.D., (C.A.C.) Swash Naturopathy, Rajkot, Phone : 0281 — 247 3712.] Vipashyana mediation was a turning point in my career as a doctor. It opened a new chapter to understand the patient and the healing process. array antag fees: try TeT1—Equanimity (balance) is health and inequity (imbalance) is an ailment. erm: WANTENTT ‘WTaal— Pragya-agyaan is the root cause of all diseases. | understood these facts after doing Vipashyana. | understood the science and the technique ofall this. zi {*\ | also realized that when you treat the mind, you can remove the root cause of any ailment. Otherwise, mostly a doctor only ends up treating the symptoms or controlling the ailment. How I benefitted as a doctor : (1) As | learnt to concentrate, my power of observation and decision making improved. (2)1 developed awareness. This made me more aware and conscious in dealing with patients and the healing. (3)1 became more sensitive and compassionate. | understood my patients and their situations better. (4) Removing physical and emotional imbalance and establishing equity is a part of the healing process. Therefore all doctors should learn this meditation technique to become equanimous. This makes healing more effective. (5) Most diseases are psychosomatic. Vipashyana meditation, which purifies the mind, leads the doctor to heal the ailment and not just the symptoms. In this way, Vipashyana meditation is a great advantage to all doctors. FREEDOM FROM STRESS AND TRANSFORMATION -Dr Sudhir Shah [M.D., D.M. (Neurophysician)] | did my D.M. in neurology in 1990 and started practicing in Ahmadabad. Gradually, due to heavy work load and a busy schedule, | was stressed out. Within five years, there was so much of stress that | had to resort to music, books and meditation to help myself. | was particularly interested in meditation. | learnt many techniques like mantra dhyan, jyoti dhyan, etc. and was benefitted by each of them. In another five years, | became relatively calm. | was interested in the research about how meditation transforms the mind, brain and body. And | met many scientists in India and abroad in this context. Meanwhile, inspired and encouraged by my close friend from Surat, Dr Jitubhai, | attended my first Vipashyana camp in Kutch — Bada, along with my wife Chetna and daughter Heli. (1) This 10-day camp transformed my life. | learnt to see the world with a new perspective. | saw my own life with a different perspective. | could detach myself from many unnecessary things in life. as a(2)1 became equanimous. | learnt to accept things and situations as they are and thus nothing could upset me or give me stress. (3) Living a simple and detached life for 10 days was a wonderful experience. It made life more meaningful. Remaining silent for 10 days, | experienced great inner energy and it also gained immense self-confidence. (4) 1 became more tolerant, which made my relationship with my wife and daughters more transparent. There was a good mutual understanding and this made life beautiful. | have become more friendly and compassionate with my family and friends. (5)1 included what | had learnt and experienced (in Vipashyana) in my research work. This gave it a lot of credibility and was widely accepted in the my doctor friends and friends from other fields as well. (6) 1 can now understand the pain and complaints of my patients better than before. This has enhanced my capacity for perfect diagnosis and perfect treatment. It has given me a lot of energy and strength to work throughout the day. (7) | developed a positive attitude in life. When a critical patient come to me; 1 do not give up easily. | put in my best to save his life. (8)1 am able to analyze problems with equanimity and find the best solutions. (9) learnt to be compassionate and could forget and forgive easily. (10) | realized that life is short and every moment should be lived with awareness and consciousness. | became forgiving and indifferent to petty things, petty-minded people and petty behaviour. Vipashyana has transformed my life in an amazing way. Anyone who wishes to experience the correct technique of meditation, should do Vipashyana. Since it is taught in well-designed manner, it is very easy and simple to learn. THE GOLDEN KEY TO PEACE OF MIND AND GOOD HEALTH —Dr Sharadbhai Bhatt (D.H.M.S., ‘C.C.H., Mumbai, Physician and Surgeon, General Practitioner, Bhavnagar.) | learnt Vipashyana in Dhammakot and it brought about so physical and mental changes in me. a 44\ (1) was at peace with myself: (2)1 became more equanimous. (3) Through sensations that | experienced, | realized that life is unpredictable. (4)I achieved better focus and concentration while examining patients and developed compassion for them. (5) | learnt to forgive people who hurt me-in the past. | do not hate them. | can behave well with them. (6) | suffered from sunstroke, which was completely cured due to Vipashyana. *: Vipashyana ‘is the golden key to peace’ of mind and good health. TRAINING TO ACHIEVE THE UNATTAINABLE GOAL -Dr Naushad Motiwala [M.S.C. (Ophthalmologist), Surat.) | attended my first 10-day Vipashyana camp in May 2002. The first few days were tough. But at the end of the camp, | was benefitted a lot. Vipashyana meditation has made me a good.muslim, a good doctor, a good father and above all, a good human being. It gave stability to my life. | became peaceful and happy. | attended my second Vipashyana camp in October 2008. Though it was difficult this time also, | was keen to learn’ this scientific technique of meditation. So | was prepared to enjoy meditation with pleasure, discipline and by adjusting to the system. Vipashyana teaches you to live in the present. It teaches you to accept life as it is. The impurities (negativity) of the unconscious mind give rise to our miseries. Vipashyana meditation is a tool to clean these impurities and make life happy and peaceful. All religions teach us to be free from negative emotions like anger, lust, greed, etc. and live a life full of love, compassion, tolerance, modesty, etc. But no religion shows you the way to get rid of the negative emotions. It is difficult and sometimes impossible to do that. But Vipashyana teaches you to achieve the impossible. This is a very effective course. There is no commercialization. The technique of meditation is taught in such a manner that at the end of the course, you experience a total cleansing of the mind and start knowing your ownself. . ra ceVIPASHYANA - THE TURNING POINT OF MY LIFE -Dr Jitendra Adhiya [M.D. (Preventive Medicine)] “A synopsis of an interview with Dr Adhiya, who authored the book ‘Prernanu Jarnu’. Q:What made you learn Vipashyana? A:For the past fifteen years | have been reading and writing about the power of the mind. In many seminars in India and abroad, people told me that whatever you say can be experience through Vipashyana. When | kept on hearing this again and again, | decided to attend a Vipashyana camp. Q:What is Vipashyana? A: Vipashyana is a science. It is a training to bring together the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. It is a technique that makes us aware of our inherent energy and capacity and use them effectively. Q:How were you benefitted? A:Firstly, | realized that | could remain. silent for nine days. I learnt to get up early. | became punctual. Most importantly, | became aware of my subconscious mind and made friends with it. | became more energetic. | developed a strong will power. | wished to spread the knowledge of Vipashyana. | was inspired to write more books on the power of mind. You will see the effect of Vipashyana in all my future books. Q:Who gets the maximum advantage of these camps? A:Such camps are good for all — the young and the old. People from different religions come here, because Vipashyana is above religion or caste or creed. There are no religious rites and rituals here. What will you find here is your own individual experience. And this make you free from all dislike and hatred. It arouses your inner energy and you progress in life. Scientists of the west have invented many things that make your life more comfortable, but that did not give man peace of mind and happiness. In spite of all material wealth and comforts, man remains restless and miserable. Vipashyana gives you inner peace. Y a6 {LIST OF VIPASHYANA SELF-DISCIPLINE CENTRES OF GUJARAT Contact addresses for the later organisation of camp available from the centre : 41. Dhammapali : City: C/o Suchak Medical Centre, Kalubha (Bhavnagar) Road, Ground Floor, Bhavnagar — 364 001. Contact : Ph. 0278 — 252 1066, M : 78585 61616 Centre : Village : Todi, Songadh — Palitana Road, Dist. Bhavnagar. Contact : M:78781 03636, 89055 54666, 88667 03636 info@dhammapali.com www.dhammapali.com, www.dhammapali.org 2, Dhammakot : City : C/o Bhabha Hotel, Panchanath Road, (Rajkot) Rajkot — 360 001. Contact : Ph. 0281-223 3666, M:94290 98337, 94262 02222, 78787 27223 e-mail : dhammakot@ gmail.com Centre : ‘Dhammakot’ Nr, Khokhardar Village, Kotharia Road, Rajkot. Contact : Ph. 0281 — 292 4942, 292 4924 M: 93279 23540, 78787 27240 e-mail Web. 3. Dhamma (Junagadh) : C/o Hitesh Dholia : Ph. 02823 — 224856, M: 99093 12946 4. Dhammasindhu : Kutch Vipashyana Centre, Bada Village, (Kutch) Mandvi, Dist. : Kutch — 370 475. Ph. 02834 — 273303, 273612. Offi. : 223076 M. : 99254 85981 e-mail : info@sindhu.dhamma.org 5. Dhammapith : Gurjar Vipashyana Centre, Ranoda Village, (Ahmedabad) Ta. Dholka, Dist. : Anmedabad — 380 810. Contact : Ph. 02714 — 294690, M.: 94264 19397 e-mail : info@pith.dhamma.org = a (~6. Dhammadivakar : (Mehsana) 7. Dhammabhavan : (Vadodara) 8. Dhammaambika : (Surat) ere neimel tcl Rema District for Vipashyana Ca North Gujarat Vipashyana Centre, Mitha Village, Ta. Dist. : Mehsana. Contact : Ph. 02762 — 272800, 254634 M.: 94292 33000 e-mail : info @divakar.dhamma.org 5, Kalindi Park, B/h Akota Circuit House, Akota, Vadodara — 390.020. Contact : Ph. 0265 - 234 1181 M. : 94263 32180 e-mail : tushar@tmlind.com, vvs04 @ hotmail.com Vipashyana Meditation Centre, Village : Vagalvad, Ta. : Gandevi, Dist. : Navsari Contact : Dr. Jitubhai Shah M.: 98250 54274 (Surat), Shri Ramgopal Agrawal — M. : 93751 52531 (Bilimora) Shihor : Himanshubhai M. : 081418 50850 Vadli : Dr. Baldania Sadbhavana Trust Hospital Mahuva : Dr. Kanubhai Sadbhavana Trust Hospital Talaja : Pravinbhai M.:94261 65380 Gadhada _ : Manojbhai M.:99135 19100 Gaariyadhar : Pinakbhai M. 793753 39323 Palitana : Alkaben Shah M. : 93749 99866 Mumbai : Shri Niteshbhai.. Ph. : 022 - 2287 1694 Kothi ari, <The special leave (for Vipashyana) sanctioned to employees of Maharashtra Government has yielded great results. Our officers accept the fact that there is a great improvement in their level of concentration and physical fitness. This has helped them to run the administration more efficiently. -Ratnakar Gaikwad (IAS—Chief Secretary, Maharashtra) When | completed my first camp, | was surprised to find that my level of awareness had improved considerably. | could immediately sense the reaction arising within me and as soon as | would realize that |am about to become reactive, it would simply disappear! | have experienced the advantages of meditation in each and every moment of my life. My level of reaction has come down from 100% to about 5% to 20%. After doing Vipashyana meditation, | have become so aware of my ownself, that sometimes | wonder what kind of life | led earlier, | could convince the Chief of Gujarat Police and the DG of Police to issue a circular that would allow any police officer to attend the 10-day Vipashyana meditation on duty. More than 200 police officers working with me have done the 10-day Vipashyana meditation and they have been immensely benefitted by it. -Hasmukhbhal Patel (DIG, Gandhinagar) Vipashyana has helped me to control my temper. There is an increase in positive thoughts in my everyday work, My mind is relaxed and calm even in the most adverse situations. Because of Vipashyana, | have experienced my partially aware mind reacting to every- thing at every moment. My efforts to control my partially aware mind and live within my limits still continue. | firmly believe that Vipashyana mediation changes one’s outlook towards life. Living within our limits helps us to deal fairly with most of our problems. —Manoj Gandhi (Executive Editor, Sandesh) Vipashyana has helped me to accept things as ‘they are’ and not as ‘they should be’. As time goes by, | have learnt to see my mind {just exactly as it is’. Seeing all the things ‘just as they are’ in every aspect of life is the greatest pleasure. —Vallabhbhai Bhansali (Chairman, Anaam Securities, Mumbai)Rnb col Free Down load World-wide Vipashyana Centres / Camp informat PTO eR eR UCR ER Te All the Vipashyana centres world-wide are situated between the trees, in.a quite and peaceful environment on the land sanctified by penance. Dhammapali Centre : Village : Todi, Songadh — Palitana Road, Dist. Bhavnagar. Contact : Mo. 78781 03636, 89055 54666, 88667 03636 VIPASHYANA CENTRE OF RAJKOT