The Discovery of Mindfulness

Carl Stimson reviews three books by American vipassana meditators who discovered Dhamma in the 1960s and 1970s: a hippy, a Vietnam veteran, and a former CIA agent who take up practice after traveling through Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Nepal. Initially reflecting on the experience of these Western pioneers who brought themselves to the practice in an age when the mindfulness movement is firmly entrenched in the West, Stimson goes on to reflect about how (and if) meditation can be sustained after the honeymoon period has ended.

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Dan Kaminsky on "The Importance of Why"

Dan Kaminsky published this article on the Living Vipassana website, concerning his quest to find out why the male and female meditation cushions must be washed separately at vipassana centers in the tradition of SN Goenka. The article touches on many issues: the question of blind faith, a hierarchical-organizational structure, a belief in the role and importance of subtle vibrations, and even the issue of free speech, as some meditators have called for such content to be immediately removed from this and other blogs, and the authors to refrain from writing or talking further on the topic.

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The Pandemic: A Time for Giving

“Since the beginning of pandemic, the part of my Buddhist training that I came to rely on the most is "Paticca Samuppada", or "The Law of Dependent Origination." In other words, as we can see clearly in the world today, all things and people are connected to each other. This is true of economies, or politics, or climate, or whatever….everything is interrelated.”

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The 10-Day Course Is Essential, But Must It Be The Entry Point?

Last year on Living Vipassana, Ryan Shelton penned the following essay about the 10-day silent retreat format in the tradition of the S.N. Goenka. Shelton reflects on the comparative value between these intensive retreats as they are currently offered, and the possibility of reaching students in new and different innovative ways by focussing mainly on anapana instruction.

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Web Review: "Life's a Bitch"

Thabarwa Monastery has long pushed the boundaries of how a Burmese Buddhist monastery is expected to operate. Existing within a traditional, conservative, Burmese Buddhist society that is steeped either in age-old religious conventions or centered around post-war, highly structured, teacher-centered meditation retreats, Thabarwa is re-inventing the very role that a monastery can play in society.

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