The dark night of the soul leads to Myanmar
As distressing as the current news is about Myanmar, it’s important to bring to mind how much the country and people have given, and the generosity that countless a visitor has had. One such guest was international fashion model Luissa Burton, who came to Myanmar to take a vipassana course. In a previous post, she discussed the dualism of beauty and detachment. In the following excerpt, she describes the forces that led her to discovering meditation in the Golden Land.
“I was receiving like flashes of inspiration, is the only way I can describe it. They weren’t thoughts that I was consciously thinking, they just kind of came to my head.”
“So I had done meditation on and off. I'd go to a class but I just could never get into it. I just couldn't do it. I thought, ‘Hold on a minute, I can't even sit still for five minutes and meditate!’ And then I went through the second dark night of the soul. I remembered this conversation that I had in Bali, a couple years earlier with someone that had just come off of the vipassana retreat. I'd never heard of it at the time, and they were telling me all about it, and it sounded very interesting. But then I forgot about it, and I just kind of carried on with my life.
Then the second set of circumstances happened that really caused me to go within and look for answers. It was in those darkest moments where the only way I can describe is like in my ears, just ‘vipassana.’ I just thought started thinking about it, and I just knew that that's what I needed to do.
I always say the ‘how’ works itself out. I didn't know how I was going to do it, based on my past meditation performances, but I just knew that I had to do it. So I looked up online and there was a huge waiting list for England’s vipassana centers. But I knew I needed to do this now! I just needed to do it now and I couldn't get into England.
And then like with ‘vipassana,’ I heard ‘Myanmar, Myanmar Myanmar.’ I would love to go to Myanmar, but I've never thought about going immediately or right away. Now, why am I hearing ‘Myanmar’? So then I put two and two together. Because it's almost like when you are thinking, but then those thoughts are very different, to the words ‘Myanmar’ and ‘vipassana.’ I was receiving like flashes of inspiration, is the only way I can describe it. They weren’t thoughts that I was consciously thinking, they just kind of came to my head.
And so I googled it, and there was a space for the next week! And to Myanmar, and I booked a flight while I filled out the vipassana application.
I got accepted, and I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into! I booked a flight and I just had to go, so I went on my own. I said to my friends, family, and I said to my mom, ‘I'm off to Myanmar, and I'm going go sit in silence for 10 days.’
I've traveled a lot, but usually with one other person. This was quite a new experience for me. Obviously I've done stuff with modeling, but I was being picked up or taken to places, so this was like a whole new adventure.
I spent a couple days in Yangon beforehand. And I didn't know anyone who had done the course other than that person that I met in Bali, but I didn't have any contact with them other than just shared their experience from it. I just decided to throw myself in and see what happens. I've been told somehow I need to be here. So let's do it!”