I had a terrible experience. Its hard to watch people talk about how amazing it is when my experience was so bad. I watched your video before going and felt motivated and at ease. Now, I feel like it ruined my life. Guess i'm just a "casualty" as you say. Using your metaphor, maybe knowing risks shouldn't deter people from "exercise" but there are things people can do to better prepare themselves, and a good coach isn't gonna allow someone to deadlift 500 lbs first day in the gym which is what this is basically. I think Vipassana centers need to do a better job of informing people of the serious risks, and be specific, and not accept people who do not have a regular practice. They kind of brush over it, and give a superficial sort of vague allusion to possible risk. Another thing I wish I was informed of was that repressed traumatic memories may surface (that you may not even be aware of, hence "repressed") and they also believe past life traumas can also arise. After my experience I believe there is a duty to inform participants that is not being met. Also if you have a bad experience, in my experience, they send you on your way. There is no support. People should know that they are not qualified or equipped to assist you psychologically or medically, and they won't. If you are a "casualty" you are left to fend for yourself. Part of the reason for this is that there is no live master teacher. You are learning from recordings of a teacher who has passed on. There is no room for adaptation, growth or personalized advice in that. The AT's may not even be equipped to guide anyone who has an experience they haven't had themselves, and thus may look at your experience as "faulty" and not on the path. They also have no oversight, talk to you in private, and will exercise their ego on you, in my experience. While there may be benefits, certainly don't fool yourself, and take a serious look at your life. Is it THAT bad? Are there smaller steps you can take right now? Can you commit 2 hours a day to meditating as it is now? Because this is what they say you need to do to maintain the "benefits" And in the sub-communities of Vipassana, while some people offer kindness and help, there is also a lot of bullying that happens when you criticize any aspect of the experience. Im not trying to discourage anyone from going, but just saying if you go, stay alert. Not just to the technique but the pitfalls of the organization. May all beings be safe, sovereign, and compassionate to the suffering of others.

This was good to listen to. Thank you for sharing your experience!

Hey Tobias, I am from India. Nice informative video, thanks for sharing your experience!

I agree, Metta meditation at the end of a Vipassana session feels SO lush, a soothing balm as S N Goenka described it.

Nice video buddy, thank you. I wondered if you had any other related videos, then noticed you have Old School Runescape content. Legend.

Why the hell we want to do bla bla everything all the time .. understand it’s not cult it’s a practice to be with urself ! If you just go out there and feel bounded. You don’t went their for your vlogging and fun you go there to self discipline 😅

I did this in the UAE, these are simple rules and nothing like a cult , we need to respect the dress codes and the rules as they are a part of the course my observation is we need to go to this with an open mind you will love it

Because the first days are so very hard but you feel guided by assistant teachers and Goenkaji's encouraging speeches on video with good usuable ideas towards the next days where you will experience so much bliss. This pureness which you 'll connect wit and find in ur own body with ur own breathing has nothing to do with drugs, psychedelic or whatever is mentioned here. Just be. Breathe. Once you've done a Vipassana you have a safeguard for life. Saddhu Saddhu Saddhu

I’ve read that there is no charge for the retreat but a donation is made at the end of the retreat. Can anyone explain more about this?

U dont need to meditate for 10 hours a day, were not trained yogis, it can have horrid side effects and create delusions, and depersonilisation

They ask guys to cover up their legs because its a distraction for gay guys on the course. Im a gay guy, and ive done vipssana. If i was to see a hot guy like you with his legs showing , I'd definitely be distracted from meditation.

Ive sat vippasana a few times now. It didn't feel like a cult. The order they ask for is no different to the oder schools need. At school we are forced to wear uniforms to. So if vippasaa feels like a cult. Then so are schools.

Narrow-shouldered Granola boys!

may I ask what camera have you used for this video? It's VERY good.

so insightful - thanks for sharing this and your previous vid about the retreat. What is your insta handle?

Great 👌🙏🏼

How can people with back pain sit for hours? Sitting is the new smoking. People should be allowed to move.

There are a couple of aspects of his life that seem contradictory to the basic requirements that all living beings must adhere to. 1st, he is using drugs that inevitably create health issues and those drugs appear to be an important part of his formula for happiness. The constant high that he is on has a very steep price and is unsustainable. 2nd, he's living in a homeless shelter and presumably depending on the shelter for food also. In the natural world such dependence on others Is generally only sustainable over a very short term. He might feel like he's living the ideal life, but if the assistance from others should discontinue his life would become far more difficult. Having said those two things, I do believe there are valuable aspects to his philosophy whereby a person can obtain that which they seek by discontinuing the effort to obtain it. This concept is seen in various philosophies, and I do believe it has merit. Western cultural norms instilled in us at an early age suggest that our value as a person is proportionate to the efforts we display. Dropping that mindset and trying a new approach whereby we at least occasionally discontinue our efforts and then observe passively and allow what we want to come to us, may bring to us what we desire. I think this approach is well worth trying. What we desire may not come to us but letting go of the constant effort to obtain something, by itself, can bring us new perspectives on how best to obtain what we seek. Said differently, there are times when we are actually obstructing the progress towards obtaining what we want. We should never forget that there are usually a number of different pathways to the destination we want, and it very well might be that the path we have chosen is either a dead end or very inefficient. Pausing the effort to obtain what we want gives us the opportunity to know the differences. And there might be one pathway that is the best in which there is no effort on our part at all.

This is not abnormal. Nearly every religion and tradition throughout the world have retreats. Judaism, Sufism, Jainism...you are fortunate to find a well-preserved 2000 year old set of teachings, much more to the point than some other forms of Buddhism. Also you should travel more, many countries find it rude not to cover the skin/knees and I'm a westerner.

Vipassana is an OCCULTIST CULT!!! I left after 5 days, when I realised that I got into o religios occultist sect!!! The founder chants 'blessings' (in reality curses) that nobody understands, which last from about 30 seconds in the first day to 3 minutes by the 5th day. I was very much involved in different types of yoga practises and New age and after 3 years, when those teachings/practises became EVERYTHING for me, and after I spent LOTS OF MONEY on them, I found out that ALL of them are occult/demonic teachings/practises!!! I suggest to read the books written by Klaus Kennett and you will understand what I'm saying. The ONLY TRUTH is JESUS CHRIST! May GOD break the bonds of the occult and illuminate you and show you the TRUE path to HIM!!!

Adoré el video, muy sabio el hombre. Constantemente estamos pensando en el futuro y con planes a largo plazo. Quiero conseguir esto, lo otro, ¿como puedo conseguirlo?. Y se nos olvida vivir el presente y dejar que la vida fluya.

Loved this video. Thanks for sharing

“Narrow shouldered granola boy.” 😂😂 But really, what an amazing video and recap of the honest truth of your experience. Thank you for taking the time to share!

I meditate daily but the schedule you showed is wayyyyyyy too much for me hahaha I’d be way bored. But ya man awesome.

This is the most succinct explanation of what one is supposed to achieve through meditation -- detaching oneself from the story running in our heads and simply observing our lives as they are so that we don't have to live in misery -- that i've watched in a long while. The delivery is on-point too. Nice work!

Life becomes “meaningless” after this. There is no more “goal, aim or desire”.

I had pneumonia and have been looking for motivation. Thanks for inspiring healing lives

looks delicious

Thank you for sharing your story. I am heading into my first 10 day retreat in a few days and am excited and nervous!

Hey I just watched this show after my vipassana retreat and this scene made so much sense to me too. It is funny you thought the same way. Cheers.

Great video! Would love to collaborate on a video about vipassana if you are interested.

That username got you a sub, I'll watch your video now, General.

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing! 🙌🙏🏼 sounds beautiful, how you have that silence to face all those fears and insecurities. In the heart of nature. ✨🙌🙌

Vipasana and aana paana sati etc. There are so many text still not yet translated from pali to other languages. Many scripts were burnt in nalanda. I request Buddhist scholars to translate ancient teachings/scripts

Clear saying and seeing . Beautiful say🪷🧡 , you remind me it is time to refresh my course :)

Vipassana change many lives. It actually works very well for every single one. I totally RECOMMEND.

Heading to my second vipassana retreat and came across your videos, and this really resonates with me. I work in a forensic psychiatric hospital and some of my patients addicted to meth or schizophrenic honestly say the most profound things like what this homeless person you encountered was saying. And as difficult of an environment as an inpatient psych hospital can be, those that are the happiest and most loving, despite their circumstances, are the ones that live life in alignment with this attitude of effortless action. Easier said than done though.

The ten-day retreats are very demanding, indeed. I sat about 30 of them. I never saw "80" of either men or women leave. Very few leave if they insist on it. You are encouraged to stay and keep going because a certain emotional/mental barrier comes up for people at a certain time, usually on days two and six. Once you get over that barrier, the smoothes out.

that location looks gorgeous.

No phones and no talking ok. But how can one sit so long won’t the hands and legs become numb?

Well said Tobias. My husband and brother in law and other friends have been doing Vipassana for years. It really helps them in their lives. Like you say - it's very difficult - and there are casualties - like in any seriously difficult endeavour - but it is an ancient practice - and absolutely not the dangerous culty thing that those Financial Times podcasts seem to want to imply.

Done my fourth retreat recently. Nice video colleague meditator.

Decent manners is culty in this day and age ? lol

But y are u in a graveyard 🪦

So, how do you go back to the grind stone of the workaday world after achieving bliss? Humans are hard wired for escapism. That's all this is. It's like jogging to get away from stuff and you think it's healthy. It's not. It ruins your body. So does working for a living. Find a cure for THAT!!

Try Microsoft flight sim in VR or American Truck Simulator for some of the best meditation states.

I lost my 18 yr son in hit n run case.. till one year i didn't do anything except my job.. even i don't want to prepare food.. I am a atheist person.. i was so confused its a destiny or a human mistake.. recently I attended 10days Vipassana.. sometimes it was very difficult to sit continuously 10-12 hrs.. back pain..legs pain.. at last i achieved 1 hr sitting without moving.. now i do at home 2 times for 1/2 an hour.. hope it will help to be strong and come out of misery..

Knees showing, no enlightenment for you!

You do a good job of describing the distinctions with bogging people down with the Buddhist terminology.

great sharing 💐