Dhamma Dhara--Vipassana Meditation Center — Local services in Shelburne

I'm not one to write reviews as a rule, but the person calling Vipassana meditation a cult requires a response. First of all, Vipassana meditation has been around since the Buddha was alive, so not thinking the cult documentary is coming out any time soon. I would also fathom a guess that this person hasn't actually sat a course. I sat two courses here over the years and long to go back for another, but getting away for ten days is a tough call now that I have adopted young children. I researched very carefully and spoke to many people before attending my first session here. My doctor has meditated here for years and even sits the thirty day session, which I can only hope to someday manage. One of the major draws is that there is no fixed fee. The student pays what he or she can or nothing at all if they cannot afford to, and that very clearly shows that money is not a hook for the center. There are no sales pitches or weird pushes for students to return or sign up for anything, and others volunteer to cook for those sitting a session so we can focus on meditating. It is a silent retreat so no brainwashing can happen in that way. The lectures that are watched on video in the evening support the student working toward their own practice and being a good citizen of the world. Again, no calls for signing anything or spending any money. There were a couple of attendees who left after a day or two, and they do sit down with them and make them take responsibility for their choice. When people leave, it has also taken that spot away from someone else who would have liked to sit that session. I just looked at their list of sessions for this year, and they are all full. It's a disappointment when someone signs up but doesn't follow through with the commitment.

I did meet people there who spend all their time going from center to center as they are seeking a place in the world, so do I see how someone could make it an obsession that becomes "cultish" is their own minds? Yes. People also come to these retreats in order to heal mental health issues, and the center is VERY clear that sitting in silence for ten days is NOT a way to fix mental health problems. My first session was very emotionally and physically challenging but worth the effort. I have never been contacted after sitting a session.

I think anyone could call any program a "cult" as there are rules and informational sessions, but I found NOTHING culty about Vipassana teachings at all. I would also say that if someone believes anything to be a cult, he or she...

I had a chance to be here Aug 2022 for 10 days retreat. I had been waiting for that opportunity desperately. If it is your first time and sitting almost 10.5 hours a day could be difficult for 1st 2 days then from 3rd day it becomes less difficult. The most difficult thing is to calm your mind and that is what we are here for. We are not allowed to talk for 10 days which is actually a blessing because during your stay you don’t get enough feed for your mind and you only have to deal with your past experiences that your mind had. From 3rd day we started seeing one or other folk missing as for some it becomes so difficult to continue and that is when I feel blessed as I had someone in-front of me who I looked up to in terms of discipline. On 5th day I had experienced a lucid dream exactly like dementors from the movie Harry Potter 3. They were pulling me out from my face. That happened just before evening snack time. It stayed less than 5 mins I was totally aware when it was happening and I knew as soon as I open my eyes it will go away so I opened my eyes. After that day nothing like that happened. On 7th day you are allowed to do meditation in Pagoda cell that 1st day in Pagoda was overwhelming I had memories from my college run before me. I missed my best friend, I cried at times. I felt guilty at times for not treating my son very well and so much ran. On 11th day when the teacher late Mr SN Goenka and his wife sang the song ‘Tera Mangal mera Mangal sabka Mangal hoye re’ some such strong vibes were in the meditation hall that I could not control and got emotionally overwhelmed and poured some tears out. I am so desperately looking to go there for longer courses but there is a procedure to enroll in 20 and above 20 days courses which unfortunately I don’t qualify yet just with 1 10 day course so I am going there again this year for another 10 day course. 1 last thing which I felt I want to share that when I got back from the retreat I realized I can eat anything with anything for example I can put all kind of meals and mix them and eat because I realized that meal is just a necessity to feed my body and not luxury. But that feeling did not sustain much longer after I got back from retreat. There is so much I can talk about but for now I will just end this comment.

[update] just completed this years retreat today on Jul 9 2023 as an old student this time and another...

I recently attended a Vipassana meditation center, but unfortunately, I had to leave on the second day. I want to share my experience.

I was politely asked to leave the center due to my health condition. I suffer from psychosomatic issues, and if something is dirty or poorly done, my pancreas immediately starts to hurt. The first days of adaptation were difficult for me. At one point, I felt very unwell and decided to stay in my room instead of going to the group meditation. I had an agreement with the teacher and manager that I could rest if I felt unwell.

However, later another person came to my room and persistently called me back to the group meditation, which worsened my condition. I explained that I was having an episode and asked for some time to recover. During the conversation, I mentioned that if things got worse, I would go to the hospital or call an ambulance. A few minutes later, another staff member came and very politely told me that I had 5 minutes to pack my things.

In the end, I had to hurriedly pack my belongings, which made me feel even worse. In the state of an episode, I had to walk to Greenfield with my luggage, as no taxi was available. By the time I got there, there were no buses, and I had to figure things out on my own.

Overall, I think Vipassana is a good place for distraction and meditation, but if you have serious medical issues, you should be cautious. Personally, it was a tough experience for me, and I believe God protected me in this situation.

However, I was very disappointed with how things ended. They treated me very rudely during my episode and didn't even give me a couple of hours to recover. To put it bluntly, they kicked me out while I was in a...