The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today started his ten-day meditation course in complete and utter silence at the Himachal Vipassana Meditation Centre (Dharamkot) at 0430 hours which will conclude on August 11.
The Centre Manager Mr. Pawan Sharma told Himvani that for 10 gruelling days, the AAP supremo will be required to live in silence without uttering or gesturing any words to the meditating mutes around him. He said that what might seem like an impossible feat for extroverts and a welcoming challenge for introverts, all will succumb to the silence of simply being.
He said that there are 92 participants, including 22 foreigners from all over the world attending this camp. He said that Mr Kejriwal is one among the 47 men participants. There are 45 women participants too in the camp.
When asked at Gaggal Airport on Monday that why he preferred Dyan Yoga over the Karma Yoga and decided to be away from serving the people of Delhi as Chief Minister for twelve days and arrived here, the AAP national convener said, “All this for meditation.”
Mr. Pawan Sharma said that Vipassana, a form of meditation and a way of life, quite possibly could change a person forever. He said that discovered by Gautama Buddha, a spiritual teacher from India and the founder of Buddhism, Vipassana aims to help people see things as they really are.
He said that the study of one’s self leads to the connection to mind and body. The discipline of being in the present moment with no future or past thinking, no cravings or aversions, and no mental impurities can open the mind and body to happiness and liberation – healing human suffering, he added.
Vipassana uses the technique of self-observation – focusing the mind on the breath and body to gain self-transformation and balance of mind. He said that the most challenging code for most students is no talking or eye contact among students. While this might seem shocking at first, generally within the first day students realise the benefits of silence and being able to focus solely on you.
Mr. Kejriwal has already attended 22 such meditation courses and this is 23rd one which is undergoing at Dharamkot. Mr. Sharma said that this was his first meditation course here. He said that Kejriwal is not here as a Chief Minister but as an old student. No student is allowed to go out and no person is allowed to come inside the centre during the course. He said that Kejriwal being an old student started enjoying every moment since this morning.