I never attended anything led by Goenka or according to Goenka's methods.
However, I have done week long Zen retreats (totally different format) and done one 7 and one 10 day long Vipassana retreat at a place dedicated to Theravedan Buddhist meditation.
Here are potential issues:
Goenka's method was and is rooted in the traditional meditation retreat methods done for centuries by Theravedan Buddhist monks. During the monsoon seasons, these monks stayed in their monasteries or forest hermitages, so as not to ruin the planted rice crops by walking out and crushing the plants. These rainy season times were dedicated to study and to long periods of seated meditation, either alone or in groups.
Later, in revival movements, ways were found to make ten day long meditation retreats available to non monastics and from this background, Goenka came up with his method.
This said, there are potential concerns:
1) It is not at all unusual for peoples sleeping patterns to change during a meditation retreat, even when led by a quiet and steady teacher. Typically the first few days are rough because in a quiet retreat space, away from the noise and distractions of everyday life, sleep deprivation can catch up with many persons. I remember nearly falling off my cushion many times due to sleepiness and many others in the group had the same reaction. Must note that this has nothing to do with the ideology of the retreat. Back when I was a Catholic and made silent retreats, I would spend the first few days nodding off. At the end of one such retreat two other people said they reacted the same way.
2) As a silent meditation retreat progresses and the days pass, one may need less sleep and wake up earlier and earlier in the morning. Id see more and more people show up early at the dining hall as the week went on--collectively, on our own we were awakening earlier.
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This change in sleep wake cycle and routine can be enough to trigger bipolar episodes in persons who are genetically loaded for this medical/psychiatric condition.Two different persons with bipolar told me that it can be hazardous for some with bipolar to try and wake up and start the day before sunrise, even if on medication and even if one has obtained 8 hours of good quality sleep. If a person tries to wake up and follow the routines of a group whose routines start before dawn, they can risk triggering a bipolar episode.
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If you attend a seminar and everyone is getting some sort of emotional high at the same time and you're feeling like you've won the lottery - Leave.
Quite right. I did three different insight mediations, two led by quiet teachers and no one seemed to get hetzed up. I stayed calm too.
However, there was a third teacher who generated a different climate. To this day I do not know if X attracted high intensity people as a group, or what. But unlike the two other insight retreats, this third retreat was full of people who reported wild experiences.
Ordinarily I was quiet during retreats and yet at this one, to my own suprise, my own mind went into overdrive. Found myself craving to write, craving to talk, and this was totally out of my normal pattern when on these things.
So I agree with the person who wrote above---if you feel keyed up and wired and notice others getting wound up, and this is NOT your usual baseline--leave early and make sure you have a way to get out. If you have to stay (some retreat places are in wilderness areas) then find ways to go on hikes and avoid the group activities where everyone else is getting hetzed up.
Two, people are very sensitive during and after retreats. There can be a kind of wild insta intimacy.
Do not make any important decisions regarding love, money or career during or after one of these retreats.
If this is supposed to be a Buddhist retreat or retreat center, do NOT let anyone persuade you to add anything to your practice that isnt Buddhist.
Advaita Vedanta is not Buddhist. It postulates an inherantly separately existing Atman or Absolute, whilst Buddhadharma does not postulate any inherantly-separately-existing Absolute, Essence, Brilliance or First Principle. Karma is understood very differently in Buddhadharma vs the various schools of Hinduism.
So if you are doing vipassana this is a method that originated from the earliest Buddhadharma and is not compatible with Advaita Vedanta. Any teacher who tries to tell you this isnt the case is using sloppy technique.
Two if you find you want or need therapy, please get a therapist who has zero connections with your retreat center and is not friends or business associates with any of the leaders. It is important for therapists to avoid conflicts of interest (aka dual relationships) and a retreat center or meditation community should not be used as a referral source.
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http://forum.culteducation.com/read.php?4,92106,92391#msg-92391
One Buddhist Center's Advice to Members Who are Therapists and Helping Professionals
A licensed therapist should not use membership in a church, dharma center or ashram as a way to shop for clients/business. Ditto for yoga teachers, etc.
As an example of an unusually detailed examination of this by one Buddhist center, here is a quotation from guidelines that, in my opinion, ought to be considered a gold standard--and something worth discussing in courses for therapists as part of clincal training and continuing education.
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Quote:
Ethics Guidelines for Berkeley Zen Center
Adopted October 1, 2006 by the BZC Board
(Page 4)
Therapists and Helping Professionals
Sangha members are discouraged from using the community as a source ofbusiness or professional clients. We request that BZC (Berkeley Zen Center) teachers and sangha members who work as psychotherapists, physicians or attorneys avoid entering into professional relationships with sangha members.
Others in the helping professions are asked to be sensitive to the delicate balance between workerand client, and the possible complexity of dual relationships when both partiespractice at the same dharma center.
If by chance a therapist and client happen to be members of the same church or spiritual project, a therapist MUST be prepared to put the clients well being first and foremost, even if it means going against a guru or pastor or group. If a therapist refuses to imagine there could ever be such a conflict--that therapist is already compromised.
A very good remark from the ethics guidelines from the Berkeley Zen Center is as follows:
'In certain situations it is unethical to do nothing.'
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