33 · Ten Days of Silence

The Room of Lives by Neel
“I wanted to become a monk at a monastery after my PhD. This retreat made me cancel that plan.”I speak to a university audience about my experiences at my first ten-day silent meditation retreat in 2017, in remote Texas. I begin with some background on my personal spiritual journey that led to the retreat. I describe the setting and struc  ...  See more
May 07 2022
Episode’s Chapters
  • 00:01:01 - 00:17:52
    00:01:01 - 00:17:52My spiritual path to the retreat
  • 00:17:52 - 00:23:21
    00:17:52 - 00:23:21Arrival
  • 00:23:21 - 00:29:14
    00:23:21 - 00:29:14How the retreat is designed
  • 00:29:14 - 00:31:46
    00:29:14 - 00:31:46The meditation method
  • 00:31:46 - 00:41:00
    00:31:46 - 00:41:00My experiences: physical and mental
  • 00:41:00 - 00:56:03
    00:41:00 - 00:56:03Boredom: in the body and mind
  • 00:56:03 - 00:58:14
    00:56:03 - 00:58:14Things I disliked
  • 00:58:14 - 01:03:47
    00:58:14 - 01:03:47Finding entertainment at the retreat
  • 01:03:47 - 01:05:27
    01:03:47 - 01:05:27What the insects taught me
  • 01:05:27 - 01:11:24
    01:05:27 - 01:11:24Effects after returning
  • 01:11:24 - 01:16:45
    01:11:24 - 01:16:45Tech addiction
  • 01:16:45 - 01:23:52
    01:16:45 - 01:23:52Increased empathy
Keywords
buddhismmeditationvipassanatexasretreatgoenkasilent