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Session 1 : Introduction to Meditation
- What is meditation?
- Why the need to meditate?
- The significance of observing precepts to meditation
- Basic instruction on Vipassana Meditation (Sitting Meditation)
Session 2 : Vipassana Meditation Proper - Part 1
- Brief introduction to the two main Buddhist meditation : Samatha and Vipassana
- The difference between mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samadhi)
- Reason for using rising and falling of the abdomen as primary object instead of inhaling and exhaling of breath
- What are primary and secondary meditation objects
- Meditation in four postures - sitting, walking, standing, standing and lying down
- Basic instruction on Vipassana Meditation (Walking Meditation)
Session 3 : Vipassana Meditation Proper - Part 2
- Mindfulness practice according to Satipatthana sutta (Sutta on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness)
- Brief explanation on the four foundations of mindfulness : body, feeling, consciousness & mental factors
- How to deal with pain, thinking, fantasizing or any phenomena encountered during the practice
- Awareness of daily activities and the Importance of slowing down in daily activities
- The Ultimate aim : realizing the characteristic of impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and non-self (anatta)
Session 4 : Preparation for a Meditation Retreat
- Be mentally and physically prepared to expect the unexpected
- How to check motivation, arouse determination and patience for a balanced practice
- The significance of eight precepts to retreat
- Adhering teacher's instructions
- What & how to Report during interview
- The importance of retreat for one's spiritual progress.
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