At one of the courses I sat, there was an assistant teacher who had one more thing to say before the course was over. It was the last sit of the morning before everyone went for breakfast and left the center. The last thing he said was, “Take a short break…”
People laughed and were a bit confused. It was the end of the course. It was time to leave, and that line, ‘take a short break,’ usually was used often during the course, and usually followed up by something like ‘then come back to meditate in the hall and in your own rooms.’
This time, he continued with, “…And come back to the center. Make this your center.”
I thought it was a masterful way to end the course. Vipassana is never over. The night you get home from the course, you’ve got to get that second sit of the day in. And all the while, you can be aware of your breath and sensations on your body. At times, you may forget. The teacher is not there to say, take a short break, and start again. You have to be your own mentor, your own master.
Done a sit recently? Gone to a course? Good. Take a short break, and start again.
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