Three years into my Vipassana journey I’m needing to accept just how slow the process of changing the habit pattern of the mind is. I’m so used to finding quick fix solutions like 8 minute abs and pills that solve problems that I’m still trying to understand what it means for this path to be a life long journey. Three years was my old version of a long-term solution, but as much as I’ve changed over this period, I’m starting to realize just how far I have left to go.
After finishing my first course I thought I would bring this gem back to my family and community and I would relatively quickly see dramatic changes. I realize now that I was mostly expecting large changes in other people’s lives. Instead, Vipassana keeps expecting more change from me and nobody else. I’m not sure how much the people in my life have changed, but how I respond and react to them has totally changed. I spend very little time expecting, challenging, or hoping for others to make different choices and continuously observe how I’m handling each of these situations.
I still feel like Vipassana is a practice that could truly help the world become a better place, but this change isn’t going to occur within the next 10 years. It might take hundreds of years to see a shift on a global scale. This doesn’t change the fact that my daily practice is the best tool I have to develop in the best possible me that I can. While change is slow, it is real change and that’s what matters. I excited to continue walking at this slow and steady pace. I look forward to finding more people who are walking along side me. Time to meditate.
