14 December 2025
I arrived at Dhamma Shringar at 12.30pm, heart full, body tired and spirit quietly curious.
My registration number was F101 (Female, 101) and amusingly, my name sat right at the top of the list. First on paper… though many early birds had already arrived before me. 😂
Registration was efficient and serious. Rules and regulations were read aloud, clearly and firmly…and then came the moment I had been both expecting and dreading:
valuables including cash, passport and PHONE surrendered 😭😂
Just like that, the outside world slipped away.
After about an hour, we were given a tour of the premises; lots of stairs, up and down, as though preparing us physically for what lay ahead mentally. Eventually, we were led to our dormitory, a simple house with tiny cubicles, each containing just a single bed, a small table and a narrow hanging space barely enough for a dress and a towel.
It felt stark.
Intentional.
Discomfort was clearly part of the design.
A Nepalese samosa was served as an evening snack, followed by dinner at 6pm. We queued up silently, prison-style, holding a round silver plate, a cup and a spoon. The food was vegetarian; simple, unadorned and I ate every bite. Hunger has a way of making everything taste acceptable.😅
That evening, we gathered in the Dhamma Hall for the introduction by the teachers and a video discourse by S.N. Goenka, the man behind this global Vipassana movement. As I entered the hall, I was assigned my meditation seat.
I – 7
I froze.
My mum passed away on 7th January.
Tears welled up instantly.
There it was, that familiar, quiet confirmation.
She was with me. Again.
That night, I cried softly; not from fear, not from sadness but from gratitude. I thanked her for showing up in her mysterious, unmistakable way.
Back at the dormitory, I noticed there were about 14 rooms, plus one for the Dhamma servers. The bathroom setup mirrored hostel living:
6 shower cubicles
6 toilets
A long row of basins with taps flowing icy cold water!
The small mercy?
Hot water in the showers!!! thank goodness 🙏🏻
At 9:30pm, lights went off.
Silence deepened.
Cold crept in.
And just like that…
Day Zero ended.
Not with answers.
Not with certainty.
But with a quiet knowing:
Something had already begun.
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