27 Silent Women- Believe it or not!

27 women, staying together, and are asked not to talk for 10 days. Are you kidding me???

Yes, it is a true story. There is no concept of a “silent woman” or ‘old woman” or “ugly woman”. But there, I saw all during my Vipassana Meditation Course. 

Well, I will refrain myself from philosophies but would describe what actually happened there. None is interested in PDAs unless it is old couple or lesbians, likewise none is interested in philosophies unless it entails ‘women’.

You need to know a little background-

1.       Food was served two times a day- 630 am and 11 am. Hard to believe? Yes, am alive here writing this blog. 

2.       You can’t talk to anyone. Noble silence is observed at all the times.

3.       There are no dates written. It is like “Today is day 7”

4.       Getting up at 4 am and going back to bed at 930 pm is the daily schedule

5.       Complete segregation of men and women.

It will be difficult to write about all of the women but I’d have loved to, only if I could speak to them. Language had never been such a barrier. Anyway, to cut the story short, based upon the nature and behavior, I’d be dividing them into several groups:

1.   Groceries: The bell would ring signifying the time for breakfast/ lunch. Even before the Teacher had pat off the wrinkles from his pyjamas to get up, these women would run with their dishes to canteen. They ate like monkeys lost. The last few minutes before the meal time would make them mad and all they ‘imagined’ during the silent meditation class was FOOD.

2. Washerwomen:  Some belonged to this category-“I have collected a pile of clothes to wash, so I’m going to Vipassana”. Oh Man! day and night, in between classes, in between meals, these women would miss no chance to wash clothes. I don’t know how many and whose they were washing. That was even when we were instructed to carry sufficient clothes as there were limited washing facilities.

3.  Hottest women: ‘Hot air is lighter than cool air’ didn’t we study that at school. Yes, so there were these ever-farting, ever-snoring, ever-fuming and ever-huffing women in the hall and with your eyes closed, you could not even trace the ‘culprits’ during meditation hours.

  4. Chatterbox with a closed lid: Poor they. I pity 
if Mom is sent to such course. These women 
were like tigers closed in a steel nest. 
They could walk, eat, look around, but couldn’t roar!

5.  IST Women: Indian Stretchable Time (IST) doesn't apply to Indians alone. It applies universally. Yes, some people can't reach on time ever! The intolerant fellows and the patient instructors would keep waiting for umpteen hours for the group mediation class and these women, would be running late EVERY DAY, for no reason.

Interested to know which group I belonged to, other than Groceries? :P