Shubham Mohod

           The seeds of the Dhamma  (The Buddha’s Teachings) were sown by my Parents when I was 8 years old. My parents requested to a Senior Buddhist Monk and ordained me as a Samanera (a young renunciate). I feel, that was the beginning of my Spiritual Journey.

           Coming to the back-ground, I have completed my Schooling from a Small-town in Maharashtra, India.  Like most of the small-town boys, I also had a Bucket list of Dreams. So I started working for my Goals (Mostly Materialistic Desires then) , and completed Computer Engineering from a reputed college in Mumbai University. Then started working for an MNC and achieved everything I wanted and accomplished the bucket list.

But I had a feeling that even though I was happy; there was still a void.  Meanwhile the First Noble Truth preached by the Buddha encountered in my Life in the form of Discontent.  So, having many  Questions and Curiosities about Life, I started visiting different Spiritual Places like the Churches, the Mosques and the Temples. Being a soft hearted personality and Confused Mind I used to attentively listen to these Spiritual Leader’s Talks and Stories , then too, I was not satisfied with their impractical and Superstitious Notions and their solutions too!

    One of my friend suggested me to join a Vipassana Meditation Course at Igatpuri, Maharashtra.  As per his advice I attended and Served in many Vipassana Courses including Satipatthana Retreat. And I feel Ecstatic and Grateful for S.N. Goenka Guruji and all my Spiritual Friends who helped me proceeding in the Dhamma. After practicing this plain Vipassana for couple of years I got insight to many queries but I wasn’t much contented because of the Slow-Progress in Meditation.

    In this way I got introduced to practice of TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation) through one of the Spiritual Friend. I found this technique suitable for me and applicable in daily life. So I started serving and attending different TWIM Programs under the Guidance of Ven. Sister Khanti Khema, Ven. Bhante Dhammagavesi and most of the  honorable Teachers  who explained me all the links of Pratityasamutpada (Dependent Origination ) in details. When I started applying this technique of 6R (Right Efforts)  in day to day problems, it helped me a lot in different situations of both Personal and Professional Life.         

Experience of dwelling in the BrahmaViharas (Loving Kindness – Compassion – Altruistic Joy and Compassion - Equanimity) by using this tool of TWIM is amazingly helpful. Because of this wonderful teaching of the Dhamma, I got a new Perspective and Insight about this existence. Now I feel Peaceful, Contented and Grateful to this life, irrespective of the external ups and downs of life. This is just a beginning. I am very much  confident that, if we follow and practice the instructions religiously we will experience the blissful state of mind soon

So I feel from the bottom of my Heart that everyone should experience these blissful states, become Happy, Contented and proceed in the Buddha’s Teachings by using  this tool of TWIM.

MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY !

May You Keep Smiling , May You Keep Radiating: Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Uppekha!