Longest period of Meditation!
 

Many of us know about places of intensive meditation and practice.

On the Zen side places like Antai-ji in Japan & Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery in America come to mind.

For Theravada, Panditãrãma or Pa Auk Forest Monastery.

I am curious what are the longest stretches of intense meditation you have heard and also completed yourself!

It can be a folk story or true.

I am having a hard time finding the information now but one of the longest periods of meditation I have heard of is the 100 day Sesshin! I guess it all depends on the time-table of each day but if it is a standard Sesshin that would be beyond intense.

For myself I had a period a few years back while watching a property. I would do some simple chores and then walk over to a close park and sit. I probably was sitting around 7-10 hours a day and I think the period was about a month and a half or two.

I had a point were I had an incredible absorption/mystical experience. Almost like a powerful psychedelic experience although it was totally clear and there was no background feelings.

In it I experienced what felt like the massiveness of Samsara and were I was and had developed so far. Also seemed I had taken Bodhisattva vows in the past as I was experienced as a Bodhisattva. The interesting thing is at this time I was practicing very intensely on the Theravada perspective and so hadn't thought about Bodhisattvas in a long time to my knowledge lol

It was a very powerful experience.

It is difficult to compare long meditates - as you say, it all depends on the time-table of each day and how many hours each day are actually spent sitting in meditation.

And it also depends on whether the person meditating is living the life of a yogi/monk/renunciate or if they have the daily responsibilities of family, work etc.

The most common long meditation is perhaps the 10 day Vipassana course, but when you see the timetable it is broken up into periods of meditation (either as a group or on your own) with breaks for rest, food, discourse, etc.

There is a Buddhist group meditation retreat of 3 years, 3 months and 3 days, but I know little about this.

Vicki McKenzie, a Buddhist nun, wrote about her 12 years in a cave in the book Cave in the Snows. I read this book years ago, and from what I recall she had breaks to visit her teacher and even to make a trip to the UK.

There are many anecdotes of yogis who sit for years in a cave in continual meditation, or with the occasional break for a meal brought by a disciple.

I first began to meditate in a group which encouraged us to meditate four hours every day with a six hour meditate every weekend, and we all did this. As we became more experienced we did longer individual meditates, at first 12 hours, then two days, three days, four days or longer. This was sitting for up to 18 hours each day, and we would get tea and toast in the morning and a bowl of rice, tea and toast in the evening. All this was done while leading an otherwise normal life - we worked, had families, etc.

I discovered that if you can do two days, then it is actually easier doing longer periods. Two days is difficult because the mind spends the first day quietening down and then the second day the mind anticipates finishing. Doing three or four days is easier because the mind just gives up, becomes quiet and surrenders to simply being in meditation.

So the longest I have done was a couple of 8-day meditates, sitting for up to 18 hours each day. These were actually quite easy, and very powerful. It has been many years since I did long meditates because of other responsibilities.

Peace.

My longest periods of meditation usually last for between 4-6 hours, until I realise I could either urinate on the floor, or get up and go to the lavatory.

Usually, I meditate for between 45 minutes - an hour a day in a 'light trance' but after raising kundalini, I can light a candle, look out my window and within 5-10 minutes, I am just totally gone.

It's like daydreaming, where I will look at things, but not see anything and there will be absolutely no thought whatsoever.

Next thing I know, 4 or 5 hours have passed like 4 or 5 minutes and there is a dire urgency in my bladder or my backside and lower spine is totally wracked with pressure pain and I am snapped back into attending to my physical needs. I go to stand up...fall over a few times...before I get my bearings and balance.

My legs fall asleep after an hour lol. I'm curious, do these people mediate without stopping for that long? Or is there breaks in between?

See longing in meditation is depends on your body allow sittting poistures and if its paining person can meditate without posture after it. it include meditation walkingly.

But I seek comfort with meditation so my lonest meditation was 2 hours, normally my slots are of 50 minutes and there is gap of 15 minutes in each two slots to perform bodily functions & to worm up to loosen body after 50 minutes of slot..

I suggest you 50 minutes slot. and 15 minutes gap in each 2 slots to worm up and to perform bodily functions.

I went to 10 days course of Vipasyana commune where we used to perform meditation from 4.30 AM to 7 PM. there was interval in between 6.30 to 7.15 am for breakast nd bath. 12.30 to 1.30 pm for lunch & little rest and 5.30 pm to 6 pm for evening tea & breakfast. there was meximum slot of meditaion was 55 minutes there was 5 minutes interval in between each 2 slots.

Body worm up is necessary in between each two slots.

20 minutes. wait, maybe 40.

Lol gave me an awesome laugh. Great post!

I like that title! Maybe worth a check-out, seems like an interesting story to know. :)