Since my first attempt at learning some type of meditation failed, I jumped at the chance to take a 10-day Vipassana course in Java. This wasn't the most likely place, as Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. However, the course was not secular, and there seemed to be a variety of religions represented (I was shocked to learn that Indonesians must choose one of five religions that is than printed on their ID card, and atheist is not an option). Anyhow, I had a light dinner after checking-in, and then the actual course began. The first part of the course was accepting terms that I had known about before arriving. I practiced "sila" or morality, which was done by adopting 5 precepts: abstain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, telling lies, and taking intoxicants.
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