Dhammiko Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter and Square, recently shared a tweet on January 1st, revealing that he had embarked on a 10-day silent meditation retreat during the holiday season. Dorsey’s tweet featured the hashtag #Vipassana, indicating his engagement in this ancient meditation practice aimed at quieting the mind and alleviating suffering.
In Silicon Valley and beyond, a growing number of tech luminaries, including Tim Ferriss and Marc Benioff, have attested to the transformative power of meditation in their lives.
During his holiday hiatus from overseeing Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder, and former CEO, decided to explore the world of Vipassana meditation, a practice that has been gaining traction in the tech community. Vipassana, rooted in the Buddhist tradition, involves an intensive 10-day silent retreat designed to cultivate mental clarity, heightened awareness, self-control, and inner peace. Dorsey’s Twitter post documented his experience: “Just finished a 10-day silent meditation. Wow, what a reset! Fortunate & grateful I was able to take the time.”
The embrace of meditation by tech industry leaders underscores the growing recognition of the profound connection between mental well-being and professional performance. Companies like Facebook and LinkedIn have even invested in “life coaching” programs for their mid-level managers, acknowledging the importance of mental health in the workplace. Salesforce, under the guidance of co-founder Marc Benioff, has gone a step further by incorporating meditation rooms on every floor of its new San Francisco tower.
Jack Dorsey’s choice to immerse himself in Vipassana meditation reflects the extent to which tech moguls are willing to go to find serenity both in their personal lives and their professional endeavors.
Vipassana: A Profound Meditation Practice Vipassana, which translates to “seeing things as they are,” traces its origins back thousands of years to the teachings of the Buddha. After his enlightenment, the Buddha is said to have rediscovered this ancient practice and shared it with countless individuals in northern India.
The practice fell into obscurity until S.N. Goenka, a Burmese-Indian meditation guru, began imparting Vipassana teachings in India during the 1970s. By the time of his passing in 2013, Goenka’s students had established 200 meditation retreat centers worldwide.
In the tradition of Goenka, newcomers to Vipassana embark on a rigorous 10-day silent retreat, adhering to a set of stringent rules. These rules include abstaining from sexual activity, drugs, lying, stealing, religious worship, reading, writing, and physical contact. Communication, whether through speech, gestures, or written notes, is strictly prohibited.
Proponents argue that this disciplined approach enables introspection and self-reflection, ultimately leading to the shedding of negative thought patterns and habits. Practitioners gain insight into the causes of suffering and the path to liberation from it, as outlined on the online resource Dhamma.org.
Silicon Valley’s Affinity for Vipassana The Bay Area Vipassana Trust organizes the largest annual Vipassana retreat in the United States, attracting over 240 participants. The organization is actively working to establish a center in the heart of Silicon Valley. Karen Donovan and her husband, Tim, have been teaching Vipassana classes in the Goenka tradition for over two decades, overseeing this non-profit group.
Donovan shared her perspective, stating, “Most people come to our courses because they’re seeking some kind of peace of mind, some perspective on the things that are making them unhappy in their lives.” She added that individuals solely interested in learning meditation can find instruction elsewhere.
A typical day at a Vipassana meditation retreat is marked by its intensity, as participants immerse themselves in the practice, guided by experienced instructors. All retreats are funded through the generous donations of past participants.
Donovan wasn’t surprised to learn of Jack Dorsey’s Vipassana experience, as many volunteers supporting the Bay Area Vipassana Trust have backgrounds in the tech industry. Donovan and her husband strategically schedule their massive annual retreat in Occidental, California, during the holiday season to accommodate the schedules of tech professionals who often experience company-wide shutdowns during this time.
She suggested that high-profile tech leaders like Dorsey are drawn to Vipassana due to its emphasis on critical thinking and logic. “Anyone who thinks about how the mind works and realizes how they suffer starts to look around for some relief. Our practice of Vipassana means insight,” she explained.
Jack Dorsey’s Meditation Routine On December 21st, just before embarking on his 10-day meditation retreat, Dorsey shared his final tweet, featuring an emoji depicting clasped hands in prayer. He returned to Twitter on New Year’s Day, accompanied by the hashtag “#Vipassana.”
Since 2015, Jack Dorsey has juggled the roles of co-founder and former CEO at both Twitter and Square. To maintain balance in his life, he follows a structured daily schedule. Mornings are dedicated to Twitter, while afternoons are spent overseeing Square. Dorsey’s routine includes starting his day at 5 a.m. with a brief meditation session.
Tech professionals took to Twitter to applaud Dorsey for his commitment to Vipassana, recognizing the value of mindfulness in the fast-paced world of technology.
