For my self, I always refuse to break this vow. When I came to visit Buddhists, one ask how I was meditating before, and I told him about that vow, ten minutes later they show me the breath technique, you now what…it was the same. Effectively the knowledge techniques are a Polichinelle secret (that everybody knows).

“Interestingly there seems to have been no ex premie discussion about what the individual techniques actually do - what is that actually happens - physiologically, mentally, psychologically, emotionally and/or (all material rationalists please look away now) spiritually - when the one uses those techniques.  Perhaps there is still a lingering taboo ! »

Yes, but maybe it’s out of topic. What meditation does (good, bad and between) is a universal subject, not an ex one. Many people wrote about it, especially John Welwood « Toward a Psychology of Awakening”. (all material rationalists please look away now)

If we have a discussion about what’s really the experience with the individual techniques it would be like discussing about god, or the angels sex.

About the vows themselves each one does with his sense of morality. I would not like to be engage with a woman thinking like Voltaire. “Si je suis tomber par terre c’est de la faute à voltaire »*. Victor Hugo (les Misérables).

*”If I fell down it’s the Voltaire's fault.” Gavroche was singing this while he was dying on the barricade. Ha…Paris.

Migwell.