In ancient Pali
language the word passana means to see and vipassana to see clearly or specially.
In terms of Buddhist Canons Vipassana is ‘to known things as they are’ (
yathabhoota nanadassana ). Such action of knowing things if practiced
regularly, helps in developing mental insight which eventually leads to understanding
non-superficial world.
Vipassana
meditation is an ancient technique re-discovered by Gautam Buddha 2500 years
back. For forty five years he taught this technique to people from all sections
of society and it was well received.
The word
‘vipassana’ is less frequently used in Buddhist Suttas or is used in conjunction with
jhana ( Dhyan ) & samtha ( Shamath ) as meditative practice to be undertaken. Some scholars
believe that these three are all part of a single path whereas some others feel
that samtha and vipassana are two qualities of mind which are to be developed
by means of meditative practice.
The method
and training of insight ( vipassana ) has been mentioned in Buddhist discourses
or Suttas. Satipatthana Sutta of Majjhim
Nikaya and Mahasatipatthana Sutta of Diggha Nikaya deal with method of training
for insight. Vipassana & its method has been discussed in many Buddhist books with slight
variations here and there.
In
Sarvastivada and the Sautrantika traditions vipassana meditation was practiced
as per texts like Abhidhammakosakarika and Yogacarabhumi Sastra.
Vasubandhu
states in Abhidhammakosakarika that vipassana is practiced after Samadhi
absorption by cultivating four types of mindfulness.
Abhidhamma-samucchaya
by Asanga mentions that practice of samtha-vipassana is part of Bodhisatta’s
path at the beginning.
Bodhisattvacaryavatara
by Shantideva states that samtha is pre-requisite to vipassana.
2. History
The practice,
commentaries and discussions on vipassana seems to have waned around 10th
century or so. This was due perhaps to general decline of Buddhism in India and
also due to adverse activities of invaders etc. A belief that liberation is not
possible before appearance of future Maitreya Buddha was also in circulation
those days.
Vipassana was
revived in Burma in late 18th century based mainly on Satipatthana
Sutta & Visuddhimagga in Thervada tradition. Later in 19th &
20th centuries Vipassana spread as ‘movement’ in practically all
parts of the world.
Some of the
prominent names which contributed to this movement are – Medawi ( 1728 – 1816
), U Narada, Mahasi Sayadaw, Nyanikponika Thera, Sayagi U Ban Khin, Satya
Narayan Goenka, Ajahn Chah and Buddhadasa. Last two names are in Thai Forest Tradition.
3. Vipassana
Meditation
Buddhist
canonical sutta Satipatthana Sutta or the Discourse on Mindfulness gives
guidelines to a meditator as to how he should proceed to get insight in four
phases of meditation. Gautam Buddha explained this sutta in a town called
Kammasadamma in Kuru country in northern India.
This process
can by no means, be called easy. It is strenuous work and requires time, energy
and firm resolution on the part of learner. Further, the mindfulness and
insight so gained is own direct knowledge and is not based on any dogmas,
irrationals, or any revelations by any creator god. To begin with vipassana it would be better to keep aside all beliefs
including even rebirth or karma theory. One should work with an open mind and concentrate
only on body and activities in and on body.
Arousing of
mindfulness in body or consciousness by any physical or mental object via six
senses ( eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and the mind ) is the starting step of
getting insight. Four arousings of mindfulness are: body or Kaya, sensations or
Vedana, consciousness or Chitta and mental objects or Dhamma. These four are discussed
in brief, as under.
4. Contemplation
of body ( Kayanupassana )
First step
in vipassana meditation is observing the breath as it comes in and as it goes
out without disturbing the rhythm of the breath. For this the learner sits down
cross legged with backbone erect and with eyes closed in a secluded place where
there is least disturbance.
While
inhaling, breath may come in from left, right or both nostrils, it may be cool
or warm, short or long. Whatever it be, it is only to be observed. Similarly,
while exhaling, breath may be short or deep, warm or cool it has to be observed
only and is not to be disturbed.
Meantime the
mind may get distracted and run away from observing breath but has to be
brought back to observing breath. After a while the breath will slow down and
then whole-body may be observed. For this a slow mental journey from top of the
head towards toe nails and from toe nails to top of the head may be undertaken
to feel the body parts and activities going thereon.
After a
while one becomes aware that the body progressively cools down and becomes calm.
The body and activities in the body are to be observed but not to be disturbed.
After gaining experience as above, observation of body may be extended to other
postures like walking, standing and lying down (called Iryapath in Pali ).
With
practice one becomes aware of minute activities and sensations happening on the
body. Sensations arise in the body, stay for a while and disappear. This
continues at a fast pace all the time and keeps the mind occupied needlessly.
After
gaining experience, meditative awareness needs to be focused on
unattractiveness ( kayagatasati and asubha ) inherent in the body.
Next step is to be aware of and to analyze
properties of parts of bodies. These are similar to the properties of basic
elements or Dhatu - earth, air, water and fire (Dhatuvatthana ).
For those
who are excessively attached to sexual pleasures cemetery visit has been suggested
( sivathika ) to understand the difference between attractive body and its
final status.
5. Contemplation
of feelings or sensations ( Vedananupassana )
Contact with
one of the six senses that is eyes, ears, nose, tongue, the body and the mind gives
rise to feelings or sensations. When we meditate, pay attention and analyze
these sensations it is observed that these may be pleasant, unpleasant or
neutral types.
Pleasant
feelings make us cling to them and we want more of them. We initiate action to
repeat and enjoy that sensation thereby giving rise to greed, lust etc.
Unpleasant
or painful feelings give rise to hate, fear, unease etc and we want to get away
from them or force them to get away.
Neutral
feelings are ignored and dismissed usually which may lead to delusion.
Arousing of
feelings and consequent related actions are not inevitable. They can be warded
off. The chain of contact - sensation - attachment - action can be broken.
Being mindful of our body we can be on alert towards changes affecting the body
and say – ‘this feeling has arisen’. Having recognised, we can let these
feelings go away without any further reaction to them.
6. Contemplations
of consciousness ( Chittanupassana )
This is the
third of four stages of contemplations in Buddhist Vipassana Meditation. Here
one tries to be mindful of consciousness or the Chitta and along with the
mental factors called the Chetsikas. The mental factors or Chetsikas are also
called ‘associates’ or ‘concomitants’ or ‘mental states’ as both chitta and chetsikas work together
– they arise together and cease together. For example, if there is anger or
lust as mental factor then the meditator must note that there is consciousness
+ lust or there is consciousness + anger present at that moment.
If at that
moment mindfulness is strong anger disappears. Meditator will realise that
anger is momentary – it arose and then passed away. Like feelings, perception,
and emotions the mental factors and the consciousness are not permanent. In
fact, Buddhism treats all made up worldly things as impermanent and subject to
decay. Attachment to such things ultimately create Dukkha.
From the
above examples we can describe two types of minds: the mind with lust or with
anger and mind without lust or anger. Such states of mind are simply observed by
the meditator and allowed to pass without clinging to desired ones and without
resenting the undesired ones.
After continuous
and regular practice, the mind is seen as a sequence of mental states which are
temporary or impermanent and without any self.
7. Contemplation
of mental objects ( Dhammanupassana )
The last stage
of vipassana leads to equanimity. This stage is toughest one requiring
continuous practice. It is often described as ‘where study ends,
Dhammanupassana begins! It requires high degree of mindfulness together with
mental discipline.
The word
Dhamma in Pali and Dharma in Sanskrit represents here concepts, laws, doctrines,
theory and teachings of Buddha. It is an all-inclusive word. While starting
dhammanupasana certain mental states put hindrances on practice, certain other mental
states or qualities help make progress. All these mental states need to be carefully
investigated. Meditator
needs to contemplate with mindfulness the following phenomena.
8. Five
hindrances ( Five Nivaranas )
These are:
1. sensual desire
or Kamachhanda,
2. ill will
or Vyapada,
3. sloth
& torpor or Styana-middha,
4. restlessness
& anxiety or Auditya-Kaukritya and
5. doubts or
Vichikichha.
These five hinder
the progress of dhammanupassana. While contemplating the meditator, notices for
example, that ‘there is no sensual desire present within me’ or that ‘there is
sensual desire present within me’. If present, he lets the sensual desire go
and discerns that sensual desire has been abandoned. He further discerns that
there is no future sensuous desire present in me. Same formula is applied to
other four hindrances.
9. Five Aggregates ( Five Skandhas )
The five aggregates
are:
1. form or
Rupa,
2.
sensations or Vedna,
3.
perceptions or Sanna,
4. mental
formations or Sankhara and
5.
consciousness or Vinnana
These five
aggregates are factors and parts of one’s personality. These give rise to cravings
and clinging and which cause suffering. The sufferings can be removed by
removing attachments with the above five aggregates.
While
contemplating a meditator discerns that ‘this is the form, such is its
appearance and such is its disappearance’. Same formula is applied to other
four aggregates.
10. Six senses ( Sadayatana )
The six
senses are:
1. eyes,
2. ears,
3. nose,
4. tongue
5. the body and
6. the mind
These are
our resources to experience outside world. While contemplating the meditator
discerns the eye, he discerns the object or the form, he discerns the fetter or
hindrance dependent on both eye & form. He discerns how the fetter has been
abandoned after arising. He discerns that how there is no further arising of a
fetter which was abandoned. This formula is applied again to remaining senses.
11. Seven
factors of awakening ( Seven Bodhyangas )
These
factors are:
1.
mindfulness or Sati,
2. investigating
or Dhammavichay,
3. energy or
Virya,
4. rapture
or Piti,
5.
tranquillity or Pashabdi,
6.
concentration or Samadhi and
7.
equanimity or Upekkha.
While
contemplating, the meditator has for example, the first factor of mindfulness
present in him. He discerns that ‘mindfulness as a factor of awakening is
present within me’. Or if there is no
such factor is present within him then he discerns that ‘no such factor of
mindfulness is present within him’. He further discerns how there is arising of
unarisen mindfulness as a factor of awakening and culmination thereof once it
has arisen.
It would be
observed that mindfulness is foundation of entire process of Vipassana
meditation. With well established mindfulness, quality investigation into various
phenomena could be done. This requires hard work and energy, energy gives rise
to rapture, rapture gives rise to tranquility, tranquility leads to
one-pointed concentration and finally concentration gives rise to equanimity.
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| नमो बुद्धाय |
Disclaimer- Above paragraphs have been written while trying to learn. I am not an expert on the subject. Your comments are welcome.
