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Vipassanā

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Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना, Sanskrit; Chn. 觀 guān; Tib. ལྷག་མཐོང་, lhaktong; Wyl. lhag mthong) in theBuddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality,^[1][2] namely as the Three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering or unsatisfactoriness, and the realisation of non-self.

Vipassanā-meditation is a modern Theravada practice, reintroduced by Ledi Sayadaw and Mogok Sayadaw and popularized by Mahasi Sayadaw,^[3][4][5] S. N. Goenka and the Vipassana movement, ^[6] in which mindfulness of breathing and of thoughts, feelings and actions are being used to gain insight in the true nature of reality. Due to the popularity of Vipassanā-meditation, the mindfulness of breathing has gained further popularity in the west asmindfulness.^[6]

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Insight
  • 2.1 Origins
  • 2.2 Bare insight
  • 2.3 Relation with samatha
• 3 Practice
  • 3.1 Anapasati suta
  • 3.2 Theravāda
    • 3.2.1 Vipassanā movement
    • 3.2.2 Vipassana-meditation
    • 3.2.3 Stages in the practice
  • 3.3 Mahāyāna
    • 3.3.1 Vajrayana
    • 3.3.2 Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen
• 4 See also
• 5 Notes
• 6 References
• 7 Sources
• 8 External links
  • 8.1 History
  • 8.2 Background
  • 8.3 Practice

Etymology[edit]

See also: Enlightenment in Buddhism, Sotāpanna, Jnana, Prajna, Bodhi, Vidhya and Kensho

Vipassanā is a Pali word from the Sanskrit prefix "vi-" and verbal root paś. It is often translated as "insight" or "clear-seeing," though, the "in-" prefix may be misleading; "vi" in Indo-Aryan languages is equivalent to the Latin "dis." The "vi" in vipassanā may then mean to see into, see through or to see 'in a special way.'^[2]Alternatively, the "vi" can function as an intensive, and thus vipassanā may mean "seeing deeply."^{[citation needed]}

A synonym for "Vipassanā" is paccakkha (Pāli; Sanskrit: pratyakṣa), "before the eyes," which refers to direct experiential perception. Thus, the type of seeing denoted by "vipassanā" is that of direct perception, as opposed to knowledge derived from reasoning or argument.^{[citation needed]}

In Tibetan, vipashyana is lhagthong (wylie: lhag mthong). The term "lhag" means "higher", "superior", "greater"; the term "thong" is "view" or "to see". So together,lhagthong may be rendered into English as "superior seeing", "great vision" or "supreme wisdom." This may be interpreted as a "superior manner of seeing", and also as "seeing that which is the essential nature." Its nature is a lucidity—a clarity of mind.^[7]

Henepola Gunaratana defined Vipassanā as:

Looking into something with clarity and precision, seeing each component as distinct and separate, and piercing all the way through so as to perceive the most fundamental reality of that thing" ^[2]

Insight[edit]

Origins[edit]

In the sutta pitaka the term "vipassanā" is hardly mentioned:

If you look directly at the Pali discourses — the earliest extant sources for our knowledge of the Buddha's teachings — you'll find that although they do use the word samatha to mean tranquillity, and vipassanā to mean clear-seeing, they otherwise confirm none of the received wisdom about these terms. Only rarely do they make use of the word vipassanā — a sharp contrast to their frequent use of the word jhana. When they depict the Buddha telling his disciples to go meditate, they never quote him as saying "go do vipassanā," but always "go do jhana." And they never equate the word vipassanā with any mindfulness techniques.^[8]

Bare insight[edit]

The suttas contain traces of ancient debates between Mahayana and Theravada schools in the interpretation of the teachings and the development of insight. Out of these debates developed the idea that bare insight suffices to reach liberation, by discerning the Three marks of existence (tilakkhana), namely dukkha, anatta andanicca.^[9] This is a summation on the knowledge and insight on the Four Noble Truths which can only be reached by practising the Noble Eightfold Path. According to Theravada tradition enlightenment or Nibbana can only be attained by discerning all Vipassana insight levels when the Eightfold Noble Path is followed ardently. This is a developmental process where various Vipassana insights are discerned and the final enlightenment may come suddenly as proposed by other schools.

The Sthaviravāda, one of the early Buddhist schools, emphasized sudden insight:

In the Sthaviravada [...] progress in understanding comes all at once, 'insight' (abhisamaya) does not come 'gradually' (successively - anapurva).^[10]

The Mahasanghika, another one of the early Buddhist schools, had the doctrine of ekaksana-citt, "according to which a Buddha knows everything in a single thought-instant".^[11] This process however, meant to apply only to the Buddha and Peccaka buddhas. Lay people may have to undergo various levels of insights to become fully enlightened.

The Mahayana-tradition emphasises prajna, insight into sunyata, dharmata, the two truths doctrine, clarity and emptiness, or bliss and emptiness:^[12]

[T]he very title of a large corpus of early Mahayana literature, the Prajnaparamita, shows that to some extent the historian may extrapolate the trend to extol insight, prajna, at the expense of dispassion, viraga, the control of the emotions.^[13]

Although Theravada and Mahayana are commonly understood as different streams of Buddhism, their practice however, may reflect emphasis on insight as a common denominator:

In practice and understanding Zen is actually very close to the Theravada Forest Tradition even though its language and teachings are heavily influenced by Taoism and Confucianism.^{[14][note 1]}

The emphasis on insight is discernible in the emphasis in Chán on sudden insight,^[10] though in the Chán-tradition this insight is to be followed by gradual cultivation.^{[note 2]}

Relation with samatha[edit]

See also: Samatha, Samadhi (Buddhism), Dhyāna in Buddhism, Mahamudra and Raja yoga

In the Theravada-tradition two types of meditation Buddhist practices are being followed, namely samatha (Pāli; Sanskrit: śamatha; "calm") and vipassana (insight).^[16] Samatha is a primary meditation aimed at calming the mind, and it is also being used in other Indian traditions, notably Raja yoga.

Contemporary Theravada orthodoxy regards samatha as a preparation for vipassanā, pacifying the mind and strengthening the concentration in order to allow the work of insight, which leads to liberation. In contrast, the Vipassana Movement argues that insight levels can be discerned without the need for developing samatha further due to the risks of going out of course when strong samatha is developed.^[17] For this innovation the Vipassana Movement has been criticised, especially in Sri Lanka.^[18][19]

Though both terms appear in the Sutta Pitaka^{[note 3]}, Gombrich and Brooks argue that the distinction as two separate paths originates in the earliest interpretationsof the Sutta Pitaka,^[9] not in the suttas themselves.^{[24][note 4]} According to Gombrich, the distinction between vipassanā and samatha did not originate in the suttas, but in the interpretation of the suttas.^{[9][note 5]} Various traditions disagree which techniques belong to which pole.^[26]

Practice[edit]

See also: Buddhist Paths to liberation

Vipassanā can be cultivated by the practice that includes contemplation, introspection and observation of bodily sensations, analytic meditation and observations on life experiences like death and decomposition. The practices may differ in the modern Buddhist traditions and non-sectarian groups according to the founder but the main objective is to develop insight. [1]

Anapasati suta[edit]

Mindfulness of In-&-Out Breathing is described in detail in Anapanasati Sutta as follows:

Breathing in long, he discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or breathing out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long.' Or breathing in short, he discerns, 'I am breathing in short'; or breathing out short, he discerns, 'I am breathing out short.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.'^[27]

If it is pursued and well developed, it is said to bring great benefit according to the Anapanasati Sutta.

This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit.^[27]

As to the training, Anapanasati sutta describes as follows:

On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.^[27]

Theravāda[edit]

Vipassanā movement[edit]

See also: Vipassana movement and Buddhist modernism

The term vipassana became popular due to the influence of the Vipassana movement which started in the 1950s in Burma. It has become a practical solution to handle emotions in a sophisticated society of the West.

The Vipassanā Movement, also known as the Insight Meditation Movement, refers to a number of schools of modern Theravāda Buddhism, especially the Thai Forest Tradition and the "New Burmese Method", which emphasize development of insight into the three marks of existence as a mean to become awakened and enter the Stream. stream enterer.

The modern influences^[6] on the traditions of Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos and Thailand originating from various Theravāda teachers like Ledi sayadaw, Mogok Sayadaw who was less known to the West due to lack of International Mogok Centres, Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Chah, and Dipa Ma, as well as derivatives from those traditions such as the movement led by S. N. Goenka. The Vipassanā Movement also includes contemporary American Buddhist teachers such as Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Gil Fronsdal, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield.

In the Vipassanā Movement, the emphasis is on the Satipatthana Sutta and the use of mindfulness to gain insight into the impermanence of the self-view.

Vipassana-meditation[edit]

Vipassanā-meditation uses mindfulness of breathing, combined with the contemplation of impermanence, to gain insight into the true nature of this reality. All phenomena are investigated, and concluded to be painful and unsubstantial, without an immortal entity or self-view, and in its ever-changing and impermanent nature.^[28][13]

Mindfulness of breathing is described throughout the Sutta Pitaka. The Satipatthana Sutta describes it as going into the forest and sitting beneath a tree and then to simply watch the breath. If the breath is long, to notice that the breath is long, if the breath is short, to notice that the breath is short.^[29][30]

By observing the breath one becomes aware of the perpetual changes involved in breathing, and the arising and passing away of mindfulness. One can also be aware of and gain insight into impermanence through the observation of bodily sensations and their nature of arising and passing away.^[31]

Stages in the practice[edit]

See also: Four stages of enlightenment

Vipassanā jhanas are stages that describe the development of vipassanā meditation practice as described in modern Burmese Vipassana meditation.^[32] Mahasi Sayadaw's student Sayadaw U Pandita describes the four vipassanā jhanas as follows:^[33]

1. The meditator first explores his body, then his mind, discovering the three characteristics. The first jhana consists in seeing these points and in the presence of vitakka and vicara. Phenomena reveal themselves as appearing and ceasing.
2. In the second jhana, the practice seems effortless. Vitaka and vicara both disappear.
3. In the third jhana, piti, the joy, disappears too: there is only happiness (sukha) and concentration.
4. The fourth jhana arises, characterised by purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. The practice leads to direct knowledge. The comfort disappears because the dissolution of all phenomena is clearly visible. The practice will show every phenomenon as unstable, transient, disenchanting. The desire of freedom will take place.

Eventually Vipassanā-meditation leads to insight into the impermanence of all phenomena, and thereby lead to a permanent liberation.^[13]

Mahāyāna[edit]

Vajrayana[edit]

Main articles: Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism

Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism employed both deductive investigation (applying ideas to experience) and inductive investigation (drawing conclusions from direct experience) in the practice of vipaśyanā.^{[note 6][note 7]} According to Leah Zahler, only the tradition of deductive analysis in vipaśyanā was transmitted to Tibet in the sūtrayāna context.^{[note 8]}

In Tibet direct examination of moment-to-moment experience as a means of generating insight became exclusively associated with vajrayāna.^{[36][note 9][note 10]}

Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen[edit]

Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen use vipaśyanā extensively. This includes some methods of the other traditions, but also their own specific approaches. They place a greater emphasis on meditation on symbolic images. Additionally in the Vajrayāna (tantric) path, the true nature of mind is pointed out by the guru, and this serves as a direct form of insight.^{[note 11]}