Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion.
The scientific laws that operate one’s thoughts, feelings, judgements and sensations become clear. Through direct experience, the nature of how one grows or regresses, how one produces suffering or frees oneself from suffering is understood. Life becomes characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace.The course requires hard, serious work. There are three steps to the training. The first step is, for the period of the course, to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, speaking falsely, and intoxicants. This simple code of moral conduct serves to calm the mind, which otherwise would be too agitated to perform the task of self-observation. The next step is to develop some mastery over the mind by learning to fix one’s attention on the natural reality of the ever changing flow of breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. By the fourth day the mind is calmer and more focused, better able to undertake the practice of Vipassana itself: observing sensations throughout the body, understanding their nature, and developing equanimity by learning not to react to them. Finally, on the last full day participants learn the meditation of loving kindness or goodwill towards all, in which the purity developed during the course is shared with all beings.
The entire practice is actually a mental training. Just as we use physical exercises to improve our bodily health, Vipassana can be used to develop a healthy mind.
Because it has been found to be genuinely helpful, great emphasis is put on preserving the technique in its original, authentic form. It is not taught commercially, but instead is offered freely. No person involved in its teaching receives any material remuneration. There are no charges for the courses - not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation. All expenses are met by donations from people who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the opportunity to benefit from it also.
Depends on what the instructor’s motives are. (After a while, I shitcanned my “instructors” and started reading book after book. In time, I knew what meditation was actually for.)
When I moved to this small town in Feb, I was surprised to find it had a Vipassana group, meeting three times a week. I was also disappointed because my real interest was in Tibetan Buddhism. The group is made up mainly of older, married women, with an occasional older man. A major influence of mine is Thich Naht Hanh, who is a Vietnamese, Zen Buddhist.
I did the guru thing extensively when I was in my 20s and 30s. Feet of clay deal. I don’t go on advice. I learned from Jiddu Krishnamurti to go on what works or doesn’t. (He had feet of clay, as well. But he owned it.)
I got a LOT from him, from Pema Chodron, from Arthur Deikman, from Chogyam Trungpa, from Daniel Goleman, from Charles Tart, from Stephen Levine. Have read many others, but found them to be some combination of excessively doctrinaire and ritualistic to “lightweight” and mostly full of caca.
What do you think of Eckhart Tolle? Having a dissociate disorder I find it frustrating that he insists on near constant present moment awareness, and it leaves me hopeless and jealous of others without my condition. On the other hand everything I read from him feels true and good to me.
Don’t want to dis Thich unduly because he has something to offer, but I had difficulty with his packaging and (for me, anyway) slavish adherence to church Buddhist “rules and regulations” that I found unnecessary and even “stumbling block.” I’m interested in the psychotherapeutic – rather than religious – aspects of meditation. So put me on a box with people like Daniel Siegel.
Neither all bad nor all good. A good place to start, not unlike Jon Kabat-Zinn, but not really a “primary experiencer.”
After many years of practice I cannot do “constant present moment awareness,” but I can do PMA a lot more often and a lot more quickly.
Likewise. One of the most significant concepts out there, and definitely one Krishnamurti pokes at again and again. I was able to come to see how my ego hijacks my mindfulness from what I got from CT and JK.
I just skip over that stuff in his books and try and find his powerful one liners. One can do that for pretty much any writer.
I do find Thich to be a little low on passion and energy… hate to say this but I would have an easier job finding a girlfriend without “mimicking” Thich’s energy levels.
I hope I can find one writer that really works for me, and go as deeply into his/her writings as I can. I will pick up my copy of JK’s “On Fear” today.
All of my depersonalization workbooks recommend Kabat-Zinn, so I’ll likely read through his stuff.
Chogyam Trungpa asks us to find out who we are, without influences, bookish or otherwise, (schooling for instance), other people. This takes some time. I worked at it every day and found out. There isn’t much in there.
Read Thich Nhat Hanh’s latest (2013 and 2015) two books: “The Art of Communicating” and “Silence.”
