Vipassanā
Meditation practice described in Buddhism
Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (Sanskrit) literally "special, super, seeing (Passanā)", is a Buddhist term that is often translated as "insight". The Pali Canon describes it as one of two qualities of mind which is developed in bhāvanā, the training of the mind, the other being samatha (mind calming). It is often defined as a practice that seeks "insight into the true nature of reality", defined as anicca "impermanence", dukkha "suffering, unsatisfactoriness", anattā "non-self", the three marks of existence in the Theravada tradition, and as śūnyatā "emptiness" and Buddha-nature in the Mahayana traditions.
Quotations
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- Since the early and mid eighties, the mindfulness practices of the various styles of vipassanā have been applied to many areas outside of its original Buddhist context. Perhaps the most successful of such applications was initiated by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the pain and stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center... because of the dramatic success his program has had in alleviating pain and stress, the Kabat-Zinn program has spawned the rapid adaptation of mindfulness-based stress reduction programs in many hospitals and medical clinics around the United States. In addition to training people to teach mindfulness in medical settings, Jon Kabat-Zinn has also trained social workers to bring awareness meditation and practices to prisons and to residents of inner cities.
Similarly vipassanā-derived mindfulness practices have been integrated into the work of some American psychotherapists especially among those affiliated with the Association of Transpersonal Psychology.- Gil Fronsdal, Spirituality in the West, 'Insight Meditation Center, 2022
- Why Should one Practice Vipassanâ? To cope with the problem of unsatisfactoriness in life in a better way and to become free from it. All beings yearn for some happiness and security in their life. Unfortunately nobody is able to evoke happiness just because one desires for it, nor is it possible to maintain one's pleasure as long as one wants. The happiness one can find in the world is fragile. In case one gets what one wants there will be happiness but one can hardly expect to get always those things to which one has a preference. If desires are blocked and one does not get what one wants, there is disappointment and aversion. Since people are mainly just vaguely aware of these processes in the mind, they are time and again affected by the constant change of fortunes in life, which is quite unsatisfactory...
Being confused means that one has no clear sight on the reality of what is happening. To gain more insight into one's own inner behaviour and one's attitude towards other circumstances, one needs to develop the mind. Mental development (vipassanâ) in the Buddhist sense, means to cultivate a deeper understanding of one's own mental and physical actions and their mutual inter-relation. To do this effectively, it requires a mindful observation of one's activities in speech, body and mind. Starting an important activity like mental development acccording to the teachings of the Buddha, it needs some preliminary reflections on both motive and purpose.
- Vipassana, or insight meditation, is the practice of continued close attention to sensation, through which one ultimately sees the true nature of existence. It is believed to be the form of meditation practice taught by the Buddha himself, and although the specific form of the practice may vary, it is the basis of all traditions of Buddhist meditation.
- Sayadaw U Pandita, "What Is Vipassana Meditation and How Do You Practice It?", Lion's Roar, March 3, 2020
