Note: Since the study of Buddhism and Vipassana can get very complicated and intimidating for the uninitiated, we have attempted to provide a simplistic explanation therefore, what is included here is but a fraction of the Lord Buddha's teachings.  Furthermore, we do not claim authorship of some of the wording, descriptions and translations as others who have traveled the same route have put words onto paper that we cannot improve upon.  This document, and the rest of this website, is always in a state of change as we all know, everything is impermanent.  Therefore, if you feel that there is a way to improve the wording on any section, please let us know.

Buddhism

According to Buddhist beliefs, all living beings long to live harmlessly, peacefully, happily and prosperously without suffering old-age, sickness, death and other ills of life; unfortunately, these desires are in vain. For in every new birth, there will be physical (old age and sickness) and psychological (sorrow, lament, desire, etc.) ailments followed by death.  Thereupon, the rebirth-cycle starts all over again; from life to life, suffering all kinds of vicissitudes and without any cessation.

To break the chain of the rebirth cycle, it is essential to prevent birth.  Rebirth can only take place because of the attachment inherent in the present life. Attachment could be to people, places, or things.  It could also be an attachment to life itself.  The new birth is nothing but the arising of a new consciousness which is the result of grasping a sense object in the dying moment of the previous life. Where there is no attachment there can be no new birth; so every endeavor must be made to free oneself from attachment if no new birth is desired.  This knowledge can be acquired through the proper practice of meditation. Hence, everyone who is desirous of stopping the rebirth cycle and realizing Nibbana should carry out the practice of meditation.

This attachment to life can persist for two reasons:

1. Not perceiving the ills of mind and body - It is essential to recognize the ill condition of the mind and body which constitutes this life and to believe that Nibbana is the path to removing the attachment to life. 

2. Not realizing that Nibbana is the path to stopping the rebirth cycle and is the way to ultimate peace.  For example, it is like the case of a person who rides their bicycle and never having seen a car.  They naturally think highly of their bicycle as it them from place to place faster than walking.  If they knew about cars, they would not think so highly of their bicycle.

Types of Buddhist Meditation

In the Buddhist tradition, there are two broad schools of meditation:

1. The Commentary approach: Based on a series of later commentaries of what the Buddha taught in his discourses, i.e. the Suttas. Such commentaries include the Abhidhamma and the Vissudhimagga.

2. The Sutta approach: Based directly on what the Buddha himself taught in his discourses. 

The form of meditation generally practiced in Thailand is a product of the Commentary approach, which classifies meditation practices into two broad categories.  

There are two methods of mental development taught in the Commentary approach:

1. Concentration Meditation (Samatha/Samadhi): Samatha helps the mind to become calm and receptive to deeper concentration. Samatha uses breathing and focusing techniques.  It helps people to let go of craving and desires and develop better focus and concentration.  Samatha can only be practiced in an interrupted and quiet location.

2. Insight Meditation (Vipassana):  Vipassana teaches you to separate the body (Rupa) and the mind (Nama) into two distinct entities so that you can be more present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires and to disallow the negative ones.  Vipassana meditation can be practiced anytime and anywhere; when you are walking, eating and so on.

The two methods complement each other and allow the mind to grow since no genuine insight without at least some serious levels of calm or tranquility in which the mind is clear and collected.  However, Samatha cannot be practiced at the same time as Vipassana.  Samatha could block wisdom or insight because the mind has to be sharp and focused so that it can directly observe the changing nature of the mind and matter in the present moment.  If you have studied and practiced Samatha meditation, you may proceed to Vipassana meditation.

Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana meditation, commonly referred to as “Insight” or "mindfulness" meditation, is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques and is the style that Buddha used to teach enlightenment.  It is based on the training of awareness and insight and seeing things as they really are.  Vipassana is a Pali word with "vi" meaning intensive, deep or clear, and "passana" meaning seeing or perceiving. Therefore, vipassana or insight meditation is the technique of deep or clear seeing or perceiving to gain an insight into physical and mental phenomena as they really are. 

During Vipassana, you are continuously practicing to observe, to be aware of what's arising in the present moment; what your body (Rupa) feels and what your mind (Nama) thinks.  What you feel and think are accepted and released as new sensations and thoughts are registered.  It is during Vipassana that one focuses on the three characteristics of existence (impermanence, suffering, and impersonality).  This is performed repeatedly with non-judgement on yourself, others, and your environment.  Meditators will come to understand that mental states and matter are not lasting, that they are full of suffering and that they are not a personality or soul or self (no self).  What we regard as 'self or 'ego' or 'soul' are miscomprehensions arising from a lack of knowledge of absolute truth.  Vipassana can be done standing, sitting, walking and laying down, and also during everyday activities from driving your car, doing the dishes to listening to music.  

The purpose of Vipassana:

1. Destroy wrong views about self

2. Eliminate liking and disliking

3. Realize the Four Noble Truths

4. End suffering

It is said that Vipassana is simple but difficult.  Simple in concept but difficult to master.

When you become more aware of yourself and have more insight into yourself, you can make better choices that affect your desired outcome.  

Simply put, Vipassana is learning to live in the present which helps us have insight and realistically seeing and understanding ourselves, our lives and the world realistically. With Vipassana we ask the questions “what” is happening and “how” is it happening.  Having thus learned that Vipassana fosters this wisdom, what then, is its function?  Once achieved, the meditator is better able to control his actions and destroy defilements which are the negative qualities of the mind such as craving, wrong view, and ignorance, which form the basis of the rebirth cycle (Samsara) and continued suffering.  Destroying defilements enables you to achieve Nibbana (AKA Nirvana) which ends the rebirth cycle, hence ending suffering.  This is the growth of wisdom.

Mindfulness Meditation

The more modern “Mindfulness” meditation originates from Vipassana.  It also focuses on awareness, attentiveness, acceptance and insight, but without the ancient teachings of the eightfold path and the ultimate goal of achieving Nibbana.  During meditation, you focus on experiences in the here and now (such as your breathing, movement of the foot, sounds, thoughts, feelings) and acknowledge them by being alert when your mind wanders and bringing it back to the present.  You train yourself to be present in the moment and to worry less about the past or the future.  This practice helps you develop a different attitude about unpleasant experiences and helps to break negative thought patterns.  

Mindfulness is about self-awareness; you practice to focus your attention on the present moment and to have an attitude of openness and acceptance to whatever is happening. It is about becoming more aware of yourself, others and your environment, all without judgment.  Mindfulness is about waking up to ourselves, becoming grounded in who we are and who we are not, so that we can connect more effectively with other people and live a more satisfying and more meaningful life.

In today’s world, most people feel compelled to live at a breakneck speed by multitasking and juggling a hundred things at once.  When they put aside a day to do “nothing”, they often feel lost and feel like they’re being lazy.  What people may not realize is that living this way creates an imbalance and stress.  Oftentimes,  they are  thinking about the past and regretting something they did or missing someone or something that used to be in their life.  Or, they’re thinking about the future and planning how they will make the sales pitch to a big client or what type of car they would like to purchase.  What they neglect to do is focus on the present.  They go through life, almost as though they are on auto-pilot and one day turns into the next and then a year goes by and then it becomes a decade.  There is a saying that the older one gets, the faster time seems to fly.  Part of the reason is because children tend to live in the present.  They are focusing on the pretty yellow butterfly fluttering around or the red fire engine roaring down the street with its sirens blaring.  They’re not worried about why Susie didn’t eat lunch with them yesterday or where they’re going to spend summer vacation.  Observe children playing and you will see them laugh, smile, and scream with the most absolute joy in the world.  That is what living in the present means.

The importance of living in the present isn’t a new concept in the Western world, how often have you heard, “along the way, don’t forget to smell the roses”, “it’s the journey and not the destination”, “live for the moment”, “breathe”, “live for the here and now”, and so on.  Of course we can’t ignore the past or the future because you know what happens if we don’t pay the electricity bill or make sure that your passport isn’t expired.  Practicing meditation will help you live in the present moment when it is the appropriate time.

Mindfulness is a Path to Vipassana 

Mindfulness is rooted in, and is a requisite towards, Vipassana.  Whether or not you wish to proceed to this next step is up to you.  Mindfulness focuses on present moment awareness while Vipassana, goes deeper to cultivate a direct understanding of the nature of reality, including the impermanence and non-self.

Mindfulness

• Focus: Being present and fully engaged in the moment, observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. 

• Goal: To cultivate awareness and develop a deeper connection with the present.  Greater emphasis is to gain greater wisdom, satisfaction, and peace in this lifetime.

• Techniques: Focus on body sensations, or sounds, and gently redirecting attention when it wanders.

• Benefits: Can help reduce stress, improve focus, reduce pain, and increase self-awareness. 

Vipassana

• Focus: Observing the arising and passing of thoughts, feelings, and sensations with equanimity, aiming for a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.

• Goal: To gain insight into the true nature of experience and the mind and  liberation from attachments to achieve  Nibbana.

• Techniques: Observing the arising and passing of thoughts, feelings, and sensations without clinging to them.

• Benefits: Can help cultivate equanimity, compassion, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the world.

How will this translate to your daily living? Mindfulness can help you notice things about your body, emotions, and mind that cause suffering, and stop doing things that will lead to harm.  We can see how we feel after a meal and discover we are getting fat and lazy or having allergic reactions. Then we can change our diet and stop our suffering.

The same works on mental and emotional levels. If you grew up in a family with a lot of anger and yelling, and learned it as a habit, you may have relationship problems later in life.  Mindfulness can help you learn to be mindful of your feelings and to not express anger at others, but to let it go in other ways.  It could also help you get rid of negative habits or beliefs such as racism or drug addiction by helping you become aware of these ideas and their consequences, and that you can choose otherwise, and stop creating suffering.