Vipassana Meditation-Definition, Practice and Effects

Vipassana Meditation

We heard of meditation, but  What is Vipassana Meditation ?, the answer for what is Vipassana Meditation (Insight Meditation), how it is related to Mindfulness and Buddhism. How to do vipassana meditation. And what are vipassana benefits ? will be discussed in detail.

What is Vipassana Meditation?

Now a days everyone being impatient and restless and away from peace and joy. This all comes from stress. And to relieve from stress majority of people going after yoga and meditation. In meditation, widely followed techniques are mindfulness and insight meditation ( vipassana meditation).

Before going to Vipassana Meditation, we should know vipassana meditation origin. It is originated from Pali. And we know that Sanskrit is derived from Pali. Means vipassana meditation is such an old technique followed in Buddhism.

Everyone know that Gotama Buddha started Buddhism. And in Buddhism very essential part is to follow vipassana meditation, if in Buddhism one is not known to vipassana meditation it means he is not following Buddhism at all.

Even though it is discovered by Buddha insight meditation is not Buddhism but disciples of Buddha freed themselves by following this insight meditation by making it a part of Buddhism.

Vi-Passana, passana means to see, whatever we see with our eyes is passana and vi means clear or insight, ‘vi’ has an English meaning as ‘dis’. Vipassana meditation or insight meditation is to see something as it is, that is a keen and deep observation or understanding of something but not understanding just by seeing it.

Through vipassana meditation one knows one’s self that is  the person just observes what is going on inside him, he observes his thoughts, actions in the body but he do not impinges to any of the activities.

This vipassana benefits are, one knows what is he, frees himself from emotions. Knowing oneself deeply is one of the vipassana benefits. This is known as art of living in Buddhism means it teaches how to live morally.

By practicing this technique one will be free from negativity, stress and filled with happiness and joy, through which he can merge with people in a loving way. A person who follows vipassana meditation(insight meditation) makes everyone around him happy.

Will vipassana meditation cures mental disability?, It is not like if a person already suffering from mental disability will be healed. By practicing vipassana meditation one can grow positivity but who is mentally retarded and already in depression cannot expect to decrease depression through this technique. It is may or may not be possible.

Vipassana meditation ( insight meditation) should be practiced in the observation of a teacher. And some says there is no perfect way which exactly defines vipassana meditation or insight meditation. The beginners are taught to start with mindfulness meditation which is to focus on breathe.

It increases concentration then takes to deep understanding of oneself. There are so many schools which taught vipassana meditation for free as well as for money.

This Vipassana meditation is popular from last 10 decades even though it existed from ancient periods. And it is not only confined to Buddhism since Vipassana meditation is non secular techniques. It is spread to asian countries, United States of America, japan and many other countries.

S.N. Goenka is the person who made vipassana meditation popular he explained the vipassana benefits. And the schools established by S.N. Goenka, charges no money. People get free course, food and accommodation. And the student or the person who feels beneficial of the course donates money for new students who are interested to learn.

S.N. Goenka schools teach how to focus on breath, But some schools charges money in which along with focusing on breath, walking meditation, eating meditation also teaches. Those are Myanmar’s Buddhism meditation schools developed by Mahasi Sayadava. Not only this there are many schools who teaches Vipassana Meditation.

But if you want to learn Vipassana meditation I suggest to go for S.N. Goenka schools which is a 10 days training period. Here they makes you learn the basics, how to concentrate on breath and this is enough if at all a person wants to relieve from stress and improve health.

If the person wants to know in depth better find a school of Myanmar Buddhism schools.

How to practice Vipassana Meditation (insight meditation)?

Vipassana Meditation is one of the Types of Meditation which is currently popular. After discussing about how to do vipassana meditation we will discuss about vipassana benefits.

• At first a person who wants to do insight meditation needs to find a place where he can feel comfortable. This can be done in a room or outside. And on a chair or sofa or bed or on floor. But spine should not have any back support.
• He need to sit and close his eyes completely. And spine should be straight. Try to wear loose clothes if possible.
• Mindfulness has two parts one is ‘primary object’, in which concentration should be on, and the other is ‘secondary object’ which is also known to be background noise.
• Start with observing inhale and exhale of air and Movement of abdomen. This is ‘primary object’.Here one should not visualize the abdomen but only the movement of abdomen this is what mindfulness.
• We get so many ideas and thoughts during meditation. And senses like hearing( so many noises like vehicle sounds, machines, talking and speakers etc), smell (such as perfume, food etc) and also feel sleepiness, but be conscious and come to focusing on breath these are all ‘secondary objects’. Not going into specific details is known as noting.
• But we should not follow the thought or sense. As the thoughts and other senses keeps on coming the person should again go back to the focus on breathing that is mindfulness.
• Just need to observe all the senses like there is some smell or some sound. These are all background noises.
• So the person should not go in detail, which is not following it but just observing it. If the mindfulness is strong enough you can let go of noting.
• In this way we accept things as they are. And the next stage of mindfulness is insight meditation.
• From mindfulness person almost got the key thing that is steady concentration and then insight meditation.
• Here the person concentration goes to next level and deeply understands the invoice coming from body, and observes the activities of body.
• He tends to know every aspect of body and it lets you know how your mind works.
• During mindfulness person feels drowsy, he may feel itching or he may feel weighing of his body parts.
• As the time progresses person feels pain in some parts, but he should not move. Since the body part where he feels pain need to be cured and the part is devoid of cosmic energy or positive energy that is why he feels pain.
• Concentrate on the body part slowly the pain becomes lesser. Later pain reaches to zero that is no pain.

There is more in this vipassana meditation that is next levels of mindfulness, it includes eating meditation, walking meditation etc. And these advanced should not be practiced alone and should be done under the guidance of a teacher or qualified guru.

Vipassana Meditation and Vipassana Benefits:

The uses or vipassana benefits are huge. We already know that it is followed in Buddhism. And these also followed in Buddhism related countries such as Tibetans, Myanmar etc.

• Increases Concentration:

  In insight meditation or vipassana meditation as a part of mindfulness one needs to focus on breath. It sounds easy but difficult in practice. One slowly learns how to focus on breath and ignore background noises. Which increases concentration in real life.

• Increases Positivity:

  As mindfulness is practiced body is filled with cosmic energy and joy. Person who ever practices vipassana meditation think about all the things in a positive way.

• Improves Health:

  We know that cosmic energy is filled with in the body during vipassana meditation and it heals problems in the body  thus improves health.

• Decreases Stress:

  Every day practice of vipassana meditation decreases stress since during the mindfulness body calms down and relaxes as result stress will be relieved.

• Increases Immunity Power:

  Vipassana meditation increases the proper functioning of body and also blood flow. As the body functions properly it is rich of white blood cells production which guards body against diseases.

• Increases Beauty and Glow in face:

  All the nerves relieved from stress due to practice of mindfulness or insight meditation. And increases facial glow.

• Increases Lifespan :

  Vipassana meditation gives command over balanced and slow breathing. It proportionately increases lifespan of a person.

• Balanced mood and Benevolent behavior:

  

  A person behaves stupidly when he is in stress or in anger. If a person is practicing vipassana meditation or mindfulness the cerebro spinal fluid will be active. He relieves from both stress and anger and thus in a position to balance his mood and emotion.

• Self Realization:

  The final stage of mindfulness or vipassana meditation or insight mediation is  self realization.

Why vipassana meditation followed in Buddhism?

The reason comes under vipassana benefits because, the persons who follows Buddhism are stoic that is they not reactive to pleasure and pain. It is a part of Buddhism. Knowing oneself  that is the true nature of universe and oneself. And being kind to everyone.

What are the Effects of Vipassana Meditation?

A person who is practicing vipassana mediation or insight meditation have following effects.

• First a person sleeps less, feels restless but he seems to have more energy.
• All the chakras opens and it is part of vipassana benefits, and it is as follows.
• And he feels pressure in the brain as it is sign of opening of crown chakra, as it opens the divine energy that is cosmic energy flows in.
• Suddenly feels emotions such sorrow, sadness, love etc. these happens for no reason. It is a sign of opening heart chakra and all the blocked emotions relieves.
• Old moment comes like you lost your self comes back to picture but don’t worry, face them and be brave, this way you feel balanced.
• Physical habits changes such as eating, you take healthy food and also behavior changes to kind and loving.
• As the deepness increases in mindfulness or the insight meditation there is a thing happens that is awareness of knowing nothing or feeling nothing at the end of vipassana meditation.
• You experience everything every fear of yours, every feelings of yours but you will be irresponsive for them you just know that you are irresponsive for them.
• It loses the feeling of being ‘’I”. You feel like floating, you see the world with new eyes and understand them with new perspective
• Your senses will be more sensitive. And your sixth sense opens up during this practice. Trust your intuitions

The ultimatum of Vipassana meditation knowing three things these are considered as vipassana benefits by Buddhists. And they are

1. Impermanence (annica) or Anitya : Knowing that everything is transient means subjected to change and inconstant. And the subject changes and destroyed.

2. Insatisfactoriness (dukkha): Knowing about dukkha ( It is a Pali word which means pain, suffering or something which causes misery, sorrow or discomfort ) that it comes when you feel “I”. And when you practiced vipassana you will be devoid of “I”.

3. Emptiness of self (annata): It is unchanging soul, that is rebirth. All the three are Connecticut.

Impermanence, Insatisfactoriness and Emptiness of self, these three are the marks of existence, person who practices vipassana meditation understands these three aspects of life.