Sorrow is caused by defilements in the mind, not by external events...... Daily Vipassana practice brings happiness, by eradicating deep rooted defilements.
(from the Vipassana Research Institute newsletter, February, 2001.)
Every Vipassana meditator has to develop strength to face ups and downs in life. For this, it is necessary to practice Vipassana one hour in the morning
and evening daily, to meditate together once a week, to take a
ten-day course at least once a year. Then we keep progressing in Dhamma.
Householders face many difficulties, many obstacles.
What to speak of householders, even those who have renounced household life tell me that they are not able to meditate regularly. But
we must not give up in spite of all difficulties; we must meditate
daily, morning and evening.
We do physical exercise - walking, yoga, jogging etc - to keep the body
healthy and strong. Otherwise, the body becomes weak and diseased. In
the same way, it is even more necessary to keep the mind healthy and
strong. One should not allow the mind to become
weak or diseased.
Vipassana is exercise of the mind. Meditating morning
and evening makes the mind strong and healthy. It is not a waste of
time. Vipassana practice makes the mind more efficient and strong. We live in a complex and stressful world. If the mind is not
strong, we lose balance of mind and become miserable.
Section of the Dhamma Hall of the Global Vipassana Pagoda that can seat 8,000 Vipassana meditators. This is the largest hollow structure in the world without supporting pillars.
Those who have received this benevolent teaching of Vipassana but
not using it are even more unfortunate than those yet to receive Vipassana. A great misfortune to receive this
priceless gem but discard it as if a useless pebble.
Rare it is to be born a human being. A human has the special faculty to become introverted and eradicate mental defilements from
the depth of the mind. This work cannot be done by animals, birds, reptiles, insects, or beings in lower planes of existence.
Even a human being cannot purify the mind at its depth if one does not know how to practice Vipassana. One gets a human birth,
finds such a wonderful technique, learns to use it, benefits from it,
and still discontinues the practice. What a misfortune! A bankrupt
person finds a treasure. And he discards it and becomes bankrupt again. A sick person finds medicine, and discards it. A wise person does not make this very foolish
mistake.
Sometimes meditators say: "I have stopped meditating.
What to do, I am so busy." A poor excuse. We find time to give food to the body, three or four times a day. Or if we suffer some physical injury, we does not say, "Look, I am so busy, I have no time to attend to the wound, to stop the bleeding." Daily Vipassana practice every morning and evening is very necessary, most urgent, to heal the little wounds of blind reactions accumulated during the day. The most important work is to the make the mind healthy and strong. If we forget this, we harm ourselves.
We should never make this mistake.
Even if there is too much work, it is all the more necessary
to do this exercise of Vipassana. Vipassana practice helps one be free of work-related stress. Without regular daily practice of Vipassana (bare minimum of one hour each, morning and evening), the mind becomes weak. A weak mind makes us miserable
because it reverts to its old behaviour pattern of blindly reacting to situations in a wrong way, reacting with craving or aversion.
Let us not be
heedless. Let us not be lazy in lack of efforts in Vipassana practice. We are not doing anyone a favour by meditating twice a day.
"Our teacher has told us, so we are doing it." You are not doing your
teacher a favour; you are doing yourself a favour.
Vipassana is such a beneficial
exercise for the mind. When one starts feeling impermanence of sensations in the body, understand the
door of liberation has opened. And when one learns to remain equanimous to the impermanent, changing sensations, one has started
walking on the path of liberation.
In Vipassana we experience different types of sensations in different
parts of the body and maintain equanimity towards them. A wise
meditator understands from experience how Vipassana practice benefits in
daily life. Every step, each effort bears fruit.
Lack of
awareness of sensations takes us on the path of misery. Blind reaction
to them out of ignorance results in deep
misery -
dukkha samudaya gāminī paṭipadā.
Awareness and equanimity to sensations takes us on the path that leads to liberation
from all suffering -
dukkha nirodha gāminī paṭipadā.
If we react with craving to pleasant sensations
and with aversion to unpleasant sensations, we are on the path of suffering. By observing sensations with equanimity, we are on the path to real happiness. This is the teaching of the Buddha, the enlightenment
of the Buddha.
At
the time of death, some sensation will arise, and if we are not
aware and equanimous, and instead react with aversion, we will go to lower planes of existence.
But a good Vipassana meditator who remains equanimous to these sensations at the
time of death will go to a favourable plane. This is how we make our own
future. Death can come at any time. We do not have an agreement with
death that it should come only when we are ready. We are ready whenever
it comes.
Vipassana is not an ordinary technique. It is a priceless gem that
can liberate us from the cycle of birth and death. Vipassana practice benefits us not
only in this life but also in future lives, ultimately leading to full
liberation, full enlightenment.
"But I do not have time. I have too much work" - by saying so to avoid daily Vipassana meditation, we delude ourselves making these invalid excuses. Whenever there is sorrow or
despair or dullness in daily life due to any reason, Vipassana will
help us. Just understand, "At this moment there is sorrow or despair or
dullness in my mind," and start observing breath or sensations. The
external reason is not important.
Vedanā samosaraṇā sabbe dhammā. Whatever arises in the mind is called Dhamma. A sensation arises in
the body with whatever Dhamma arises in the mind: this is the law of
nature. The mind and the body are interrelated. When a defilement arises
in the mind, along with it some sensation will arise in the body. Whatever sensation
arises in the body at that time is connected to the defilement in the
mind. This is what the Buddha taught. One understands that there is a
defilement in the mind and observes sensation in the body. One practices
this thoroughly, not just once or twice, but again and again - every
sensation is impermanent. So the defilement that is connected to it is
also impermanent, how long will it last? We are observing sensations and
also observing how long the defilement lasts. It becomes weak and
ceases, like a thief who enters a house, and finding that the master of
the house is awake, runs away.
For instance, when anger
arises due to any reason, one understands, "At this moment there is
anger in the mind. Now let me observe what sensation has arisen in the
body." It does not matter what is the external, apparent cause of this anger. One is
observing sensation and understanding that it is impermanent. This anger
is also impermanent. It would have increased and overpowered one
completely. Now it becomes weaker and weaker and passes away.
Vipassana practice brings great benefits. No matter what defilement arises - lust, ego, envy, fear or anything else - one does not get overpowered
by it. Now that we have learned how to practice Vipassana, the art of
living. All that we have to do is to accept, "this defilement has
arisen. Let me face this enemy. Let me see what is happening in my body.
It is impermanent, anicca, anicca." The enemy starts getting weaker and
runs away.
Defilements will keep arising, for this or that reason. When you fully eradicate all defilements, you become a fully liberated
person, an arahant.
Now in ordinary
life, one has to face these difficulties of arising defilements. We have found a very effective
weapon in the form of observing these sensations. With Vipassana practice, no enemy can overpower us in life, and at the moment of
death. We are the master of this moment. Vipassana is the
technique for becoming own master of one's life, by becoming master of this moment, from moment to moment.
With Vipassana, we have learned the art of living happily. Sorrow is caused by defilements in the mind. An external event has occurred, we generate a
defilement and we become miserable. To the same event, we do not generate a defilement and we do not
become miserable. We are responsible for our misery, and our happiness.
Unfavourable external events will continue to occur, and if we are strong
and do not generate defilements, our lives will be filled with
happiness and peace.
We do not harm others; we help ourselves and help
others.
Practice Vipassana regularly, not just two hours a day but as often as possible, to be happy and peaceful the whole life. All who have received Vipassana should understand that we have received an invaluable jewel. It is our responsibility to make best use of it, for one's own welfare and welfare of all others.
May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.
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Questions and Answers
My mind still remains immersed in lust, as
a result of which the continuity of practice is not maintained. Kindly
suggest a way out.
Goenkaji: Fight out your battle. Lust is something
that keeps on following you from life to life. It is a very deep
saṇkhāra. Whenever lust arises in the mind, don't get involved in the
object of the lust. Just accept the fact: lust as lust. "At this moment
my mind is full of lust." Accept this, and see what sensation you have.
At that moment whatever sensation you are feeling predominantly anywhere
in the body, start observing it-understanding anicca, anicca, this is
not permanent, this is not permanent. This lust that has come is also
not permanent, let me see how long it lasts. If you do this, the lust
becomes weaker and weaker and passes away.
Question: Lack of will-power and laziness are obstructing my meditation. Could you kindly give me some advice.
Goenkaji: Develop will-power, strong will-power. If
you are so weak that you keep on breaking your decision to meditate
every day in the morning and evening, then decide that you won't take
your breakfast without having sat for one hour. How many days will you
miss your breakfast? You will start practicing daily. And so far as
laziness or drowsiness is concerned, just examine yourself. If the
laziness is because of lack of sleep, then sleep for some time. Get
refreshed. But if you find this laziness is because of your mental
impurity, which has become a barrier for you, then fight it out. Have
hard breathing for some time, sprinkle some cold water on the eyes,
stand up, walk. Somehow or the other, get rid of it.
Sunday Vipassana course, group sitting venues in Mumbai, and India (Please call and check for current status)
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