A human being is a social
being. One's contribution to make the social fabric more peaceful and
harmonious is true yardstick of being a useful member of society. The basis of
any healthy, harmonious society is always the healthy and harmonious individuals
who populate it.
A disturbed person starts disturbing others by spreading his tension and disharmony. We can only share what we have.
So, obviously, a society or country can be peaceful and harmonious only with individuals
living in peace and harmony. Vipassana is a unique, secular, practical method to
attain an island of inner peace in one’s world.
Vipassana is the objective
process of self-observation, of experiencing truths within. This has nothing to
do with any particular sect. Sects and dogmas create barriers and divisions between
people. Vipassana removes barriers.
We see this inspiring unifying
nature of Vipassana in a meditation hall of any Vipassana centre. In
Dhamma Giri, for instance, hundreds of people from various religions, as well
as religious leaders, sit meditating together peacefully under the same roof,
silently observing universal truths within. In fact, Vipassana meditators
belonging to various religions say: “Why, this is our religion in practice!”
With Vipassana practice,
we experience the true essence of all religions: how to live without harming
oneself and others. Vipassana uproots feelings of superiority, inferiority from
different sections of society. It eradicates impurities in the mind and thereby
eradicates unhealthy complexes. Vipassana meditation is equanimity to
awareness of truth of what is happening within, as it is, this moment.
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| Vipassana meditators from various communities, religions, languages, social-economic background, in the inner dome Dhamma Hall of the Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai, India. |
Practicing Vipassana
develops the faculty of insight to see things as they really are, without
conditioning of the mind. The conditioning of the mind – accumulated bias of
our past experiences - becomes a big barrier to seeing things in their true
nature. To be liberated from ignorance and suffering, we have to break free
from past conditioning of the mind; shatter blind emotional, intellectual attachment
to dogmas and doctrines. Instead, experiential wisdom becomes the pure guiding
light in life.
A life in reality is living
in the present moment. To be free from irritation towards others, feelings of
hate, greed, illusions, envy, passion, fear, anger and any other negativity -
it is necessary to live in the present moment. Let go the past moment. Be strong, let go.
Philosophical beliefs,
delusions and emotional devotion have no role in this. Living in the present
moment means to be totally aware of whatever is being experienced at this very
moment. Those moments that have passed are no longer real; there can only
be memory of those moments. Similarly, moments yet to come are not real, as
we can only have hopes or fears about them.
Pleasant, unpleasant
memories, hopes and fears take us away from the present
moment. A life with a wildly wandering mind is a life of delusion - it
creates difficulties and defiles the mind. Vipassana trains us to live in reality of the present, and removes dissatisfaction, anxiety, frustration etc to anything that has happened. [Whenever needed, we consciously direct the mind to the past - to learn from experiences, or direct the mind when planning ahead. Vipassana halts its uncontrolled wandering.]
The Buddha re-discovered
Vipassana and became fully enlightened. He did not say he invented Vipassana.
He said this is a timeless path, but long lost to humanity. Like other
sammasambuddhas (fully enlightened beings) eons before him, Gotama
the Buddha re-discovered and shared the path to experience depth of truth of this moment.
A student of Vipassana develops faculty to be aware, with equanimity, of what one experiences this moment - at level of bodily sensations. Everything arises to pass away. This is no more a mere intellectual understanding. With Vipassana, this becomes experienced wisdom. Earlier there was blind reaction of suffering when the pleasant changed to the unpleasant. Now there is equanimity to what is happening now.
A student of Vipassana develops faculty to be aware, with equanimity, of what one experiences this moment - at level of bodily sensations. Everything arises to pass away. This is no more a mere intellectual understanding. With Vipassana, this becomes experienced wisdom. Earlier there was blind reaction of suffering when the pleasant changed to the unpleasant. Now there is equanimity to what is happening now.
What is happening now? The
Vipassana practitioner realizes the life-changing truth: our craving or
aversion, happiness or unhappiness is not to outside situations and people - but to pleasant or unpleasant sensations arising in the body when sense organs come in contact with
objects of the world.
The apparent truth is that
we react to someone who did something we liked or disliked. The actual truth is that we
react to bodily sensations that arise instantly with every thought, or other
sensory contact such as vision, words, taste, touch, fragrance. Sensations may have arisen this moment due to other reasons - atmospheric conditions, a disease or ailment, sitting for long time, accumulated impurities in the mind manifesting themselves as sensations.
Whatever the sensation for whatever reason, the Vipassana meditator uses every experience of sensations as a tool to develop equanimity, and eradicate the past habit pattern of craving or aversion.
Instead of the earlier habit of instant blind reactions, losing balance of mind, getting annoyed with criticism or puffed up with praise, Vipassana training enables one to merely observe with equanimity the bio-chemical flow of impermanent sensations. Nothing lasts forever. With equanimity, we respond better to changing situations in life - with more clarity and wisdom.
Whatever the sensation for whatever reason, the Vipassana meditator uses every experience of sensations as a tool to develop equanimity, and eradicate the past habit pattern of craving or aversion.
Instead of the earlier habit of instant blind reactions, losing balance of mind, getting annoyed with criticism or puffed up with praise, Vipassana training enables one to merely observe with equanimity the bio-chemical flow of impermanent sensations. Nothing lasts forever. With equanimity, we respond better to changing situations in life - with more clarity and wisdom.
The practice of mindful equanimity
eradicates deep-rooted conditioning of past blind reactions. With gradual eradication of past conditioning (sankaras), we gradually become free from
attachment and lust for sensual pleasures, painful memories of the past, anxieties about the future. No more worries of, "Oh, what will happen to me?"
The mind becomes peaceful and pure, with equanimity to sensations. We become more focused, developing penetrating insight to go to the depth of any problem - and find a more beneficial solution. The purer mind develops ego-less compassion for others. In personal and professional life, quality of life becomes better.
The mind becomes peaceful and pure, with equanimity to sensations. We become more focused, developing penetrating insight to go to the depth of any problem - and find a more beneficial solution. The purer mind develops ego-less compassion for others. In personal and professional life, quality of life becomes better.
The practice of Vipassana
is beneficial for one and all, irrespective of caste, community, nationality,
language or religion. The Buddha did not start a religion. He never asked
anyone to bow down before his image, make offerings, or merely chant verses of
his teachings. He taught the secular method of Vipassana to eradicate impurities in the
mind. Using this Vipassana soap to clean the mind, we progressively experience the same
benefits the Buddha experienced.
Only with the actual practice
of the Buddha's teaching, any expression of respect and gratitude to the Buddha becomes true
respect and gratitude. This gratitude, based on experiencing the practical
benefits of Buddha’s teaching, does not become a blind belief or a sectarian
dogma. It becomes a factor of enlightenment. This experiential gratitude makes
the mind tender – a necessity in the process of purification in Vipassana
practice.
The object of Vipassana
meditation is not the Buddha; it is the faculty to experience the subtlest of bodily
sensations. Why so? The root level of the mind, where conditioning takes place, is 24/7 - every living moment - directly in touch with bodily sensations, not to happenings in the outside world. With equanimity to sensations, we change the habit pattern of the mind from blind reaction to positive, well-considered action.
By objectively observing the arising, passing sensations, we are in tune with the universe this moment – everything in it is changing, in constant flow and flux, impermanent vibrations arising, passing away with great rapidity. Only the observed, no more observer....
By objectively observing the arising, passing sensations, we are in tune with the universe this moment – everything in it is changing, in constant flow and flux, impermanent vibrations arising, passing away with great rapidity. Only the observed, no more observer....
Vipassana practice can be accepted and practiced by all. Which religion objects to a natural
method to remove impurities in the mind? Each Vipassana meditator becomes a scientist
exploring the truth within: objectively observing oneself, studying true
nature of one’s mind and body, how mind and body interact, influence each other every moment.
Awareness
and equanimity to changing bio-chemical flow of subtlest sensations is the
universal way to eradicate mental defilements. Whether to suffer or not is a choice we make each moment. Vipassana enables us to
make the right choice of being with pure reality, this moment. Such a state
of mind is free from fetters, from moment to moment. Such a person not only
lives a happy and peaceful life, but becomes an instrument for enhancing
happiness and peace of others.
May the munificent,
benevolent, universal nature of Vipassana reach all, and lead to peace,
happiness and liberation of each individual.
May all beings be happy.
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