Vipassana is a meditation technique which aims at realizing the true nature of the mind through the practice of mindfulness. It consists of three elements: calmness, mindfulness and insight.
Attention Is the First Step in Vipassana Meditation
Attention is first step in Vipassana. By being attentive to one’s own breathing, thoughts, feelings or bodily sensations, the mind becomes calm. Insight meditation is therefore also called samatha-vipassana, samatha being translated as calmness, tranquility or concentration.
The most common technique is to observe one’s own breathing, either by feeling the air move through the nostrils or by being aware of the abdomen moving in and out.
Overcoming Negative Patterns of Behavior through Mindfulness
While being a first step, the calming of the mind alone doesn’t constitute vipassana or mindfulness meditation. For as long as the underlying causes of restlessness and suffering are not removed, they will keep coming back.
Until the mind is fundamentally transformed, it will keep getting disturbed again and again. Most minds are being caught in (usually unconscious) patterns of reactions to certain stimuli, leading to cycles of negative emotions and suffering. The mind has to be made aware of these patterns by the practice of mindfulness.
Mindfulness Is the Second Step in Vipassana Meditation
Mindfulness is the second step of vipassana meditation. When attentiveness becomes lasting and strong and the mind is sufficiently calm, it becomes mindful of its own workings. This includes putting a stop to the endless judging and commenting going on in the mind.
Being mindful means neither grasping nor pushing things away. It also means living truly in the present moment and seeing things as they really are.
Insight Is the Third Step in Vipassana Meditation
Insight is the last step in vipassana meditation. It happens spontaneously as the result of the practice of calmness and mindfulness.
Just as muddy water becomes transparent again once it is allowed to be still and the mud has settled down, so a mind purified by the practice of calmness and mindfulness will spontaneously reveal its true nature. This will also lead to insight into the impermanence of all external things and the unreality of the ego-self.
From Calmness to Insight
Insight meditation or samatha-vipassana, as it is also called, refers to spiritual practices which develop calm (samatha) through sustained attention, and insight (vipassana) through reflection. While the practice of calming the mind may be important as a first step, it is only insight which can reveal how the mind can be prevented from being disturbed again.
Focusing on one’s own breathing during sitting meditation may just be a first step. After all, mindfulness is a way of life, something to be practiced all day (and even night) long.
The Tradition of Vipassana Meditation
Vipassana as such is part of all major Buddhist traditions such as Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. However, it is Theravada which places the strongest emphasis on this meditation approach.
Vipassana meditation should ideally be learned from an experienced teacher. While the technique (observing one’s breathing) as such may seem very simple indeed, one usually doesn’t get very far without the sound advice and clear guidance of an experienced teacher.
Some respected teachers of insight meditation are Thich-Nath-Han, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg and S. N. Goenka.
Vipassana is neither meant to be a system of beliefs no a form of psychotherapy. It is rather about letting one see clearly into the nature of the mind.
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