VIPPASANA MEDITATION - "to see things as they really are"

VIPPASANA MEDITATION - "to see things as they really are"
Step Five
Vipassana continues as taught on Step four.
Step Six
Today the traversal of focus through the body proceeds in both directions: from the head to the toes, and then from the toes to the head. Sensations are to be observed equanimously with the understanding of their transience.
Step Seven
Today the traversal of focus through the body proceeds simultaneously and symmetrically through both the arms, both the legs etc. and in both directions as on step six.

1. Vipassana Meditation

2. Introduction The technique of Vipassana is a simple, practical way to achieve real peace of mind and to lead a happy, useful life. Vipassana means "to see things as they really are". It is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation. From time to time, we all experience agitation, frustration and disharmony. When we suffer, we do not keep our misery limited to ourselves; instead, we keep distributing it to others. Certainly this is not a proper way to live. We all want to live peacefully within ourselves, and with those around us. After all, human beings are social beings: we have to live and interact with others. How, then, can we live peacefully? How, then, can we remain harmonious ourselves, and maintain peace and harmony around us?

3. Vipassana enables us to experience peace and harmony by purifying the mind, freeing it from suffering and the deep-seated causes of suffering. Step by step, the practice leads to the highest spiritual goal of full liberation from all mental defilements. Historical Background Vipassana is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques. It was rediscovered 2500 years ago by Gotama the Buddha, and is the essence of what he practiced and taught during his forty-five year ministry. During the Buddha's time, large number of people in northern India were freed from the bonds of suffering by practicing Vipassana, allowing them to attain high levels of achievement in all spheres of life. Over time, the technique spread to the neighbouring countries of Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Thailand and others, where it had the same ennobling effect.

4. Five centuries after the Buddha, the noble heritage of Vipassana had disappeared from India. The purity of the teaching was lost elsewhere as well. In the country of Myanmar, however, it was preserved by a chain of devoted teachers. From generation to generation, over two thousand years, this dedicated lineage transmitted the technique in its pristine purity. Venerable Ledi Sayadaw reintroduced the technique of Vipassana meditation to the lay people, which was accessible only to the monks before. He taught Saya Thetgyi , a layman, who in turn taught Sayagyi U Ba Khin . In our time, Vipassana has been reintroduced to India, as well as to citizens from more than eighty other countries, by Mr. S. N. Goenka . He was authorized to teach Vipassana by the renowned Burmese Vipassana teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin . Before he died in 1971, Sayagyi was able to see one of his most cherished dreams realized. He had the strong wish that Vipassana should return to India, the land of its origin, to help it come out of its manifold problems. He felt that it would spread throughout the world from India, for the benefit of all mankind.

5. In the past, India had the distinction of being regarded as a World Teacher. In our time, the Ganges of Truth is once again flowing out from India to a thirsty world. The Practice The practice of Vipassana meditation involves following the principles of Dhamma/ Dharma, the universal law of nature. It involves walking on the noble eight fold path, which is broadly categorised into Sila (Morality), Samadhi (concentration) and Pañña (wisdom, insight).

6. Sila (Morality) First, students practice sila (Morality) - abstaining from actions which cause harm. They undertake five moral precepts, practising abstention from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and the use of intoxicants. The observation of these precepts allows the mind to calm down sufficiently to proceed further with the task at hand. Step One The meditation during the first step involves observing the breath as it is naturally happening, as one inhales or exhales. The focus remains on the nasal region and on remaining aware of whether one is using one or both the nostrils while breathing. The students are advised to breathe a little hard for a few moments if they are unable to concentrate their minds or if they are unable to feel the breath.

7. Step Two The meditation during the second step involves observing the breath as before, with the added awareness of where the breath is touching the skin in the nasal region. Step Three The awareness of breath includes what sensations one is feeling on the skin in the nasal region (on the nose, on the nostril rings and below the nose and above the upper lip).

8. Step Four The awareness of breath continues, with a further limitation of the area on which one is supposed to focus and experience the sensations. The new area of focus is limited to below the nostrils and above the upper lips. Move their focus to the top of the head and methodically move it through each part of the body till the focus reaches the tips of the toes, feeling the sensations on each part of the body as they traverse the body. The students are instructed not to either like or dislike the sensations and to calmly and equanimously observe them as being transient phenomena.

9. Step Five Vipassana continues as taught on Step four. Step Six Today the traversal of focus through the body proceeds in both directions: from the head to the toes, and then from the toes to the head. Sensations are to be observed equanimously with the understanding of their transience. Step Seven Today the traversal of focus through the body proceeds simultaneously and symmetrically through both the arms, both the legs etc. and in both directions as on step six.

10. Step Eight Today the traversal proceeds through as many parts as possible simultaneously (i.e. through the entire body, if possible, in one go). If the students can shift the focus easily through the body because of uniform subtle sensations in the various parts, they are instructed to let the focus flow and after one or two such free-flows, to again pass the attention through the body part-by-part.

11. Step Nine Today the traversal proceeds en masse through the body in a free flow if possible, and part-by-part otherwise. Those who can feel subtle sensations all over the body are asked to see if they can feel the sensations inside the body as well by moving their focus piercingly and penetratingly through the body. Those who can feel subtle sensations inside as well are asked to see if they can pass their focus through the spinal cord as well. After this, the students who have been able to feel their bodies inside out are asked to do spot checks by taking their focus randomly to a body part and to see if the mind immediately feels a sensation in the area of focus and if the sensation remains limited to the area of focus.

12. Step Ten Students are taught Metta (or goodwill) meditation. In this, they are instructed to “fill” their subtle sensations with love and compassion and to let the subtle sensations permeate the atmosphere. There are verbal suggestions to forgive and forget, to love all and to distribute. 9.1. Vippasana Meditation 9.1.1. Part 1: Observation of the natural breath Sit down in a comfortable position, legs crossed. Put your hands on your legs, while keeping your back and neck straight and relax your shoulders. With your eyes open, make two or three deep deliberate breaths; feel the air in your lungs or thorax and think of them as a balloon which inflates and deflates.

13. 4. Slowly, close your eyes and continue the deliberate breaths for a few more minutes. 5. Then, slowly and calmly, leave your breath and move your attention to your nose 6. Do not control your breath anymore, let it go as it wants to, naturally - just observe your breath, as it is here and now. 7. Just observe the action of the breath coming and going. 8. Just observe without any reaction. 9. If your breath is fast, let it go fas t. 10. If the breath is slow, let it go slowly. 11. If the breath is not regular, leave it irregular; just let it be as it is.

14. 12. If the breath is going through the right nostril, then observe that it is going through the right nostril. 13. If it is going through the left nostril, then observe that it is going through the left nostril. When it passes through both the nostrils, then observe the flow through both the nostrils. 14. Do not interfere with the natural flow of the breath. 15. Also keep in mind that your aim is to feel the natural breath; however soft it is, however subtle it is, you must be able to feel it 16. Try to feel your breath or any sensations anywhere sensations in the triangle area created by the level of the nose / nostrils and above the upper lip 17.You could feel, for example, a sensation of cold or cool on the inhalation and a sensation of warmth or tepid on the exhalation  

15. 18. Keep your attention on this action - of the air coming in and air going out. 19. Just observe this action without any reaction - do not move. Even if you want to change or modify your position, do not move, force yourself to remain motionless as a "statue". 9.1.2. Part 2: Observation of the sensations Slowly and calmly, move your attention to the small area at the entrance of the nostrils and above the upper lip. The incoming breath and the outgoing breath must pass over this area. You must actually feel it. When you pay attention, you can feel the touch of the breath somewhere in this area. For new students, it’s alright if you only feel the breath inside the nostrils; but ultimately, you have to work in this smaller area below the nostrils as well. Why? Because this ability to focus on one point and hold the concentration of the mind is essential.

16. 5. This becomes very clear through direct experience, as you progress along the path. 6. When the mind is wandering too much, you are allowed to take a few deliberate breaths, but then, as soon as possible, within a few minutes, you must come back to observing the natural breath. As your mind becomes concentrated, the breath will become softer and subtler, naturally, without having to make any effort. 7. The smaller the area of awareness, the sharper the mind becomes. A sharp, sensitive mind soon starts feeling sensations in this area below the nostrils

17. 8. By concentrating on this small area at the entrance of the nostrils and above the upper lip, the mind becomes more calm and the breath more subtle; sometimes the breath becomes very subtle like a thin thread. Observing the subtler breath makes the mind sharp enough to feel other sensations. 9. Examples of sensations that we can feel. Heat, cold, lightness (thoughtlessness), gravity, itch, palpitation, contraction, expansion, pressure, breath, prickling, pulses, vibration and other sensations...

18. 9.1.3   Observe without reacting and keep the equanimity Any sensations which appear on your body during your meditation are to be observed only. It is very important that you do not react to them. Observe the sensation and nothing else, then return to your breath and observe the sensations in the small area at the entrance of the nostrils and above the upper lip. Be patient, and repeat constantly this exercise of concentration. Stay calm and keep a perfect equanimity throughout the practice