HOW TO PRACTICE VIPASSANA MEDITATION.

-

EQUANIMITY

  • A balanced mind.
  • A mind without craving or aversion.
  • Neither wanting a pleasant sensation to continue nor an unpleasant sensation to cease.
In this blog post, I've attempted to describe the technique of vipassana in three simple steps as I have learnt. However, it must be remembered that the theoretical knowledge is of no significance if not applied practically.

Now before you read this blog post, make sure you read this one first (link below)

To practice vipassana, you would need a calm and quiet place, preferably a space in your room where no one would disturb you. You can meditate on a chair or sit cross legged on the floor (take support of pillows or cushions if needed, but don't put support on your back). 

Make sure you are comfortable as you would be sitting for quite some time. Keep your posture straight.

STEP 1: Learn to concentrate on your breath.
 
Concentrate and acknowledge only your breath as it comes in and as it goes out. 
When the mind wanders, all you need to know is that the 'mind has wandered' and start reobserving your breath.
Ensure that you do not form any symbol or image in your mind or chant 'mantras' or repeat any 'sacred word' while you meditate. This is important so as not to get distracted from the present reality and the truth.

STEP 2: Observe the sensation created by the breath around the nostrils.

Pay attention to the breath going inn and whether the breath is flowing out from the left nostril or the right nostril. observe the sensation as your breath touches the region around your nostril.
Do not let negative emotions arise if the mind wanders away, just acknowledge it and get back to the practice maintaining equanimity at all times.

STEP 3: Expand your area of observation to include the whole body.

This step is particularly the core of vipassana, yet the first two steps are also extremely important.

Pay attention to the sensations as they arise and pass away, all over the body, in sequence. 
First observe the head, then the face, then the neck, chest, stomach and so on (in a uniform sequence).

You must not consider any sensation as good or bad and must not develop any craving or enmity for a particular sensation. This is where the principle of equanimity comes in.
Understand the impermanent nature of the sensations- as, it is in their nature to arise and fade away, arise again then fade again continuously.

maintain equanimity.

Note that you don't have to do all the three steps on your very first day.
practice step 1 for a few days and then gradually move to step 2 and then to step 3.

yes, it is hard both in imagination and in practice, but know that great things don't come easy.
continuity of practice is the key to success.

•भोगत  भोगत  भोगते, गांठे  बंधति  जाय।
देखा देखत देखते, गांठे खुलती जाय।
"One enjoys, and while enjoying, the knots keep getting tied. 
One keeps seeing, and while seeing, the knots keep getting untied."










 

Comments

Post a Comment

do leave a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

PUBLIC SPEAKING: WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE LACKING.

-
Image
There are a lot of people around us. Only some of them speak while others listen, not many people can stand in front of tens and hundreds of people and speak to them. There can be two reasons for this: 1) They have chosen not to (“this is not for me”!!).  or 2) They have got a completely wrong idea of what public speaking is and hence have never mastered the skill. (reading this article will reprimand this). Yes, public speaking is a skill and like any other skill, public speaking has to be worked upon. You don’t have to be a naturally charismatic speaker or an extrovert to be a good public speaker. Public speaking is an art that is molded within you when you want to speak on something you are passionate about or when you have something important to say.  WHAT GOES INTO LEARNING THIS ART Practice, preparation, strategy and some simple rules. We are first exposed to public speaking in our schools. Public speaking at this stage was probably a fun activity to you or contrary to t...
Read more

An insight into the nature of reality. VIPASSANA MEDITATION.

-
Image
Ask yourself. Do I give time to my thoughts to process? How often do I sit alone where there's just me and my constantly flowing thoughts? Do I try to observe what's happening in my mind? Do I give the attention to my body it so desperately seeks? These are rather boring questions but important nonetheless. Now that you have questioned yourself, how do you do all this?  Vipassana may be the answer for you. In this blog post, we will dive deep into the concept of vipassana, its significance, history and benefits. After you have read this, you will also find a link at the bottom to a blog post on how to practice vipassana meditation  (The right way). WHAT IS VIPASSANA MEDITATION? - Vipassana is a form of meditation that involves self observation and introspection. It is a technique that was discovered by Buddha over 2500 years ago as a means to attain enlightenment and liberation from suffering. The practice involves sitting in silence for extended periods, focusing on your brea...
Read more

A GAME THEORY OF GOD!

-
Image
What if we are God's game!! - on 25 sep. 2022 , a thought struck me early in the morning when I was half asleep or rather say in my 'sleep delirium' and I instantly thought of writing it down. I wrote it in my diary briefly but it has been recurring in my mind. I needed reprocessing so here I write it again. ‐  Who ever created us, what if it would have created us as an experiment or as a game or precisely put, to see what we do with what we are given.  "GOD" — super intelligent, the highest form of being, he must have thought of making a cosmos, a galaxy with an earth (among others) in it *bang* life happened—we came. He wiped dinosaurs 🦕  out like deleting a file from his folder, created humans-gave them the intellect they have and left them on their own! We probably are a game to him. Not necessarily do I suggest that he is kind and compassionate or loving, maybe he himself was created by someone else — a God's god, and the God's god crea...
Read more