Basic Practice

Newcomers to meditation may not be aware of the wide range of activities one may engage in while sitting silently! This page is intended to give the very basic description of Vipassana, or Insight meditation.

The purpose of Vipassana meditation is not to relax, to contemplate, to transcend, to escape from worries of the day, to regain energy, or to sleep (though all of those can happen). One intends instead to fix upon consciousness itself as the object of meditation. It doesn't take long, sitting silently, to see that the mind thinks, remembers, plans, imagines, fears, worries, desires, and so on -- by itself. To calm the mind some Vipassana meditators apply what is called noting: When thinking, think "thinking," when imagining, think "imagining" and so on. By watching the mind and accepting every event this way, the effect is to quiet the mind while still being keenly aware of it. Instead of noting, some people watch the mind gently with "only this" as each image and event tumbles by. A similar technique is to attend only to sounds, or just to bodily sensations.

Many practitioners begin by focusing on the breath only. This also has the effect of calming the mind. Whatever technique is used, it often leads to a concentrated state of calm awareness.

At this point, one may begin Vipassana meditation by lightly entertaining meaningful thoughts feelings or sensations as they arise, with a gentle openness to the possibility of insight. The importance of gentleness can not be overstated, as thoughts and feelings which are grasped at can easily carry one away! It is with this clarity of mind and shifting focus that the meditator is able to see for him or herself the truth in the Buddha's teachings -- the Dharma. The Dharma is a complete spiritual exposition based on Gautama Buddha's observations about life, existence, death. For the Dharma itself one can read, study, and listen to those with great experience.