Vipassana Meditation: The Art & Power of Not Reacting
Reading time: 12 minutes
You want to stop smoking or drinking, yet you keep on doing it.
You want to change your diet, yet you keep on eating sweets and fast food.
You want to stop wasting time on social media, yet you keep getting drawn into it.
You don't want to get angry anymore, but you still react angrily to certain people or situations.
This is not something new, for already St. Paul stated roughly two millennia ago that:
“I do not understand what I do. --- For the good that I want to do, I do not; yet the evil that I do not want to do, that I keep on doing.”
This ubiquitous phenomenon, where we want one thing but we keep ending up doing the exact opposite, causes much misery and suffering. Fortunately for us, Gautama the Buddha made it his life goal to get to the root cause of our suffering. Not only did he find it, but he also found a way to get out of it.
I. What is Vipassana?
“Wisdom is the mother of all the virtuous arts … for wisdom alone has taught us, among other things, the most difficult of all lessons, namely, to know ourselves.” – Cicero.
Vipassana has nothing to do with sectarian religion, but is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It is said to be rediscovered by Gautama the Buddha about 2500 years ago, and can effectively be called the mother of all teachings in the art of getting to know oneself. After the discovery, which led to the realisation that suffering had ceased to be within him, he taught the technique (Dhamma) as a universal remedy for universal ills.[1] Universal because, as the opening of this article already suggested, human suffering is a universal condition.
When I first read the above lines some years ago, the word ‘panacea’ sarcastically entered my mind. But after recently experiencing my first 10-day Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat, the technique actually turned out to be a scientific and practical method that ‘can be applied by anyone of average intelligence.’[2] Practical because it does not concern itself with any concepts or abstractions what so ever; your mind is your instrument and your body is the object of investigation.
Observing the body with the mind. Image: kalyanayahaluwo
Contrary to many other meditation techniques that use inner visualisations or outer objects to focus on, in Vipassana you use your mind to scan your body in order to investigate if body sensations can be directly experienced. A main reason for this may be a difference in goal, for as S.N. Goenka, the preserver of Vipassana in our age, states: where many meditation techniques (often successfully) aim to concentrate the mind, Vipassana aims to purify the mind to end your suffering by eliminating the tensions and negativities that make us miserable.
By directing complete awareness to his own body sensations in a methodical way, the Buddha experientially found out that the physical reality is changing constantly, every moment. He thereby trained the ability to see things as they really are, instead of seeing them through the filter of our own personality, or ego, which sees everything through past memories or future fantasies. Hence why it’s no surprise that Vipassana means: insight – that is, insight into one’s own nature, which, when that is realised, reveals the nature of the universe. Or, in other words: As soon as you find out who, or what, you are, you immediately know where you come from, and where you’re going.
II. How is Vipassana practiced?
Every Vipassana center is designed for the specific purpose of secluding oneself completely from the outside world. For the duration of the 10-day retreat, the student effectively lives the life of a monk or nun: physical requirements such as room and board are provided and men and women live in separate quarters, so that you can direct your entire focus on the meditation practice. That also means no phone, reading, or writing materials; any means that can even remotely lead to conceptualisation are being temporarily abandoned. You’re not there to think, but to learn to directly feel and experience yourself, your mind and body.
During the first nine days everyone observes the noble silence. There is to be no talking, or even eye-contact with the other students, again with the purpose of diving completely into oneself. However, problems or questions regarding the practice can be discussed with the teachers and practical problems can be discussed with the course managers.
The Noble Silence. Image: Kristina Flour on Unsplash
Every day consists of 10,5 hours of meditation practice. Three one-hour sessions are mandatory group sessions in the main meditation hall, the other hours one can choose to practice in the main hall or in one’s private quarters. Sitting cross legged, with an erect spine, the student enters into the meditation practice,[3] which consists of three components: Anapana, Vipassana, and Metta.
Anapana: Feeling The Breath
In Anapana one practices to direct one’s full awareness toward the breathing movements, and particularly to the physical sensations that can be experienced on the nostrils, the inside of the nose, and on the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. One learns to feel the touch of the air when it enters the nose on every in-breath, and when it exits the nose on every out-breath.
In the 10 day course, the first three days are exclusively dedicated to the practice and cultivation of Anapana. That is because:
a) The skill of directing one’s awareness to such a small part of the body sharpens the mind, and a sharp mind is necessary for the practice of Vipassana;
b) Since our breathing will not cease until the body dies, we can use it at any moment as the most reliable gateway for turning our awareness inside;
c) It proves to be an effective introduction for learning how to perceive one’s own physical – or body – sensations.
When the mind is too drowsy or agitated to perform the Vipassana meditation technique, one can always return to Anapana to calm the mind.
Expiration as a means for joy. Image: Almos Bechtold on Unsplash
Lastly, during the practice of Anapana, first time students are allowed to change their posture or position when pains, aches, or numbness become irritating.
Vipassana: Scanning The Body
Before describing the technique of Vipassana, let’s first introduce two key principles:
I. Change – The Basic Law of Nature (Skrt: Anicca). Every phenomenon, be it a thing, being, or event, is in a continuous state of flux. Thus also our body sensations ceaselessly arise and pass away, and they consist of two components: Movement and Transformation.
a. Movement
Obvious movements in the body are our breathing movements and our beating heart. They move respectively air, blood, and lymphatic fluids throughout the body. Also nerve signals move continuously from the body to the brain and back again, and there is continuous movement with the exchange of substances between cells on sub-atomic levels.
b. Transformation
When oxygen is used by our skeletal muscles so that we can move around, it then transforms into carbon dioxide; cells die and new ones are created; and what enters our body as food, is broken down and transformed into useful substances for the body and waste materials.
Movement and Transformation inevitably cause sensations in our body like quivers, trembles, chills, heat, cold, cramps, goosebumps, shivers, spasms, numbness, pulsation, pains, denseness, aches, tickles, etc. These sensations continuously arise and pass away, vary from location to location, and can be directly experienced by our conscious mind.
Transformation in the seasons and the alternating movements from day into night and good into evil. Images: changing seasons by padrefilar, sun by OpenClipart-Vectors, moon by Loony_Rabbit, angel by Clker-Free-Vector-Images, devil by evilfavoriteart. Composition & Jolly Equilibrium logo by author.
II. Ignorance.
When St. Paul said ‘I do not understand what I do’, he was referring to his inability to understand why he was incapable of doing good while being capable of doing evil. The Buddha, however, found out that our ego labels every physical sensation as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. He furthermore discovered the universal human tendency to cling to pleasant sensations (attachments) and to avert unpleasant ones (aversions). That is where the root cause of our misery can be found, because these tendencies assume that what- or whomever we try to possess or avert are permanent phenomena. Therefore whenever our precious possessions (including people) pass away, or whatever we try to avert keeps coming back (like diseases), it is no wonder that we end up miserable – especially when we have convinced ourselves of the illusion that we are in fact capable of creating said permanence ourselves.
Now, returning to the technique; when after three days of Anapana practice the mind has been sharpened, the work of Vipassana meditation starts by moving one’s full awareness systematically from head to feet and from feet to head, observing methodically each and every part of the body by feeling all the sensations you come across, all the while keeping equanimity of mind.
Furthermore, Adhiṭṭhāna is introduced with the Vipassana technique, which refers to the determination to maintain a completely still body posture during the three daily group meditation sessions.
During the course, different methods are taught by which the body can be scanned. This is to prevent the practice from becoming mechanical; after all, it’s not a trick to be learned, but a technique to directly experience that we ourselves are a continuously changing phenomenon, which is a prerequisite for realising that the root cause of our suffering lies in our own ignorance (of being a changing phenomenon), from which our tendencies for attachment and aversion arise. Because even though we say that we know we will die at some point, deep down we have convinced ourselves that illness and death are for others, not for ourselves!
Metta: Loving All Beings
At the end of every meditation, the student is allowed to let any mental or physical agitation subside. Then, the focus is turned outside for a few minutes to fill the mind and body with thoughts and feelings of goodwill for all beings.
III. What are its benefits?
Meticulously and methodically scanning and observing the body naturally improves our ability to focus, concentrate, quiet the mind, improve our sleep, increase mental and physical health, and accept ourselves, to name but a few benefits.
Moreover, by directly experiencing sensations and the ego’s labelling them as pleasant or unpleasant, we notice immediately our tendency to cling to the pleasant ones and get away from the unpleasant ones. An example:
While scanning the head, a painful sensation emerges in the back. The ego then automatically pulls our awareness toward it like a magnet, away from the head, with the intention to get the body to change its posture (i.e. react). Yet, if, while keeping equanimity of mind, you gently turn the awareness back to the scanning of the head, you de facto communicate a message to your ego:
“Yes, we have observed a painful sensation emerging in the back, and we acknowledge that there is a painful sensation. We will give it the attention it needs when we visit the back in the scanning process, and will subsequently make an assessment to see if a physical reaction is necessary. Until then, the body will remain sitting still.”
In this way, there is neither repression of the painful sensation (i.e. ignoring it, which only strengthens it) nor is there the usual reactionary behaviour in the form of changing posture (due to drowsiness or agitation; which are the ego’s means of getting us to react to, or repress, unpleasant sensations). The ego is thereby fully acknowledged, and at some point one begins to experience that initially emerged unpleasant sensations will again disappear, without any wilful action from you.
Equanimity of mind. Image: Oleksandr Skochko on Unsplash
A main practical benefit from this practice of acknowledging every experienced sensation without reacting to it, is that it inevitably leads to an increasing ability to stay cool whenever our buttons are pushed in daily life. The less we identify ourselves with our sensations, the less we identify ourselves with our buttons, and the easier it becomes to not get sucked into our usual vortexes of frustration, anger, hate, greed, or delusion. In their place emerge qualities like a wider perspective, acceptance, compassion, loving kindness, gratitude, generosity, forgiveness, and, not least, humour.
When that all became clear towards the end of my retreat, it was as if a hidden door had been left ajar, inviting me to come and take a look inside. Wu-wei all the way, baby!
IV. Do Not Try This At Home…
… at least not when you are a beginner wishing to start out with the Vipassana technique. I have seen some websites advertising ways to begin this practice on your own, but as with any technique one wants to learn, it is much recommended to start out under proper guidance. The environment in every Vipassana centre provides ideal circumstances to learn the technique in a way that makes it much easier for implementation later on in daily life, with much higher chances of success.
Besides, a well-known trap is that people use this technique as a means to try to regulate their personal psychological or physical trauma’s, which are full of attachments and aversions to begin with. A danger lies then in either getting attached to the technique if it proves fruitful, or create an aversion against it when it doesn’t, which only adds to one’s misery.
Another argument for beginners to start out with a 10 day retreat is the fact that a Vipassana retreat doesn’t cost any money! There are currently 259 Vipassana centres worldwide, with an additional 128 other non-centres, and they all run completely on volunteers and donations (to give a little bit of an idea how appealing this method proves for many).
The main damma hall in Dhamma Malay, Kuantan, Malaysia, where I experienced my first 10-day retreat. Image from Dhamma.org
However, even though the technique in itself might be called a universal way to end suffering; still, I do not believe it is fit for everyone. If you are not intrinsically drawn to it, if your constitution requires action, or if you’re in an age-group or environment that simply prevents one from engaging in meditation, then it seems counterproductive to forcefully try to get into it.
To sum up: if you are interested in becoming acquainted with this wonderful technique, visit dhamma.org to find a course location near you, and have a wonderful journey exploring yourself.
Jolly investigating,
Erik
Notes & References:
[1] Hart, William (1987). The Art of Living. United States of America, Harper & Row.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Sitting in a cross legged position for a longer period of time can be a problem for people whose hip joints do not allow for much outside (external) rotation, but a lot of inside (internal) rotation. In such cases, sitting cross legged can evoke unbearable pain in the knees because the knee joint is overly stressed to compensate for the lack of movement in the hip joint, and then the knee pain points to actual damaging of the knee (which is a different form of pain sensation than the ones usually encountered in meditation). Therefore, it may be more comfortable to place enough pillows under your knees so that they are not put under too much strain, or to put a pillow between one’s legs and sit on one’s knees, having the lower legs pointing slightly outward. For more information on this phenomenon, I suggest to study Anatomy for Yoga by Paul Grilley.
[4] Hart, William (1987). The Art of Living (Ch. 2). United States of America, Harper & Row.
[5] Ibid.
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