WHAT IT IS
As we move through our days, we consciously, subconsciously and automatically are using different combinations of our five senses – plus intuition – at any given moment. But what happens when we pause and pay closer attention to that which is “sensation”? Layers can be peeled back, and truth can be revealed. You can better experience anything that is happening or in front of you, as it happens. This is Vipassana Meditation. Also known as “insight” meditation, Vipassana Meditation is considered to be the basis of all Buddhist meditation, believed to be attributed to Buddha himself. One of the world’s foremost meditation teachers and Vipassana Masters, the late Sayadaw U Pandita, is credited with helping carry on the 20thcentury revival of Vipassana Meditation.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The practice of Vipassana Meditation may take different specific forms. Your teacher will give you cues and guidance to hone your concentration as a means of increasing and elevating your awareness. This is often centered around a specific focus on the breath. The process of Vipassana Meditation peels and chips away at figurative walls or barriers, and overtime transformation and transcendence leads to “liberation” – which lies at the heart of all Buddhist practices. Vipassana Meditation is sometimes taught in consecutive 10-day workshops, which can help immerse and root you in the practice, either as an introduction or to deepen your practice.
BENEFITS
The clarity learned through Vipassana Meditation imparts an enhanced ability to see truth in things – yourself, other people, situations, relationships, and so on. Whatever it is you are looking at or examining, you see it for what it really is. You may feel more self-confidence and -assuredness, more resolute in decision-making, more at peace. Weights are lifted. While much of meditation and related practices involve letting go, Vipassana Meditation can also help you feel more in control and grounded.
QUOTE
"Enjoy the limitless bliss consciousness here and now. The reality of you lies much beyond your sensory perceptions and boundaries." – Amit Ray
