Vipassana Meditation

By Michelle Taffe

Vipassana is an ancient form of meditation in the Buddhist tradition that uses the technique of self-observation to gain an understanding of the true nature of reality.

With roots in the Pali language (spoken in ancient India by the Buddha), the common English translation of Vipassana is ‘insight’. Vipassana meditation is commonly known as insight or mindfulness meditation in the West.

Through a variety of self-inquiry techniques, the Vipassana practitioner learns through introspection how to observe the mind, recognize mental patterns and slowly come to a deeper understanding of mental conditioning, and the relationship between thoughts and external reality.

For new meditators, a good introduction to Vipassana meditation is a ten-day silent retreat.

Ten-day retreats are taught at Vipassana meditation centres across the world. The centres may be active Buddhist monasteries with a teaching program in place, or retreat centres used for the ten-day courses. In accordance with Buddhist philosophy – stating that the teachings be made available to all people regardless of wealth or social position – the teachings are given free of charge. Some courses may require students to pay a set price for accommodation and food, while others accept donations.

Over the course of ten days, students are instructed a range of different kinds of meditation, including sitting, standing and walking meditation. Before each session, there is generally a lecture in which the teachers give detailed instructions for the meditation. Students are taught about the hindrances – sense desire, aversion, sloth, worry and doubt and how to manage each one as they come into the mind during the practice.

The foundation of Vipasssana meditation is compassion. Students are taught methods of developing compassionate understanding for themselves and others, in order to better cope with the challenges and difficulties that life brings. The more you can develop compassionate understanding in everyday life, the more peace and happiness you will enjoy moment to moment.

I first discovered Vipassana meditation at a ten-day retreat at Wat Kow Tham monastery on the island of Koh Pha Ngan in the gulf of Thailand. Having been through a difficult and challenging period in my life, I was searching for answers to some of the big questions.

Though many people baulk at the idea of being silent for ten days – for me this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to take some time for reflection and maybe even discover what it was that was at the root of my pain and suffering. After ten days meditating in silence, I found that I had a lot more clarity on what was ailing me, as well as a whole new set of tools to transform my life.

Internationally renowned Vipassana teacher S.N Goenka has trained thousands of meditation teachers around the world, who now form part of a global network of centres offering Vipassana retreats. If you are interested in doing a Vipassana in the S.N Goenka tradition, you can find details of the courses worldwide at their website.