What is vipashana?

Question

One answerer mentioned it in context with becoming silent on the inside, to obtain inner knowledge.

Can you please explain this word to me a little more?

Answer 1

I think many of our arguments about tooth-grinding versus laissez-faire meditation comes from a misunderstanding of shamatha versus vipashana aspects of Zen meditation, and which aspect a person is speaking of. (The spelling of these tems in English varies, so I will just spell them the way they sound.)
Generally speaking, shamatha is concentration and Vipashana is discovery. Both aspects are present in various meditations, but one or the other is emphasized in a particular form, and this can also alternate right within doing a particular method.

Shamatha is a narrowing of focus, concentration, contraction,
effortful steering of the ox. Vipashana is an opening to discovery, a letting be, expansion, watching where the ox goes. Preliminary practices are usually more oriented to shamatha, since some calmness and concentration is a prerequisite for vipashana. Breath-counting is a good example of this.

The main Zen practices of koan-study and shikan-taza are more vipashana, especially the latter. You empty yourself of expectation, develop deep acceptance, and inquire deeply of the koan, or of nothing more or less than the experience of the present moment.

Although both aspects are necessary, there is a danger to primarily shamatha practices, in that space for discovery may not be sufficiently developed to truly allow reality to realize itself, and one may take the states achieved as inherently valuable. Subtle attachments can thus be fostered. Further, in terms of human interaction, practitioners of shamatha-intense methods may misapprehend practitioners who advocate allowing, letting be, "resting," "relaxing," opening, effortlessness, or whatever words are chosen for the description of the method of shikan-taza, insight
meditation, dzogchen, or other vipashana-intense meditations, as practitioners who are lazy, stagnant, and not really "practitioners."

On the other hand, such vipashana practitioners may not realize, in their conversations with shamatha people, that there is a problem in communication, and see such people as stubborn, dense, and perhaps damaged by their practice.

Actually, it takes concentrated effort to practice effortlessness. Speaking of our practice makes many verbal paradoxes arise, and if we are not carefully listening to each other, we are liable to misunderstand and further multiply confusion. Sanghas, centers, sitting groups, respected peers, and teachers are almost absolutely necessary to refine one's approach to practice and avoid settling into errors.

I hope that my views clarify more than confuse, and that whoever knows better correct any mistakes in my understanding.

Answer 2

Vipashana is to continuously watch (just witnessing and not doing anything) your breath, without any physical and mental activity.

Vipashana helps us to control mind through controlling Prana (subtle vital life force - you may call it breath). In advance stages, when we watch over breath, breath becomes subtle and finally stops. Since breath is deeply linked with mind (rule : where ever there is a mind, there is a Prana; wherever is Prana there is mind), mind also stops. Ultimately it leads in to nothingness or no-thought state.

Note : At time we also do it with some activity such as walking and doing house hold work in which not much attention is required.

Answer 3

Vipassana. It's a very simple and clean meditative technique. Not preachy or culty in the slightest, at least this variant.
http://www.dhamma.org/
They don't charge a dime, but you are free to give if you feel it will support the teaching.

Compatible with religions, so you can be a Christian and a Vipassana meditator. Typically you start with a 10-day retreat where you commit to learn the technique.

Answer 4

Vipassana is a very ancient meditation technique. Here are some articles on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassana
http://www.vipassana.info
http://www.vipassana.com/

Here is a link to an online 90-day Vipassana training course:
http://www.vipassana.com/course/

Answer 5

IT TAKES LOT OF TIME to understand not something So it somewhat is all approximately chemistry of strategies. The advantageous stability is Nirvana, undesirable stability is mania, basic stability is layman. that's far less annoying to attain at comfot, yet complicated to maintain at annoying circumstances. strike a twine in me once you meet at Bangalore.

Answer 6

A state of mind you can't explain but can only understand by reaching it. A clear state of mind like void of all thoughts and feels besides a single point of resolution.

Answer 7

It's funny that 'atheist' is the only one who claims that she's witty.
Presumably,she's another airhead from L.A.
Oh and it's a form of deep meditation.

Answer 8

It's a kind of UFO Indian gods fly around in.

Oh, wait, that's a vimana.

Answer 9

Peace in mind.

Answer 10

Vipassana is putting your awareness into the body, feeling the body sensations that normally people don't attend to, as awareness grows more and more *space* is felt/seen between sensations. : )