Practical Vipassana
Meditational Exercises
By Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw
practice
of Vipassana or Insight Meditation is the effort made
by the meditation to understand correctly the nature of
the psycho-physical phenomena taking place in his own
body. Physical phenomena are the things or objects
which one clearly perceives around one. The whole of
one's body that one clearly perceives constitutes a
group of material qualities [rupa]. Psychical or mental
phenomena are acts of consciousness or awareness
[nama]. These [nama-rupas] are clearly perceived to be
happening whenever they are seen, heard smelt, tasted,
touched, or thought of. We must make ourselves aware of
them by observing, hearing, hearing, "smelling,
smelling, tasting, tasting" touching, touching, 'or
thinking, thinking'.
Every
time one sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, or
thinks, one should make a note of the fact. But in the
beginning of one's practice one cannot make a note of
every one of these happenings. One should, therefore,
begin with noting those happening which are conspicuous
and easily perceivable.
With
every act of breathing, the abdomen rise and fall, which
is always evident. This is the material quality known as
vayodhatu [the element of motion]. One should begin by
noting this movements, which may be done by intently
observing the abdomen in mind. You will find the abdomen
rising when you breathe in, and falling when you breathe
out. The rising should be noted mentally as rising, and
the falling as falling. If the movement is not evident by
just nothing it mentally, touch the abdomen with the
palm of your hand. Do not alter the manner of your
breathing, Neither slow it down, nor make it faster. Do
not breathing too vigorously, either. You will tire if
you change the manner of your breathing, Breathe steadily
as usual and note the rising and falling of the abdomen
as they occur, Note it mentally, not verbally.
In
Vipassana meditation, what's your name or say doesn't
matter. What really matters is to know or perceive. While
noting the rising of the abdomen, do so from the
beginning to the end of the movement just as if you are
seeing it with your eyes. Do the same with the falling
movement. Note the rising movement in such a way that
your awareness of it is concurrent with the movement
itself. The movement and the mental awareness of it
should coincide in the same way as a stone thrown hitting
the same goes for the target. The falling movement.
Your
mind may wander else where while you are noting the
abdominal movements. This must also be noted by mentally
saying wandering, wandering. When this has been noted
once or twice, the mind stops wandering, in which case
you go back to noting the rising and falling of
the
abdomen, if the mind reaches somewhere, note it as
'reaching, reaching'. Then go back to the rising and
falling of the abdomen. If you imagine meeting somebody,
note it as meeting, meeting'. Then back to the sing and
falling. If you imagine meeting and talking to somebody,
note it as 'talking, talking'.
In
short, whatever thought or reflection occurs should be
noted. If you imagine, note it as 'imagine. If you think,
'thinking'. if you plan, 'planning'. If you perceive,
'perceiving'. If you reflect, 'reflecting'. If you feel
happy, 'happy'. If you feel bored, bored'. If you feel
glad, 'glad'. If you feel disheartened, 'disheartened'.
Noting all these acts off consciousness is called
Cittanupassana. Because we fail to note these acts of
consciousness, we tend to identify whit a person or
individual. We tend to think that it is ""I" who is
imagining, thinking, planning, knowing (or perceiving).
We think that there is a person who from childhood onwards
has been living and thinking. Actually, no such person
exists. There are instead only these continuing and
successive acts of consciousness. That is why we have
to note these acts of consciousness and know them for
what they are. That is why we have to note each and every
act of consciousness as it arises. When so noted, they
tends to disappear. We then go back to noting the rising
and falling of the abdomen.
When
you have sat meditating for long, sensations of
stiffness and heat will arise in your body. These are to
be noted carefully too. Similarly with sensations of pain
and tiredness. All of these sensations are dukkhavedana
(feeling of unsatisfactoriness) and noting them is
vedananupassana. Failure or omission to note these
sensations makes you think, "I am stiff, I am feeling
hot, I am in pain. I was all right a moment ago. Now I am
uneasy with these unpleasant sensations." The
identification of these sensations with the ego is
mistaken. There is really no "I" involved, only a
succession of one new unpleasant Sensation after another.
It is just like a continuous succession of new
electrical impulses that light up electric lamps. Every
time unpleasant contacts are encountered in the body,
unpleasant sensations arise one after another. These
sensations should be carefully and intently noted,
whether they are sensations, of heat or of pain. In the
beginning of the yogis meditational practice, these
sensation may tend to increase and lead to a desire to
change his posture. This desire should be noted, after
which the yogi should go back to noting the sensations of
stiffness, heat, etc. patience leads to Nibbana,' as the
saying goes. This saying is most relevant in meditation
effort. One must be patient in meditation. If one shifts
or changes one's posture too often because one cannot be
patient with the sensation of stiffness or heat that
arises, samadhi [good concentration] cannot develop. if
samadhi cannot develop, Insight cannot result and there
can be no attainment of
magga
[the path that leads to Nibbana], phala [the fruit of
that part] and Nibbana. That is why patience is needed in
meditation. It is mostly patience with unpleasant
sensations in the body like stiffness, sensations of heat
and pain, and other sensations that are hard to bear.
One should not immediately give up one's meditation on
the appearance of such sensations and change one's
meditational posture. One should go on patiently, just
noting them as stiffness, stiffness' or 'hot, hot'.
Moderate sensations of these kinds will disappear if one
goes on nothing them patiently. When concentration is
good and strong, even intense sensations tend to
disappear. One then reverts to noting the rising and
falling of the abdomen.
One will of course have to change one's posture if the sensations do not disappear even
After one has noted
them for a long time, and if on the other have they
become unbearable. One should then begin noting them
as 'wishing to change, wishing to change'. If the arm
rises, note it as 'rising, rising'. If it moves, note
it as 'moving, moving.' This change should be made gently
and noted as 'rising, rising,' 'moving, moving' and
'touching'. If the body sways, 'swaying, swaying'. If
the foot rises, 'rising, rising'. If it moves, 'moving,
moving' If it drops, 'dropping, dropping'. If there
is no change, but only static rest, go back to noting
the rising and falling of the abdomen. There must be
no intermission in between, only continuity between
a preceding act of noting and a succeeding one, between
a preceding samasdhi [state of concentration] and a
succeeding one, between a preceding act of intelligence
and a succeeding one. Only then will there be
successive and ascending stages of maturity in the
yogi's state of intelligence. Megga and mala nana
[knowledge of the path and its fruition] are attained
only when there is this kind of gathering momentum.
The meditative process is like that of producing fire
by energetically and unremittingly rubbing two
sticks of wood together so as to attain the necessary
intensity of heat [and the flame arises].
In
the same way, the noting in Vipassana meditation should
be continual and unremitting, without any resting
interval between acts of noting whatever phenomena may
arise, for instance, if a sensation of itchiness
intervenes and the yogi desires to scratch because it is
hard to bear, both the sensation and the desire to get
rid of it should be noted, without immediately getting
rid of the sensation by scratching.
If
one goes on perservingly noting thus, the itchiness
generally disappears, in which case one reverts to noting
the rising and falling of the abdomen. If the itchiness
does not in fact disappear, one has to ofcourse eliminate
it by scratching. But first, the desire to do so should
be noted. All the movements involved in the process of
eliminating this sensation should be noted,
especially the touching, pulling and pushing,and
scratching movements, with and eventual reversion to
noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.
Every
time you make a change of posture, you begin with noting
your intention or desire to make the change, and go onto
noting every movement closely, such as rising from the
sitting posture, raising the arm moving and stretching
it, you should make the change at the same time as noting
the movements involved. As your body sways forward, note
it. As you rise, the body become light and rises,
concentrating your mind on this you should gently note it
as 'rising, rising'. The yogi should behave as if he
were a weak invalid. People of normal health rise easily
and quickly or abruptly, not so with feeble invalids, who
do so slowly and gently. The same is the case with
people suffering from 'back-ache' who rise gently so
their back hurts less ( lest the back hurt and cause
pain.)
So
also with meditating yogis. They have to make their
changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will
mindfulness, concentration and insight be good. Begin
therefore with gentle and gradual movements. When rising,
the yoga must do so gently like an invalid, at the same
time noting it as rising, rising. Not only this; though
the eye sees, the yogi must act as if he does not see.
Similarly when the ear hears. While meditating, the
yogi's concern is only to note. What he sees and hears
are or his concern. So whatever strange or striking
things he may see or hear. He must behave as if he does
not see or hear them, merely noting carefully.
When
making bodily movements, the yoga should do so gradually
as if he were a weak invalid, gently moving his arms and
legs, bending or stretching them, bending down the head
and bringing it up. All these movements should be made
gently. When rising from the sitting posture, he should
do so gradually, noting it as "rising, rising" When
straightening up and standing, noting it as "standing,
standing". When looking here and there, noting as
"looking, seeing". When walking noting the steps, whether
they are taken with the right or the left foot. You
must be aware of all the successive movements involved,
from the raising of the foot to the dropping of it.
Note each step taken, whether with the right foot or
the left foot. This is the manner of noting when one
walks fast.
If
will be enough if you note thus when walking fast and
walking some distance. When walk slowly or doing the
cankama walk [waling up and down], three movements should
be noted in each step; when the foot is raised, when it
is pushed forward, and when it is dropped. Begin with
noting the raising and dropping movements. One must be
properly aware of the raising of the foot, similarly,
when the foot is dropped, one should be properly aware of
the 'heavy' falling of the foot.
One
must walk, noting it as raising, dropping' with each
step. This noting will become easier after above, as
'raising, pushing forward, dropping,. In the beginning,
it will suffice to note one or two movements only,
thus'right step, left step' when walking fast and
'raising, dropping'when walking slowly. If when walking
thus, you want to sit down, note as wanting to sit down,
wanting to sit down'. When actually sitting down,
concentratedly note the heavy' falling of your body. When
you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging
your legs and arms. When there are no such movements,
but just a stillness (staticrest) of the body, note the
rising and falling of the abdomen. While noting thus and
if stiffness of your limbs and sensations of heat in any
part of your body arise, go on to note them. Then back to
"rising, falling". While noting thus and if a desire to
lie down arises, note it and the movements of your legs
and arms as you lie down. The raising of the arm., the
moving of it, the resting of the elbow on the floor,
the swaying of the body, the stretching of legs, the
listing of the body as one slowly prepares to lie down,
all these movements should be noted.
the
path and its fruition). When samadhi (concentration) and
nana (insight) are strong, the distinctive knowledge can
come at any moment. It can come in a single "bend" of
the arm or in a single "stretch of the arm. Thus it was
that the Venerable Ananda became an arahat.
The Ven.Ananda was trying strenuously to attain Arahatship over night on the eve
Of the first Buddhist council.He was practising the whole night a form of Vipassana meditation
Known as kayagatasati, noting his steps,right and left,raising,pyshing
forward and dropping of the feet;noting,happening by
happening by happening,the mental desire to walk and
the physical movement involved in walking. Although
this went on till it was nearly dawn,he had mot yet
succeeded in attaining Arahatship. Realizing that he has
practiced the walking meditation to excess and that, in
order to balance samadhi(concentration)and viriya
(effort), He should practice meditation in the lying
posture for a while, he entered his chamber. He sat on
the couch and then lay himself down. While doing so and
noting 'lying, lying' he attained Arahatship in an
instant.
The
Ven.Ananda was only a sotapanna (that is ,a stream
winner or one who has attained the first stage on the
path to Nibbana)before he thus lay homself down. From
sotapannahood, he continued to meditate and reached
sakadagamihood(that is, the condition of the once-retuner
or one who has attained the third stage on the path)and
arahatship (that is the condition of the noble one who
has attained the last stage on the path.) Reaching these
three successive stages of the higher path took only a
little while. just think of this example of the
Ven.ananda's attainment of arahatship. Such attainment
can come at any moment and need not take long. That
is why the yogi should note with diligenceall the time.
He should not relax in his noting, thinking "this
little lapse should not matter much." All movements
involved in lying down and arranging the arms and legs
should be carefully and unremittingly noted. If there
is no movement, but only stillness(of the body),go back
to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. Even
when it is getting late and time to sleep, the yoga
should not go to sleep yet, dropping his noting. A really
serious and energetic yogi should practise mindfulness
as if he were forgoing his sleep altogether. He should
go on meditating till he falls asleep. If the meditation
is good and has the upper hand, drowsiness has the upper
hand he will not fall asleep. If, on the other hand,
he will fall asleep. When he feels sleepy, he should
note it as 'sleepy, sleepy'. If his eyelids drop, 'dropping'
if they become heavy or leaden 'heavy', if the eyes
become smarting, 'smarting' Nothing thus, the drowsiness
may pass and the eyes become clear again.
The
yoga should then note that as "clear, clear" and go on
to note the rising and falling of the abdomen. However
perseveringly the yogi may go on meditating, if real
drowsiness intervenes, he does fall asleep. It is not
difficult to fall asleep; in fact. It is easy if you
meditate in the lying posture, you gradually become
drowsy and eventually fall asleep. That is why the
beginner in meditation should not meditate too much in
the lying posture. He should meditate much in the lying
posture. He should meditate much more in the sitting
posture and walking But as it grows late and becomes time
to sleep, he should meditate in the lying position,
noting the rising and falling movements of the abdomen He
will then a naturally (automatically) fall asleep.
The
time he is asleep is the resting time for the yogi. But
for the really serious yogi, he should limit his sleeping
time to about four hours. This is the midnight time
permitted by the Buddha. Four hours sleep is quite
enough. If the beginner in meditation thinks that four
hours'sleep is not though for his health, he may extend
it to five or six hours. Six hours'sleep is clearly
enough for one's health. When the yogi awakens, he should
at once resume noting. The yoga who is really bent on
attaining magga and phala nana, should rest from
meditational effort only when he is asleep. At other
times, in his waking moments, he should be noting
contnuously and without rest, That is why, as soon as he
awakens, he should note the awakining state of his mind
as'awakening, awakening'. If he cannot yer make himself
aware of this, he should begin noting the rising and
galling of the abdomen. If he intends to get up from bed,
he should note it as 'intending to get up, intending to
get up'. He should then go on to note the changing
movements he makes as he arrages his arms and legs. When
he raises his head and rises, noting it as 'rising,
rising'. When he is seated,noting as,sitting,sitting.
If
he makes any changing movement as he arranges his arms
and legs, all of these movements should also be noted.If
there are no such changes, but only a sitting quietly, he
should revert to noting the rising and falling movements
of the abdomen.
One
should also note when one washes one's face and when one
takes a bath. As the movements involved in these acts
are rather quick, as many of them should be noted as
possible. There are then acts of dressing, of tidying up
the bed, of opening and closing the door; all these
should also be noted as closely as possible. When the
yoga has his meal and looks at the meal-table, he should
note it as "looking, seeing." When he extends his arm
towards the food, touches it, collects and arranges it,
handles it and brings it to his mouth, bends his head and
puts the morsel of food into his mouth, drops his arm
and raises his head again, all these movements should be
duly noted. (This way of noting is in accordance with the
Burmese way of taking a meal. Those who use fork and
spoon or chopsticks should note the movements in an
appropriate manner.)
When
he chews the food. He should note it as 'chewing,
chewing.' When he comes to know the taste of the food. He
should note it as 'knowing knowing.' As he relishes the
food and swallows it, as the food goes down his throat,
he should note all these happenings. This is how the yogi
should note as he takes one morsel after another of his
food. As he takes his soup, all the movements involved
such as extending of the arm, handling of the spoon and
scooping with it and so on, all these should be noted. To
note thus at meal-time is rather difficult as there are
so many things to observe and note. The beginning yoga
is likely to miss several things which he should note,
but he should resolve to note all. He cannot of course
help it if he overlooks and misses some, but as his
samadhi (concentration) becomes strong, he will be able
to not closely all these happenings. Well, I have mentioned
so many things for the yogi to note. But to summarize,
there are only a few things to note. When walking fast,
note as 'right step,' left step.' And as raising, dropping'
When walking slowly. When sitting quietly, just note
the rising and falling of the abdomen. Note the same
When you are lying , if there is nothing particular to
note. While noting thus and if the mind wanders, note the
acts of consciousness that arise. Then back to the
rising and falling of the abdomen note also the
sensations of stiffness pain and ache, and itchiness as
they arise. Then back to the rising and falling of the
abdomen. Note also, as they arise, the bending and
stretching and moving of the limbs, bending and raising
of the head, swaying and straightening of the body. Then
back to the rising and falling of the abdomen. Beginner
in meditation encounters the same difficulty, but as he
becomes more practiced, he becomes aware of every act of
mind-wandering till eventually the mind does not wander
any more. The mind is then riveted on the ofject of its
attention, the act of mindfulness becoming almost
simulaneous with the object of its attention such as the
rising and falling of the abdomen. (In other words the
rising of the abdomen becomes concurrent with the act of
nothing it, and similarly with the falling of the
abdomen. (In other words the rising of the abdomen
becomes concurrent with the act of noting it, and similarly
with the falling of the abdomen.)
The
physical object of attention and the mental act of
noting are occurring as a pair. There is in this
occurrence no person or individual involved, only this
physical object of attention and the mental act of noting
occurring as a pair. The yogi will in time actually and
personally experience these and falling of the abdomen he
will come to distinguish the rising of the abdomen as
physical phenomenon and the mental act of noting it as
psychological phenomenon; sumultaneous occurrence in
pairs of these psycho-physical phenomena.
Thus,
with every act of noting, the yogi will come to know for
himself clearly that there are only the material quality
which is the object of awareness or attention and the
mental quality that makes a note of it. This
discriminating knowledge is called
namarupa-paricheda-nana. It is important to gain this
knowledge corredtly. This will be succeeded, as the yogi
goes on by the knowledge that distinguishes between the
cause and its effect, which knowledge is called
paccayapariggaha-nana. As the yogi goes on noting, he
will see for himself that wat arises passes away after a
short while. Ordinary people assume that both material
and mental phenomena go on lasting throughtut life, that
is, from youth to adulthood. In fact, that is not so.
There is no phenomenon that lasts forever. All phenomena
arise and pass away so rapidly that they do not even last
the twinkling of an eye. The yogi will come to know this
for himself as he goes on nothing. He will then become
convinced of the impermanence of all such phenomena. Such
conviction is called anicca nupassan-nana.
This
knowledge will be succeed by dukkhanupassana-nana which
realizes that all this impermanence is suffering. The
yogi is also likely to encounter all kinds of hardship in
his body, which is just an aggregate of sufferings. This
is also dukkhanupassana-nana. Next, the yogi will be
come convinced that all these psycho-physical phenomena
are occurring on their own accord, following nobody's
will and nobody's will and subject to nobody's control.
They constitute no individual or ego-entity. This
realization is anatta nupassanna nana.
When,
as he goes on meditating, the yogi comes to realize
firmly that all these phenomena are anicca, dukkha and
anatta, he will attain Nibbana. All the former Buddhas,
Arahats and Aryas realized Nibbana follwing this very
path. All meditating yogis should recognize thatthey
themselves are now on this satipatthana path, in
fulfilment of their wish for attainment of magga-nana
(knowledge of the path), phala-nana (knowledge of the
fruition of the path) and Nibbana-dhamma, and following
the ripening of their parami perfection of virtue. The
should feel glad at this and at the prospect of
experiencing the noble kind of samadhi (tranquillity of
mind brought abourt by concentration) and nana (supramundane
knowledge or wisdom) experienced by the buddhas, Arahats
and Aryas and which they themselves have never experience
before.
It
will bot be long before they will experience for
themselves the magga-nana, Phata-nana and Nibbana dhamma
experienced by the Buddhas, arahats and Aryas. As a
matter of fact, these may be experienced in the space of a
month or of twenty or fifteen days of their meditational
practice Those whose parami is exceptional may
experience these dhammas even within seven days. The yogi
should therefore rest content in the faith that he will
attain these dhammas in the time specified above, that he
will be freed of askka ya-ditthi (ego-belief) and
vicikiccha (doubt or uncertainty) and saved from the
danger of rebirth in the nether worlds. He should go on
with his meditational practice in this faith.
May
you all be able to practice meditation well and quickly
attain that nibbana wich the Buddhas, Arathats and arayas
have experienced.
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