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Vipassana The Practice Of Insight

 Vipassana is usually interpreted as the practice of the development of "Insight" by applying awareness and understanding of what precisely is happening as it happens. "Concentration" or "calm abiding" can be translated as Samatha. It is a state in which the mind is brought to rest, centred on one thing only so as not the wandered away and remain focused to achieve single-pointedness.  A profound relaxation pervades the body and mind when single-pointedness is finally achieved, described as a state of calm that must be witnessed to be appreciated.

The meditator uses this focus as an instrument in Vipassana meditation. He directly applies this concentration to his consciousness, through which he chips away at the delusion wall that cuts him off from the living light of reality.

Vipassana involves a progressive development of knowledge into the mind's inner workings over several years. The student's interest is carefully drawn to an intensive analysis of certain facets of his own life.

Vipassana is a revolutionary as it involves an ever-increasing understanding of the inner workings of life itself. This takes years, but the meditator gradually chisels down the wall of consciousness one day at a time till it tumbles into nothingness. When this sense of no-self is achieved, one reaches enlightenment and permanent freedom from samsara.  One note is that the aim of all Buddhist methods of meditation practice is freedom. But Vipassana is not the only approaches to reaching that goal, and there are other practices and pathways one can take to achieve this freedom from suffering.

Vipassana is also one of the oldest practices in the Buddhist meditation tradition. The practice's methodology is derived straight from the Satipatthana Sutta [Mindfulness Foundations], a discourse credited to Buddha himself. The meditator is conditioned to note his own flowing life experience more and more.  Vipassana teaches us to smell more acutely, touch more fully, and genuinely pay attention to the ever-changing nature of phenomena around us.

It is a mind training method, which involves a series of techniques devoted to becoming more and more mindful of your own understanding of life.  It's listening attentively, seeing attentively and testing carefully.  Without getting wrapped up in them, we learn to listen to our own ideas. The goal of the practice of Vipassana meditation is to strive to see reality that phenomena within our perception are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not related to ourselves of self.

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