Vipassana : The meditation technique of Gautama Buddha

Vipassana : The meditation technique of Gautama Buddha

Vipassana is the technique of lord Gautama Buddha .  The path of Buddha is considered as Golden Mean because he teaches that  there in no need to go to any extreme – neither in indulgence nor in abstinence. His path is a Golden path, which does not demand  affiliation to any idea, belief or dogma. Even after the lapse of more than 2500 years since he walked on this earth, there is no decline in his teaching or in the relevance of his  miraculous and amazingly simple meditation technique ‘Vipassana’.  In fact this meditation technique is often considered as the technique of the future because of its extremely simple yet very powerful method. For the busy and extremely complicated life of 21st century, Vipassana is the kind of friendly meditation which can be done by anybody, anywhere and at any time.

What and why of Vipassana

Vipassana means ‘to come and see‘. To be more precise - to come inward and see. It is the way of the Buddha. He do not give sermons on reality. He only says ‘ “come and see – ‘Eehee Pissico‘. Just come inward and see for yourself the reality. 

In a single sentence :What is Vipassana ? 

Vipassana is : 

                 “To watch your breath with awareness. “

That’s all ! It is just simple . To be watchful of your breath as it comes and go. It is Vipassana. The easiest meditation technique of all time. 

Breathing is the most of important life process of our body. Nobody can exist without breath even for a single moment. In fact breathing is so important that nature has made it automatic in all living being. Nobody has to remember to breath. Just like internal vital process of our body like pumping of heart, circulation of blood, digestion of food etc, the breathing also happens on its own. Numerous meditation techniques are centered around breath. Almost all spiritual schools has developed a majority of their meditation techniques around breath. The reason for such infatuation with breathing is that it (breathing) is not merely a process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling Carbon Dioxide. Breathing, in reality, is a bridge between our body and our self. 

From the moment we come into this world – till the moment we die, we continue taking breath. Breathing is a link between our soul and our body. So when one meditates on breathing, invariably, he gets connected with his self. As already described in ’What is meditation‘ (that all meditation techniques are the methods through which our true self is revealed to us), when you  mediate in Vipassana , you will realize your real identity – Self.

In Vipassana you have to be just aware of your breath. A simple rule is that no matter what you do, no matter in whichever action you indulged in – just be aware of your breathing process. Be watchful of breath as it comes inside your body and goes outside. Don’t try to control your breath.  Vipassana is not ‘Pranayam ( the yogic exercise in which one control various movements of breath). If your breath is deep let it be, if it is shallow let it be. Just let your breathing in its natural rhythm.  

Understand this by this analogy: Just imagine that a river is flowing. Now the flow of the river may be fast or slow. What you have to do is to sit on its bank Just watch the river as it flows. Don’t try to create ripples in it. Don’t do anything that affects its flow. Just be a watcher.  This river is your breath.  The breathing process is going on. Just be a watcher of this process. Slowly slowly as you watch your breathing, your mind will start calming own. You will see that all thoughts are disappearing on their own. Eventually as you keep practicing, such moment will start coming  when you see that everything has come to a standstill. There will be no thoughts, there will be no emotions. However, there will be full awareness. The state of choiceless awareness. In this state you will know the real you. 

Some important things about Vipassana: 

(1) Though this extremely easy meditation can be done anytime, anywhere, initially it is strongly advised that you allocate some fixed time for it on daily basis. Choose a separate room and sit in a comfortable position. Them meditate by watching your breathing. 

(2)  The real success will come when you can be aware of your breath while doing all kind of daily activities like reading, playing, driving, swimming, or doing any domestic task. However this stage will come after a  regular practice for a considerable amount of time. At that point there will be two aspects of your existence – doing and being. You will be doing everything, fully involved in your tasks, yet inside there will be a center of awareness in you undisturbed by outer circumstances. That will be the true state of a meditator – the one who will be creative outside and meditative inside. 

Narada Bhakti Sutra 70-73 (chapter 7 section 2)

They are dissolved.

The ancestors rejoice

The gods dance in joy

this earth is endowed with a savior.

Amongst them there are no distinctions

based upon caste, culture, bodily, family,

wealth, or of actions.

because they are of his own nature.

Hridaya

Hrid=centre

Ayam=this

Hrit or Hridaya is the sankrit word for Heart centre. It is often used to describe the ultimate state. It is also said that God resides in the heart centre.

It is not to be confused with the heart chakra or the Anahata chakra which is said to be at the centre of the chest. Hridaya does not refer to a chakra nor does it refer  to the physical heart.

In meditation a Sadhak is asked to meditate on any form of his beloved diety in the cave of the heart. But this heart is neither physical nor psychological. Infact Hridaya itself is God, is the goal, the ultimate state, the natural state. 

It is but another word for Nirguna(formless) Brahman(reality). Hridaya is boundaryless, formless, without divisions and is a state of perfect equanimity. Meditating on the Hridaya the sadhak merges in it, becomes it. 

Everything has it’s own source in Hridaya so find the source and you shall find all. When a thought arises, find where it’s coming from, when you feel pain, anguish, happiness, find the source, where is it coming from. You feel like you exist, where is this “I”, find it’s source in you, dig deep.

Meditating on hridaya is a simple, easy technique that anyone can try and experience it’s fruits almost immediately. Hridaya is love, it’s in no one place, it’s everywhere, it has no form and yet all forms are in Hridaya are Hridaya. So meditating on Hridaya can be a natural easy process and the love that arises can be experienced when all fighting and struggling is given up. Just surrending and being the self, being Hridaya is enough.

Do it and know for yourself.

A Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to all from Lotus Sutra. 

Kali Maa represents destructive aspect of Nature, but the deeper significance is that she destroys egos. The garland of heads you see around her neck are the egos she’s vanquished. She’s prakruti(nature) and shiva under her feet is Purusha(primordial being)

So this year may our egos be vanquished, may Mother nature nourish us and mother us and let us all lay still and equanimous and at peace just like shiva at the feet of kali shakti, the universal energy. Mother.

Mother always wants the best for her children, no matter how harsh she may seem, she loves, she knows what’s best for her child. Let us surrender at her feet and let go.

Jai Kali Ma

 

Narada Bhakti Sutra 28-33 (chapter 2, section 2)

“Knowlege alone is the means to Obtain it”-some say

“Mutually dependent they are”-others declare

It is it’s own fruit says son of Brahma

As observed in palaces while dining

appeasement of hunger

can not happen with just the knowledge of it

Neither is the king pleased

discussing cooking often

so it is to a seeker for liberation

Hence love alone is to be cultivated

Zen is

“Zen” is english transliteration for “cha’an”, which has it’s roots from Sanskrit word “Dhyan” which Buddha used quite a lot. 

But funnily in India “Dhyana has just become synonymous with concentration. So the greater deeper meaning is lost in India, but lives on in the form of Zen.

The real meaning of Zen is…

Sai

Sai Baba, an enigma, a guru, a prophet, a self proclaimed God, a social worker, a paedophile…there are a lot of opinions of Baba, just the way there is Ganga, some people worship her as Goddess, some drink her waters, some cremate their dead and some defecate on her and many dirty her.

Dharam Nath

 

 

The nath yogi can be recognized to their enormous wooden ring splitting their ears. They travel in group most of the time, mainly in North and central India. Here we are in Haridwar, a holy city on the bank of river Ganga. 

Natha sect was said to have become famous under Matsyendranath and then his disciple and the most famous of the naths gorakshanath, their primordial guru is Shiva and they are said to have a unbroken lineage of Guru starting with Shiva.

Narada Bhakti Sutra 13 & 14 (chapter 1, section 2)

Sutra 13

or else there is a fear of a fall 

Sutra 14

Be social only to the extent of basic necessities

like eating food, as long as the body exists

Narada Bhakti Sutra 10,11, 12 (chapter 1, section 2)

Sutra 10

All supports when renounced, only then is attained Single mindedness.

Sutra 11

only perform material and spiritual activities congenial to that

renounce  all activities hostile to that

Sutra 12

After a commitment to live the life of devotion

let there be guidance of the scriptural teachings.

The Bible in 50 Words or Less

The Bible in 50 Words or Less

God made, Adam bit, Noah arked, Abraham split, Jacob fooled, Joseph ruled, Bush talked, Moses balked, Pharaoh plagued, People walked, Sea divided, Tablets guided, Promises landed, Saul freaked, David peeked, Prophets warned, Jesus born, God walked, Love talked, Anger crucified, Hope died, Love rose, Spirit flamed, Word spread, God remained. Amen.

Narada Bhakti Sutra 4,5 & 6 (chapter 1)

Sutra 4

Having gained which Man attains. Is full of bliss and is at peace.

 

Sutra 5

Having attained, he neither worries or grieves. 

Neither does he hate nor does he crave

he becomes free of attachment.

 

Sutra 6

Having known man becomes intoxicated, silent and rests in the self.

Narada Bhakti Sutra 1,2&3 (Chapter1)

1. Now therefore, the doctrine of devotion we shall expound.

2. That is indeed the true nature of supreme love.

3. Also the nature of divine nectar

I AM

The feeling I am is a reflection. It’s the subtlest expression of that which is. In consciousness that which is- is I AM.

The simplest form of the Self-manifested. When ‘I am’ is perceived directly , then it is seen as the real ‘that which is’.

When ‘I am‘ is experienced as it is. not as ‘I am that’ or ‘I am this’, when the subjective ‘I am‘ is experienced just as a presence, in purity without conceptions then the unreal divisions of the seer, the act of seeing & the seen doesn’t exist anymore.

Everything then just is. Just as it’s always been and always will be.

Shiva Tattwa

Shiva the name itself evokes a lot of emotions from people all over. one of devotion and also of fear. Recently a british friend of mine was surprised to see a shiva statue adorning a table in my space. She asked me why I have a statue of the God of Destruction. To her shiva is an equivalent of satan or the devil. I find this amusing. In eastern religions evil or destruction is an aspect of God, not a separate entity opposed to God. God is all encompassing. Creation and destruction are said to natural processes going on at all times in all places. Only God is, how then can any being be said to exist apart from this One God.

A rendezvous with a mad muni

K: As a field of study, it’s okay to categorise spirituality. Anything to do with God, Meditation, any form of esoterics has been categorised into spirituality. This in itself is not an issue. But when you create a division of materialism and spirituality, then it becomes some sort of a complexity, because there is no such a thing. There is no division. Im usually a very peaceful guy, there are very few things in this world that can tick me off. on top of that list definitely is this pseudo spiritual seeker. when somebody comes up to me and say they are very spiritual, believe i want to stick fork in them.

Shiva

All is self, you might call the ’self’ siva, jiva or any other name of fancy. But there is but one reality. There is no two. That is ‘A-dvaita’ non dual. All is one.