Essence of insight meditation practice

Essence of insight meditation practice

Bhikkhu Dhammavaro

The path and stages of spiritual practice

It is the craving in our mind that we are always looking for the better things in life, when it comes to spiritual practice; still it is of no exception. Once we know that vipassana (insight) practice is the highest and the best way in Buddhist practice, everyone flocks to it likes bees onto flower. They desire the shorter route, and dislike the longer traditional Eight-fold path. We must understand as in any task we engage ourselves in, it must be carried out one step at a time, we can’t rush to complete the task in a shorter time! It will just end up imperfectly done or would require longer time. It is liked you know the good smell of the baked potatoes, trying to rush in baking them by turning the temperature higher will just simply end up with all the potatoes charred.

In the Buddhist holy path it is equally importance that one must start with the practice of virtue or morality (sila), follows by the practice of samatha meditation (samadhi), and then follows by the practice of contemplative insight (pañña). Even if you have the perfection (parami) from past lives, you still must engage yourself in these trainings.

The Blessed One answer the question posed by the Sakka and said:
“When a wise man, established well in virtue,
Develop consciousness and understanding,
Then as a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious,
He succeeds in disentangling this tangle.” (SN I, 13)

What are the entanglements? There are ten of them; i.e.; the five lower fetters of self view on identity (sakkaya ditthi), uncertainty (vicikiccha), grasping at wrong precepts and practices (or rules and rituals, silabbatam paramasa), sensual desire (lobha), and ill will (dosa); and the five higher fetters of attachment to the form realm (ruparaga), attachment to the formless realm (aruparaga), conceit (mana), restlessness (udhacca), and ignorance (avijja). (AN X.13. Sanyojana Sutta）

Again the Blessed One said:
“He who is possessed of constant virtue,
Has understanding, and is concentrated,
Is strenuous and diligent as well,
Will cross the flood so difficult to cross.” (SN I, 53)

What is this flood? There are these four great floods:
1. The flood of sensual desire: sensual desires arise from the six sense doors. Ordinary people are so attached to sensual objects and do not know the way to quench the fire of desires..
2. The flood of becoming: due to our abundant accumulation of negative kamma, we cannot escape from the state of samsara.
3. The flood of views: holding stubbornly to our own views due to our pride, fond of getting into arguments with others.
4. The flood of ignorance: we are in total darkness not knowing the suffering, the cause of the suffering, the cessation of the suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of the suffering. Not knowing the past; not knowing the future; not knowing the present, not knowing what is good or evil.

Then the Blessed One summarized the path of purification in seven steps as stated in the text of “The seven chariots sutra” (Majjhima Agama I.9, The Vissudhi-magga also emphasizes the same) :
1. Purification of morality
2. Purification of the mind
3. Purification of view
4. Purification of doubt
5. Purification of knowledge on what is and what is not the path
6. Purification of knowledge of the way
7. Purification of the knowledge

The training in morality is an indispensable part of the Buddhist training.

Again, as the Blessed One has pointed out, the only path of practice, and that is by the four Foundations of mindfulness; he said: “Bhikkhus, this path is the only way of purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinction of pain and suffering, for the attainment of the right way, and for the realization of Nibbana – that is to say, the four Foundations of mindfulness.” (DN 22)

As with the seven factors of enlightenment; ie,
1. Mindfulness (sati-sambhojjhanga)
2. application of the dhamma (dhammavicaya- sambhojjhanga)
3. Effort (viriya- sambhojjhanga)
4. Joy (piti- sambhojjhanga)
5. Bliss (passadhi- sambhojjhanga)
6. Concentration (samadhi- sambhojjhanga)
7. Equanimity (upekkha- sambhojjhanga)

A Buddhist aspirant needs to apply the first three factors to attain the purification of the morality. Mindfulness is the first step, this is heavily laden in morality practice and meditation, and one must know that there is no short-cut.

The Blessed One said in Anguttara Nikaya (IV 336-347) : “When there are present mindfulness and clear comprehension, he who is endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of conscientiousness and fear of doing evil; when there are present conscientiousness and fear of doing evil, he who is endowed with conscientiousness and fear of doing evil, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of restraint of the senses; when there is present restraint of the senses, he who is endowed with restraint of the senses, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of virtue; when there is present virtue, he who is endowed with virtue, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of right concentration; when there is right concentration, he who is endowed with right concentration, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of knowledge and vision of things as they really are; when there is present knowledge and vision of things as they really are, he who is endowed with knowledge and vision of things as they really are, he is endowed with the sufficing condition of disenchantment-dispassion; when there is present disenchantment-dispassion, he who is endowed with knowledge and vision of freedom. ”

Therefore one who aspires to work towards Nibbana must engage oneself in the three trainings of Morality, Meditation, and Insight (Wisdom), through the path of the four Foundations of mindfulness.

Meditation and Insight

There are two types of meditation: One is Samatha meditation; the other is insight meditation. Samatha means concentration. Insight means the correct understanding of bodily and mental phenomena. Samatha meditation is practiced to attain higher concentration and purity of the mind, the Blessed One has taught forty different systems of meditation to varying degree of concentration. Insight meditation is practiced to attain liberation from all mental and physical suffering.

What is this insight or understanding? Buddhaghosa said this in the Visuddhi Magga : “It is knowing (janana) in a particular mode separate from the modes of perceiving (sanjanana) and cognizing (vijanana). For though the state of knowing (janana-bhava) is equally present in perception (sañña), in consciousness (viññanam) and in understanding (pañña), nevertheless perception is only the mere perceiving of an object as, say, ‘blue’ or ‘yellow’; it cannot bring about the penetration of its characteristics as impermanent, painful, and non-self. Consciousness knows the object as blue or yellow, and it brings about the penetration of its characteristics, but it cannot bring about, by endeavouring, the manifestation of the [supramundane] path. Understanding knows the object in the way already stated, it brings about the penetration of the characteristics and it brings about, by endeavouring, the manifestation of the path. ”

We cannot acquire the skill of meditative insight by simply going to the Buddhist centres, or joining a short vipassana retreat for a few days or a few months, Why? The period is too short for a meditator to acquire any noticeable meditative insight. But we can certainly gain some knowledge about the correct application of the Buddha’s teaching. As insight has to be developed gradually over some length of time, also insight is not our ordinary mundane understanding of the world or our environment. A practitioner’s insight is so subtle it cannot be taken separately from our perception or our consciousness, as they are mingled together. A person with insight is profoundly different mentally from an ordinary person. He would be able to reflect constantly and instantly the true nature of the phenomena to which he/she encounters; whereas an ordinary person cannot, this person gets carried away by the flood of perceived objects.

One needs to deal effectively all the five hindrances (nīvarana) before one is able to make any progress along the path; Ven. Ananda said to Uttiya : “Whosoever have gone out, are going out, or will go out from this world (to nibbana), all of them have done so (are doing so, or will do so) by giving up the five hindrances (pañca nīvarane pahāya), those impurities of the heart that weaken wisdom (cetaso upakkhilese paññāya dubbalīkarane). ”

But for a person who meditate persistently, the entry to the first jhana is crucial for the removal of these five hindrances; “The first jhana, friend, is the abandonment of five factors and the possession of five factors. Here, friends, in the monk who has attained the first jhana, sense desire (kamacchando) is abandoned, ill-will (vyapado) is abandoned, rigidity and torpor (thinamiddam) are abandoned, agitation and anxiety (uddhaccakukkuccam) are abandoned, and doubt (vicikiccha) is abandoned. And there are present initial application of thought (vittaka), sustained application of thought (viccara), joy (piti), bliss (sukha), and unification of mind (ekaggata-citta).” (MN I, 294-295) Therefore the attainment of jhanas is an indispensable part of the training towards penetrative understanding and enlightenment.

The tasks of contemplative insight

The task of a meditating yogi engaging in insight practice should consist of the followings:
1. Ability in identifying the mundane from the supramundane.
2. Correct understanding of the nama-rupa (Body and mind).
3. Ability in penetrating and understanding one’s own mental states.
4. Correct understanding of the five khandha (aggregates).
5. Mastery over the six doors or six-fold base.
6. Knowledge of the four Noble Truths.
7. Understanding of the cause and effect of all physical and mental phenomena.

Understanding of the Dependent Origination

One needs to understand Paticcasamupada or Dependent Origination correctly before one is able to attain enlightenment. The Blessed One after gaining enlightenment at the Bodhi tree contemplated this in both the forward and reverse order:”

(Forward order):
This being, that is; from the arising of this, that arises.
That is:
with ignorance as condition, volitional activities come to be;
with volitional activities as condition, consciousness comes to be;
with consciousness as condition, name/form comes to be;
with name-and-form as condition, the six-fold base comes to be;
with the six-fold base as condition, contact comes to be;
with contact as condition, feeling comes to be;
with feeling as condition, craving comes to be;
with craving as condition, grasping comes to be;
with grasping as condition, being comes to be;
with being as condition, birth comes to be;
with birth as condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be.
This is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

(Reverse order):
This not being, that is not; from the cessation of this, that ceases.
That is:
from the cessation of ignorance, volitional activities cease;
from the cessation of volitional activities, consciousness ceases;
from the cessation of consciousness, name/form ceases;
from the cessation of name-and-form, the six-fold base ceases;
from the cessation of the six-fold base, contact ceases;
from the cessation of contact, feeling ceases;
from the cessation of feeling, craving ceases;
from the cessation of craving, grasping ceases;
from the cessation of grasping, being ceases;
from the cessation of being, birth ceases;
from the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease.
This is the ceasing of this whole mass of suffering. ” (Udana 1.1,1.2; translated by J.D.Ireland)

Constant effort in meditative insight

One must know that there is no quick way to enlightenment; all those who get there are doing it through vigorous effort. Viriya or effort is one of the essential factors to enlightenment no one can do without.

The Blessed One said: "Monks! what is Right effort?
[i] "There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
[ii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.
[iii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
[iv] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, and culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks! is called right effort." (SN XLV.8)
According to the Lord Buddha’s teaching, we exert ourselves in bringing into our life those qualities of discipline, meditation, and wisdom into fruition, make our life pure, make our mindfulness strong and steady, make our contemplation constant. To have an instant awareness of the characteristics of the phenomena as impermanence, imperfect, and without an identity requires constant reflection on whatever that comes into our consciousness; in other words, whenever we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or think, we are reflecting on their true nature, so that we would not be attached to any of these. This is done not only through sitting meditation, but also during walking meditation, as well as in our daily activities.

The complete task of investigation

We can also separate the tasks into five categories as Buddha has advised, that is to contemplate on all forms including that of our body, all feelings that has arisen within us, all perceptions, all kammic formations, and all consciousnesses we engage ourselves in, because our being is really no more than these five aggregates. It is only through contemplating the impermanence, imperfection or suffering, and selfless nature on all phenomena that we are able to really give up our varied attachment in life, insightful wisdom will then dawn on us, and finally free ourselves from samsara.

In SN 22.57 Sattatthana Sutta the Blessed One taught us to investigate in a comprehensive manner:

1. Identify the five aggregates

"Monks! A monk who is skilled in seven ways and has three modes of investigation is realized and fully accomplished in this doctrine and discipline, a perfect person.

"And how is a monk skilled in seven ways? There is where a monk discerns form, the origination of form, the cessation of form, the path of practice leading to the cessation of form. He discerns the attraction of form, the disadvantage of form, and the escape from form.

"He discerns feeling, the origination of feeling, the cessation of feeling, the path of practice leading to the cessation of feeling. He discerns the attraction of feeling, the disadvantage of feeling, and the escape from feeling.

"He discerns perception, the origination of perception, the cessation of perception, the path of practice leading to the cessation of perception. He discerns the attraction of perception, the disadvantage of perception, and the escape from perception.

"He discerns kammic formations, the origination of kammic formations, the cessation of kammic formations, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of kammic formations. He discerns the attraction of kammic formations, the disadvantage of kammic formations, and the escape from kammic formations.

"He discerns consciousness, the origination of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, the path of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness. He discerns the attraction of consciousness, the disadvantage of consciousness, and the escape from consciousness.

2. Investigate the aggregates and gain realization

"And what is form? The four great elements; [the earth element, the liquid element, the fire element, and the wind element] and the form derived from them: this is called form. From the origination of nutriment comes the origination of form. From the cessation of nutriment comes the cessation of form. This Noble Eight-fold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of form, i.e., Right view, Right thinking, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation.

The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on form: that is the attraction of form. The fact that form is impermanent, suffering, subject to change: that is the disadvantage of form. The subduing of desire and passion for form, the abandoning of desire and passion for form: that is the escape from form.

"For any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing form in this way, directly knowing the origination of form in this way, directly knowing the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing the attraction of form in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of form in this way, directly knowing the escape from form in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, detachment, cessation with regard to form, they are practicing correctly. Those who are practicing correctly are firmly established in this doctrine and discipline. And any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing form in this way, directly knowing the origination of form in this way, directly knowing the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing the attraction of form in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of form in this way, directly knowing the escape from form in this way, are from disenchantment, detachment, cessation, lack of clinging with regard to form, freed, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is direct knowledge of no more becoming.

"And what is feeling? These six types of feeling; feeling born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact, and feeling born of mental-contact: this is called feeling. From the origination of contact comes the origination of feeling. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. This Noble Eight-fold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of feeling, i.e., Right view, Right thinking, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation.

The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on feeling: that is the attraction of feeling. The fact that feeling is impermanent, suffering, subject to change: that is the disadvantage of feeling. The subduing of desire and passion for feeling, the abandoning of desire and passion for feeling: that is the escape from feeling.

"For any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing feeling in this way, directly knowing the origination of feeling in this way, directly knowing the cessation of feeling in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of feeling in this way, directly knowing the attraction of feeling in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of feeling in this way, directly knowing the escape from feeling in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, detachment, cessation with regard to feeling, they are practicing correctly. Those who are practicing correctly are firmly established in this doctrine and discipline. And any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing feeling in this way, directly knowing the origination of feeling in this way, directly knowing the cessation of feeling in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of feeling in this way, directly knowing the attraction of feeling in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of feeling in this way, directly knowing the escape from feeling in this way, are from disenchantment, detachment, cessation, lack of clinging with regard to feeling, freed, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is direct knowledge of no more becoming.

"And what is perception? These six types of perception; perception of form, perception of sound, perception of smell, perception of taste, perception of tactile sensation, perception of mental states: this is called perception. From the origination of contact comes the origination of perception. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of perception. This Noble Eight-fold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of perception, i.e., Right view, Right thinking, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation.

The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on perception: that is the attraction of perception. The fact that perception is impermanent, suffering, subject to change: that is the disadvantage of perception. The subduing of desire and passion for perception, the abandoning of desire and passion for perception: that is the escape from perception.

"For any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing perception in this way, directly knowing the origination of perception in this way, directly knowing the cessation of perception in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of perception in this way, directly knowing the attraction of perception in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of perception in this way, directly knowing the escape from perception in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, detachment, cessation with regard to perception, they are practicing correctly. Those who are practicing correctly are firmly established in this doctrine and discipline. And any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing perception in this way, directly knowing the origination of perception in this way, directly knowing the cessation of perception in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of perception in this way, directly knowing the attraction of perception in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of perception in this way, directly knowing the escape from perception in this way, are from disenchantment, detachment, cessation, lack of clinging with regard to perception, freed, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is direct knowledge of no more becoming.

"And what are kammic formations? These six types of intention; intention with regard to form, intention with regard to sound, intention with regard to smell, intention with regard to taste, intention with regard to tactile sensation, intention with regard to mental activities: these are called kammic formations. From the origination of contact comes the origination of kammic formations. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of kammic formations. This Noble Eight-fold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of kammic formations, i.e., Right view, Right thinking, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation.

The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on kammic formations: that is the attraction of kammic formations. The fact that kammic formations are impermanent, suffering, subject to change: that is the disadvantage of kammic formations. The subduing of desire and passion for kammic formations, the abandoning of desire and passion for kammic formations: that is the escape from kammic formations.

"For any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the origination of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the cessation of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the attraction of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the escape from kammic formations in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, detachment, cessation with regard to kammic formations, they are practicing correctly. Those who are practicing correctly are firmly established in this doctrine and discipline. And any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the origination of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the cessation of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the attraction of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of kammic formations in this way, directly knowing the escape from kammic formations in this way, are from disenchantment, detachment, cessation, lack of clinging with regard to kammic formations, freed, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is direct knowledge of no more becoming.

"And what is consciousness? These six types of consciousness; eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness. From the origination of name/form comes the origination of consciousness. From the cessation of name/form comes the cessation of consciousness. This Noble Eight-fold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness, i.e., Right view, Right thinking, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation.

The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on consciousness: that is the attraction of consciousness. The fact that consciousness is impermanent, suffering, subject to change: that is the disadvantage of consciousness. The subduing of desire and passion for consciousness, the abandoning of desire and passion for consciousness: that is the escape from consciousness.

"For any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing consciousness in this way, directly knowing the origination of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the cessation of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the attraction of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the escape from consciousness in this way, are practicing for disenchantment – detachment, cessation with regard to consciousness, they are practicing correctly. Those who are practicing correctly are firmly established in this doctrine and discipline. And any monks or contemplatives who by directly knowing consciousness in this way, directly knowing the origination of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the cessation of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the attraction of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the disadvantage of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the escape from consciousness in this way, are -- from disenchantment, detachment, cessation, lack of clinging with regard to consciousness, freed, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is direct knowledge of no more becoming.

"This is how a monk is skilled in seven ways.

"And how does a monk have three modes of investigation? There is the case where a monk investigates in terms of properties, investigates in terms of sense spheres, investigates in terms of Dependent Origination. This is how a monk has three modes of investigation.

"A monk who is skilled in seven ways and has three modes of investigation is realized and fully accomplished in this doctrine and discipline, a perfect person."



Bhikkhu Dhammavaro, Jetavana Burmese Buddhist Monastery, Brisbane, 5/5/2008
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