Vipassana meditation is an ancient Buddhist practice that aims to develop self-awareness and intuition through focused meditation. It is a key component of Theravada Buddhism and involves clearing the mind of impurities to achieve harmony with oneself and the universe. While it is not Buddhism per se, it uses basic principles of the religion to achieve a balanced state of being. The technique has been practiced for 2,500 years and gained popularity in the West during the 1960s among those seeking alternative means of exploring existence.
Vipassana meditation, often called mindfulness meditation, is considered one of the oldest forms of Buddhist meditation. The word vipassana means “seeing things as they really are” and is part of a process of self-awareness whose goal is to develop intuition of the mind and body through the discipline of meditation. It derives from the ancient Indian Pali dialect, favored by the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Siddartha Buddha, as the most accessible language for Buddhist texts. The Pali word passana means “to see with one’s eyes open” and the prefix vi, among other things, means “through”.
This form of meditation is one of the key components of Theravada Buddhism, considered the oldest of all sects of the religion, and the one closest to the Buddha’s original teachings. It involves a deep commitment to self-awareness through focused meditation designed to clear the mind of the impurities of thought and negativity, to ultimately achieve an enlightened state of harmonious balance with oneself and the universe. By observing and recognizing the importance of the now state, the conscious mind and body are freed from the bonds of impure thinking, making the individual more inclined towards love and compassionate experience.
While it is an integral part of the Buddhist religion, vipassana meditation is not Buddhism per se. It is rather a Buddhist exercise to train the mind and body to reach a higher plane of consciousness. It uses some of the basic principles of Buddhism, such as personal growth through self-examination and getting rid of what is useless and harmful in order to achieve a balanced state of being.
Vipassana meditation has been practiced for nearly 2,500 years as a means of self-awareness through examining what constitutes a harmonious state of existence. The technique described by the Buddha was lost in India for almost five centuries, but was kept alive thanks to the knowledge and teachings of devoted Buddhist monks who continued to practice it and thanks to the preservation of Buddhist sacred texts. The spiritually purifying elements of vipassana meditation have remained as powerful and perceptive as they were in the Buddha’s time, attracting generations of Buddhist followers.
The technique enjoyed more widespread practice outside of Asia in the 1960s. The so-called hippie generation in the West, young people looking for alternative means to explore the nature of existence, have embraced it along with other Eastern traditions of self-awareness. Vipassana meditation not only addressed their search for a more meaningful lifestyle that rebelled against throwaway consumerism, but it also appealed to their desire to seek out new planes of conscious thought and experience.
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