Vipassana Meditation Guidelines.pdf

Vipassanæ

Meditation Guidelines

Printed for free Distribution by

A SSOCIATIONFOR I NSIGHT M EDITATION

3 Clifton Way • Alperton • Middlesex • HA0 4PQ

Website: AIMWELL.ORG Email: pesala@aimwell.org

Sayædaw U Janaka

Vipassanæ

Meditation Guidelines

Printed for free Distribution by

A SSOCIATIONFOR I NSIGHT M EDITATION

3 Clifton Way • Alperton • Middlesex • HA0 4PQ

Website: AIMWELL.ORG Email: pesala@aimwell.org

Sayædaw U Janaka

Sayædaw U Janaka

• When asked a question, answer it directly. Please

do not speak about something else.

• Report all experiences even if they seem un-

important to you.

• Many meditators find that making short written

notes immediately after each meditation is help-

ful, but one should not make it a point to attempt

to remember while meditating. This will disturb

concentration.

Vipassanæ

Meditation Guidelines

Retreat Timetable

Sayædaw U Janaka

4:00 am wake up

4:30 am walking

5:30 am sitting

6:30 am walking

7:00 am breakfast

8:00 am walking

9:00 am sitting

10:00 am walking

11:00 am lunch

12:00 pm rest

1:00 pm sitting

2:00 pm walking

3:00 pm sitting

4:00 pm walking

5:00 pm drinks served

5:30 pm walking

6:30 pm sitting

7:30 pm walking

8:00 pm Dhamma lecture

9:30 pm sitting

10:30 pm Private meditation

Chanmyay Yeikthæ Meditation Centre

55A, Kaba-Aye Pagoda Road

Rangoon, Burma

Sayædaw U Janaka

Vipassanæ Meditation Guidelines

• Unless you can note the wandering thoughts, you

are already defeated when attempting to concen-

trate the mind. If your mind is inclined to

wander, it indicates that you are not really noting

thoughts energetically enough. The acquired

ability to do this is indispensable.

• If you are aware of the content of thoughts, they

will tend to go on. If you are aware of the thought

itself, then thinking will cease.

• Do not be attached to thinking and theory. Med-

itation is beyond time and space. So do not be

caught up with thinking and theory. Insight will

arise with deep concentration, but logical and

philosophical thinking comes with shallow con-

centration.

• Drowsiness can be overcome by putting in more

effort. Labelling activities vigorously is helpful.

Note sleepiness energetically — if you accept

laziness, you will go on half asleep.

• Actually, the energy to note is always there. The

trouble is that you are reluctant to do it. The

mental attitude is very important. So, do not be

pessimistic. If you are optimistic, you offer your-

• To give balance to the practice, every sitting

should be preceded by an hour of walking medi-

tation.

• In the changeover from walking to sitting prac-

tice, or vice versa, be careful to keep your mind-

fulness and concentration continuous.

• The starting point in the sitting practice is to

establish the attention on the sensations of the

abdomen caused by the rise and fall movement.

This is done by synchronising the mental noting

or labelling of the movement when repeating

‘rising, rising’, ‘falling, falling’ with the actual

experience of those sensations.

• As the movement of the abdomen becomes

steady and clear, increase the number of notings.

If the movements are complicated, note them in

a general way.

• If there is a gap between the rising and falling

movement of the abdomen, insert the noting of

‘sitting’ and/or ‘touching’ (noting ‘sitting’ is

awareness of the characteristic of support of the

wind element).

Preface

Guidance for Interviews

This collection of ‘sayings’ by Sayædaw

U Janaka is from his teachings given during the

1983 retreat he led at the Malaysian Buddhist

Meditation Centre in Penang. They were originally

compiled by Venerable Sujøva, partly from evening

Dhamma talks, but mainly from the daily interviews

with the meditators at the retreat.

• All meditators report daily to the meditation

teacher. They report on what they have noted

and experienced during that day’s practice. The

teacher will suggest any corrections, give further

instructions and try to inspire the meditator onto

further progress.

• During interviews try to describe:

What was noticed of the rising and falling

movement

feelings/sensations

imagination/ideas

mindfulness of daily activities

• Describe each of these in detail. Try to be concise

and to the point.

• During the interview do not pause to wait for

remarks from the teacher. Only after you have

reported all your experiences will any remarks be

made.

• Please listen carefully to all the instructions from

the teacher and follow them diligently. If there is

any doubt, please ask the teacher.

As the context of these ‘sayings’ was mostly

the interview situation between teacher and indi-

vidual student, it would therefore be most useful to

read them as if they were personal instruction and

advice from the meditation master.

The original (1983) booklet was revised by

Venerable Paññævaro for the benefit of meditators

who took part in Sayædaw U Janaka’s 1989 Vipas-

sanæ meditation retreats in Australia.

It was revised again by Bhikkhu Pesala in

1996, and is regularly reprinted by the Association

for Insight Meditation for free distribution.

Sayædaw U Janaka

Vipassanæ Meditation Guidelines

• Do not disturb the natural breathing by taking

sharp or deep breaths. This will make you tired.

The breathing should be just normal.

• When secondary objects predominate, such as

sounds, thoughts, sensations, etc., note ‘hearing,

hearing’, ‘thinking, thinking’, ‘feeling, feeling’

and so on. At first, it is not easy to note such a

variety of objects, but with increased mindfulness

one is able to do so. So, when secondary objects

have passed, then one goes back to noting the

primary object, i.e. the rising and falling move-

ments of the abdomen.

• Although one is taught to begin with watching

the rising and falling movement of the abdomen,

one must not get attached to it. For it is not the

only object, but one of the many varieties of

objects in Vipassanæ meditation.

• Mindfulness of the movement of the abdomen

leads to the direct experience of the wind ele-

ment. That is, to its specific characteristics of

motion, vibration and support. It is then that one

can rightly know the real nature of the wind

element. Thereby destroying the false view of self.

• When concentration is good, pain is not a prob-

lem. It is a natural process. If you observe it

attentively, the mind will be absorbed in it, and

discover its true nature.

• When pain comes, note it directly. Ignore it only

if it becomes overpoweringly persistent. It can be

overcome by deep concentration brought about

by continuous mindfulness.

• If intense pain arises during walking meditation,

stop occasionally and take note of it.

• Be patient with anything and everything that

stimulates your mind.

• Patience leads to nibbæna — impatience leads to

hell.

6. Noting Mental States

• When noting mental or emotional states, do it

quickly, energetically and precisely so that the

noting mind is continuous and powerful. Then

thinking stops by itself.

Appendix

The Practice

The Eight Precepts

Vipassanæ or insight meditation is, above all, an

experiential practice, based on the systematic and

balanced development of a precise and focused

awareness. By observing one’s moment-to-moment

mind/body processes, from a place of investigative

attention, insight arises into the true nature of life

and experiences. Through the wisdom acquired by

using insight meditation one is able to live more freely

and relate to the world around with less clinging, fear

and confusion. Thus one’s life becomes increasingly

directed by consideration, compassion and clarity.

• Moral integrity serves as the basis for the devel-

opment of concentration, which is essential for

the cultivation of vipassanæ meditation.

• During retreats, all participants are expected to

observe the following training rules:

1. I undertake to abstain from harming or killing

living beings.

2. I undertake to abstain from taking what is not

given.

3. I undertake to abstain from erotic behaviour.

4. I undertake to abstain from false speech.

5. I undertake to abstain from intoxicating drink

and drugs.

6. I undertake to abstain from eating after mid-

day.

7. I undertake to abstain from entertainments,

beautification and adornments.

8. I undertake to abstain from using luxurious

beds and seats.

1. Mental Noting

• This is a technique of repeatedly ‘naming’ or

‘labelling’ with the purpose of directing the atten-

tion to mind/body phenomena in order to under-

stand their true nature correctly.

• The guiding principle in Vipassanæ practice is to

observe whatever arises at the moment of its occur-

rence — by noting the present, one lives in the

present.

Sayædaw U Janaka

Vipassanæ Meditation Guidelines

• When a fan is turning fast, you cannot see it as it

really is, but when it is turning slowly then you

can see. Therefore you need to slow down signif-

icantly to clearly see the mental and physical

processes as they really are.

• When you are surrounded by people who are

doing things in a hurry, be oblivious of your

surroundings. Instead, note your own mental and

physical activities energetically.

• Talking is a great danger to the progress of

insight. A ‘five minute’ talk can wreck a

meditator’s concentration for the whole day.

3. Walking Meditation

• Take the walking meditation seriously. By merely

doing the walking meditation alone, it is possible

to attain complete awareness (Arahantship).

• Begin this practice by bringing your attention to

the foot. Then note the step part by part as you

follow the movement with sharp attention.

Mentally noting ‘right, left’ as you do the steps

while walking.

• Keep the eyes half-closed and fixed on the

ground 4 to 5 feet ahead of you. Avoid looking at

the foot during the walking, or you will become

distracted by it.

• Do not let the head bend too low, because this

will very quickly create strain and tension in your

posture.

• The objects to be noted are increased gradually.

That is, the number of parts of the steps

observed are gradually increased. At the begin-

ning of a walking meditation period note one

part only for about 10 minutes: ‘left, right’ and

so on. Then note your walking in 3 parts:

‘lifting, pushing, dropping’ etc. Finally, increase

5. Pain and Patience

• Pain is the friend of the meditator. Do not evade

it. It can lead you to nibbæna .

• Pain does not have to inform you of its coming.

It may not disappear, but if it does, you may cry

over it, for your friend has gone away.

• Pain is observed not to make it go away, but to

realise its true nature.

• Pain is the key to the door of nibbæna.

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: