Vipassana Explanations
This wiki is an attempt to shed light on the path. For my (mvmacke) path I'm using the Vipassana technique. I've followed Vipassana once in Pune, in the ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho) when I was 19. When I was 63 I got introduced to Vipassana again this time by S.N. Goenka.
This wiki is my attempt to clarify. First of all, to myself. But maybe also others can benefit and contribute.
Conditions
There are important considerations that are almost a belief but are supposed to be rooted in my wisdom, they are supposed to be anchored in my experience:
- things get better when I am calm (equaniminous)
- I am not my thoughts, nor my feelings
- behavior that is necessary for my ego, is not beneficial for me nor for my environment
Concepts
- ego
- thought
- feeling
- sensation
- attention
- natural breath
- consciousness
- equanimity
- attachment
- here and now
the Path
If I understand Goenka correctly, I need to:
- train my consciousness by watching my breath
- use my consciousness to become aware of my sensations
- once aware of a sensation, I can train my equanimity by constantly not reacting to the sensation
This not-reacting to sensations, will liberate me from creating attachments. Attachments create new attachments. Attachments are not good for my calmness (equanimity), distract me from simply being me. Not being calm, not being myself, is less than perfect.