Vipassana – The Technique of knowing peace

What is Vipassana?

Vipassana is the way of achieving absolute peace and gaining control over mind and the best way one could lead a happy life. Vipassana shows the way to observe things the way they are. This is the way the process of total purification of mind is achieved. One learns how to observe and understand the technique of life.

Frustration and disorganization is something that everyone faces occasionally and regularly. So we suffer and then we keep getting worked up over it and getting agitated. This is the last thing we should do and we should learn that we should have total control over our lives. Peace within oneself is important and it should be spread not only within us but also within those around us. We are all social beings and we live in this world to be able to communicate well and be able to interact with oneself better. Living peacefully is a way of life. We should remain interactive and harmoniously adjust to everything around us. We should be the tools to spread harmony and peace in this big world.

Vipassana is a process by which the mind is purified and the whole mindset is totally freed from any kind of discomfort or suffering. The process of Vipassana aims at achieving the highest goal of absolute freedom and total freedom from all kinds of mental disturbances.

One of the world’s most ancient kinds of techniques which have been existing since ages, Vipassana is the best way to recoup tired muscles and nerves. Existing since more than 2500 years ago, the Buddha is the one who started this trend. He practiced the essence of peace through oneself in the world. In his 45 years of existence he taught people how to attain high levels of empowerment and how to succeed in all spheres of life. The technique started spreading elsewhere across the world in the countries of Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand etc and it had the same effect that it had in India.

500 years later, the actual power of Vipassana has actually vanished from our country. The main pure ideal of teaching was also lost somewhere down the lane. Myanmar however has preserved a heritage of this ideal and has many devoted teachers. Generations down the lane, the lineage has come down to absolute purity.

So today, the very land where it took birth in, India is welcoming Vipassana back with a lot more gusto and reverence that before. Sayagyi U Ba Khim was a great teacher of Vipassana and he had a dram that Vipassana should come back to its roots – India. He helped to revive it back to India so that it would benefit not only Indians but also he whole world.

It was Shri. S. N. Goenka the disciple of Sayagyi who started the courses in the county from the year 1969. Ten years later he began teaching in countries abroad too. In so many years he has conducted many sessions of Vipassana and more than 800 teachers have assisted him in spreading this noble discipline. There are many Vipassana centers in India and across the country. So now the Myanmar treasure has become Indian and Vipassana exists here too. There are many people who to take the opportunity of learning Vipassana and getting to know how to get happiness and peace in one’s life.

India always had the pride of having been the teacher to the entire world. The Ganges of Truth is Vipassana and it is heartening to see this river of knowledge flow across our country.

Learning Vipassana is a process which involves living in a residence specially meant for this for around 10 days. The Courses are all established in all centers for Vipassana and there is no contact with the outside world during this learning process. Reading and writing is not allowed and all kinds of religious practices and discipline is totally stopped. There is a continuous daily routine of meditating for more than 10 hours. Silence is completely observed and there is no communication with any students. Meditation questions and other related matters and material problems with the management etc is allowed to be discussed.

There are steps to Vipassana training. The first step involves the students to totally refrain from activities like stealing, killing, lying, using intoxicants and sexual misconduct. This calms the mind and allows the student to practice meditation where they focus on the breath. This controls the mind and relaxes any tension within.

This is what the first two steps are about. Controlling the mind and gaining development. The third step lasts for the last six days and a half, and practicing Vipassana. This penetrates the mental and physical structure and the insight gets clearer.

The tenth day sees people start to talk and the eleventh day is the last day. Metta Bhavana is the technique observed on the last day.

Vipassana courses in Mumbai are available in many centers. Global Vipassana Pagoda and the Dhamma Pattana in Mumbai are famous Vipassana centers.