Vipasana Meditation

Gautam Buddha practiced and recommended Vipasana Meditation. 2500 years back, it would be fair to say that Siddharta became Gautam, The Buddha, meaning the enlightened one because of Vipasana meditation. Vipasana was the most important meditation technique of Gautam Buddha. Gautam Buddha reached enlightenment by the practice of the Vipasana meditation. All the lively meditation techniques are devised and developed so that you are able to reach to Vipasana meditation.
It is the most important of all the meditations. Vipasana simply means to witness, to watch. While meditation is the most simplest thing to do, it cannot get simpler than Vipasana. Watchfulness in meditation is itself miraculous. Watching is the process of the heart and not of the mind; in your watchfulness mind is not at all involved. When you watch the mind, it simply disappears; the heart takes the seat. Watch , watch and watch - this is the purist of the meditation.

Vipasana meditation is all about watching yourself watching your actions watching your thoughts. There is no disturbance in this meditation and the entire process is of watching and that is important, what you are watching, what is happening is not of any importance. It is possible that in the beginning when you sit for Vipasana meditation, you will fall asleep. This is the beauty of Vipasana meditation that it gives you so much of peace that you fall asleep. But once you are awake, start watching again from where you have stopped. Even if the gong has gonged, bring the watching into your practice and the magic will be done. Carry your watching from this meditation into a watching while walking, watching while eating , watching while sleeping. The day you are able to watch when you’re sleeping, then the ultimate super consciousness will be reached. Vipasana meditation is your key towards enlightenment.

Vipasana means witnessing, watchfulness, mindfulness, awareness, alertness, consciousness. Vipasana also means meditativeness.

The meditation lasts 40 minutes and has three stages; each stage ends with a gong sound. Watching yourself is to be carried out in all the three stages. Keep your eyes closed in all stages. You can open your eyes when each stage ends and enter into the next stage with eyes closed. If you sleep during Vipasana meditation, do not bother; it is perfectly okay if you fall asleep. Once you are awake begin at the very moment. Watch yourself, keep witnessing remain in your consciousness.

First Stage

While standing close your eyes, breathe slowly, take few deep breathes, feel the music, and slowly move your head. Then, slowly move the upper part of your body, then slowly move your hands. Just let flow your body movements, feel the trance of your body. Be in your complete awareness, keep watching yourself, keep watching your thoughts. Do not follow the music. The whole idea is to completely disturb you, the music is fast but your body movements must be slow; to be slow on fast music this will help you come into total consciousness. This is reverser theory mechanism. Slowly detach yourself from the music, just move slowly. Now forget about the music, remain in total watchfulness. Watch yourself, remain witness, watch your every body movement,remain in total consciousness.

Duration of the first stage is 10 minutes.

Second Stage

Sit silently in a relaxed position, forget if your back is upright or not. Do not worry about the lotus or half lotus position, just sit is silence - remain in watching , remain in witnessing – watch your every thought. Simply flow with the music of the birds, of the trees, of the water sound - watch each and everything. In your complete watchfulness, enter into the silence of the within take the deepest plunge in the within.

Duration of the second stage is 15 minutes.

Third Stage

Sit silently in any position, be completely relaxed. Forget if your back is upright or not. Place your one palm over another, just sit in complete silence. Remain in watching, remain in witnessing, watch each and every thought. Be in your complete watchfulness and consciousness, go deeper and deeper into the silence of the within. Hold on to the very silence, hold on to the watchfulness and when the third stage ends with the gong, carry the watchfulness with you. Take the watchfulness with you outside, remain in watchfulness while doing everything ,while walking, while eating,while talking - once you are able to carry the watchfulness in your daily life, then it can be said that you have come into complete consciousness.

Duration of the second stage is 15 minutes

People may say that meditation techniques seem like nothing but a wild dance. Let them say – only from the wild you can come into being civilized. The wild dance technique is designed to make you let go – to make you accept all that is within you – acceptance is the key to meditation.

During meditation, you may have thought to scratch your body, to move your body, or adjust your sitting position, let all this happen. Do not stop any thought, just flow with it, watch it – during the last stage of sitting in silence, you may suddenly get reminded that today you may have missed an important meeting or you have missed an important due date – do not get up to make a phone call- you may feel some uneasiness because of all the dancing and jumping, simply watch your thoughts. You will realize those old thoughts go and new thoughts take their place – the very technique of meditation is to make you aware that thoughts come and go –you have been giving unnecessary importance to every thought – your realization will make way for the inner silence- it will slowly take you into acceptance.

Become a watcher and not the doer- experience that you and your body are separate.

Watching yourself during meditation practice cannot and should mean to refrain you from taking actions- actions are also part of your thought process- watch your actions too.

Do not watch your pain to an extent that you stop the intake of medical help. Meditation should be added to your life it is not a substitute for any medical help. Meditation should not be done with a hungry stomach, the comfort of the body is equally important.

The music, the dancing, breathing, body movements, and body positions are devices designed and mixed together to bring you into meditativeness. Watchfulness and witnessing is the key to meditation. Without coming into watching yourself and witnessing - all the techniques will be just like a dance practice or body exercises. Watching yourself and your thoughts is meditation.