AN INSIGHT

TAOSHOBUDDHA
 VIPASHYANA MEDITATION - TAOSHOBUDDHA

MEDITATION LEADS TO ULTIMATE FLOWERING

VIPASHYANA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES

© 2009, Taoshobuddha

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 VIPASHYANA MEDITATION - TAOSHOBUDDHA

TAOSHOBUDDHA

The word ‘Taoshobuddha’ comes from three words, ‘tao,’ ‘sho,’

and ‘Buddha’. The word Tao was coined by the Chinese master,
Lau Tzu. It means that which is and cannot be put into words. It
is unknown and unknowable. It can only be experienced and
not expressed in words. Its magnanimity
nimity cannot be condensed
into finiteness. The word Sho implies, that which is vast like the
sky and deep like an ocean and carries within its womb a
treasure. It also means one on whom the existence showers its
blessings. And lastly the word Buddha implieses the Enlightened
One; one who has arrived home.

Thus, TAOSHOBUDDHA implies one who is existential, on

whom the existence showers its blessings and one who has
arrived home. THE ENLIGHTENED ONE!

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VIPASHYANA
MEDITATION
TECHNIQUES
WHEN INTELLECT IS UNDULY ACTIVE WE CANNOT ATTAIN THE EMPTINESS
OF THE MIND.

BRIEF HISTORY

A flower that never knew about the sun and a flower

that has experienced the sun are not the same. Indeed
they cannot be. Because a flower that has never
witnessed the rising sun can never feel the rising sun
within! Such a flower is dead. It has the potentiality but
the potentiality has not attained fruition. It has never
known its own spirit. However, a flower that has
witnessed the sunrise has also seen something arise
within itself. It has discovered its own soul. Now this
flower is no more a flower. The flower has known a
deep happening within.

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To create this inner sun of awareness within, Buddha

invented a technique of meditation almost twenty-five
centuries ago. This technique not only creates the inner
sun of awareness, but at the same time it also allows
the awareness to penetrate into every cell of the body
and then to the entire being. The technique that
Buddha invented is known as Anapana Sati Yoga. This is
the yoga of incoming and outgoing breath awareness. It
is also known as Vipashyana meditation. The word
Vipashyana has two words put together – Vi and
Pashyana. Vi means neutral and Pashyana means to see.
Thus, Vipashyana means to look at everything with a
neutral attitude.

Vipashyana is also known as Insight Meditation. It was

discovered by Buddha to unravel the questions arising
in his mind to know the truth. When Buddha was born,
his father was of a well-advanced age. Astrologers were
called in. One of the younger astrologers said that
Buddha would leave the kingly splendor in search of
Truth. While the other astrologers suggested ways to
change the destiny, it was suggested that he be
married. Also it was made sure that nothing unusual be
allowed to happen around him as metaphysical
questions would arise in him seeing the leaves turning
yellow and then falling etc. So he was married to
Yashodhara and around the palace where he was living,
all dried leaves were picked up before sunrise. All
arrangements were made so that no unusual questions
would arise in his mind. However, Buddha had not come

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to rule any kingdom. One night he first saw an old man,

then a sick person, and finally a dead body. That was the
destined night. It is said that these three men were the
Enlightened masters of the past, who came to guide and
pave the path for Buddha. He questioned his charioteer
about these events. He was told that such is the destiny
of each human being. Buddha did not return to the
palace that night. He decided to seek the answer to
these questions. So he embraced the life of a wandering
ascetic.

Then it was believed that there were two major

techniques of meditation. First of these techniques was
of concentration. This involved experiencing various
stages of meditative absorption. This is called jhana or
dhyana. Buddha went to two masters of the time to
learn this. In the process he attained the highest state of
jhana. Yet still he was far from the Truth or Dhamma, so
he asked his teachers if they had anything more to
offer. But they were honest enough to say no. Buddha
did all that was needed to attain the highest spiritual
state and then left.

Then he came across the other form of meditative

practice which was also used. This was the practice of
self-mortification or self-torture. It was believed then,
that by tormenting the body the self or ego would
vanish. This could be accomplished in several ways,
including fasting or lying on a bed of nails. Buddha went
through all these techniques. For six years he wandered.

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His last master was Alarkalam. For six months Buddha

lived on one grain of rice. He practiced the fasting
intensely. Nothing happened!

After a long period of fasting he became very frail and

weak. He had no energy to live. He was lying half
unconscious under a banyan tree when he was
discovered by a cowherd boy. The young boy realized
that the recluse must have been fasting for a long time
and that had weakened his body. But Buddha did not
see the boy. The boy was wise enough to give milk to
Buddha but Buddha was so weak that he could not open
his mouth. The boy hesitated to touch Buddha as he
belonged to a lower caste but realizing the situation he
decided that even though it was a sin to touch Buddha,
it was more important to save him. He could ask for
forgiveness afterwards.

Buddha felt better after drinking the milk and was

finally able to move. He saw the boy sitting next to him
respectfully, so Buddha enquired who he was. The boy
said that he was a cowherd and asked for forgiveness.
Buddha consoled the boy; he told him that he had done
the right thing and there was no need to ask for
forgiveness. Further Buddha said, “We are not good or
bad simply because we are born in a low or high family.
Our goodness depends on our actions.”

So Buddha stayed under the tree. In the evening he

heard a song coming from the nearby forest. The song

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was being sung by a group of girls who were collecting

firewood in the forest. The song meant that if the
strings of the musical instrument were too tight they
would break on being used. Also if the strings were too
loose the instrument would not make the right sound.
The strings would have to be neither too tight nor too
loose. Thus, Buddha saw the futility of the extreme
paths and also the dangers of attachment to them. So
he decided to pursue the middle path himself. He
realized the significance of the middle path. He then
went to Niranjana River and sat on the bank to meditate
and discover the middle path.

It is said that Buddha wanted to cross the river

Niranjana but he was so weak that he fell into it; it was
a shallow stony river. He held on to the branch of a tree
leaning from the other shore. He thought about the
futility of his actions of the past few days. He thought,
“now that I am so weak, what would I be able to do
even if Enlightenment happened?” He could not sleep.
He remained awake the whole night watching the stars
disappear in the sky. Somehow he came out of the
river! He made a seat of grass under a Bodhi tree and
sat for meditation. Then a woman came by to offer him
some food as offering of her good fortune. She thought
that God had come to her in this human form of a holy
man sitting under the Bodhi Tree. She offered Buddha
excellent food in forty-nine pieces on a beautiful platter.
Buddha ate all that was offered and then again began to
meditate without any further need for nourishment. It

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was now sunset. He decided not to move again until

Enlightenment happened.

That night, at near about midnight, Buddha was strongly

tempted by Mara or Maya or illusion. It is the symbol of
all obstructing forces. The three daughters of Mara –
Desire, Lust, and Aversion came to persuade him to
leave the path of meditation and return to the palace
and become the king. This did not affect Buddha who
was tranquil. This made Mara angry, so he sent his
armies by land and air to frighten Buddha. He became
afraid; he opened his eyes and raised his hand to ward
off the attack. But then he realized there was no one.
They were, in fact, his hallucinations.

Buddha continued his meditation. He was tranquil and

restful. He meditated watching his mind until dawn
when each star in the sky had disappeared. With this,
something dawned on him. Buddha got a clear insight
and inner understanding of all the phenomena, both
within and without. Enlightenment happened at that
very moment! The thing which Buddha was waiting for
years, happened that precise moment. It was during
meditation Buddha discovered the technique of
Vipashyana or Insight Meditation.

The meditation is such that it not only creates an inner

awareness, but simultaneously allows the awareness to
penetrate to the very cells of the body, to the whole of

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one’s being. It is also called Anapana Sati Yoga. It is a

meditation.

That brings awareness of incoming and outgoing breath.

It is based on constant or attentive awareness. We
attach various meanings to awareness. We have to be
clear about its meaning. When Buddha spoke of breath
awareness, he meant to look attentively without
applying any knowledge or information. It means that
we simply look with a quiet mind, without making any
comment or applying knowledge, interpretation, or
explanation! The art of neutral observation is not so
easy. By doing so, we can see that the mind can be
emptied of its contents. Then we can understand the
way the mind works and also examine the contents of
the mind. This is the way to meet everything – fully with
the whole being and with all the energy that you have.
Then there is no more dissipation of energy. And it can
be directed for looking at what is going on. This is
looking beyond appearance. It is significant to
understand that we are simply looking ‘at’ and not
looking ‘for’. There is a vast difference between looking
at and looking for. When we are looking ‘at’ there is no
more expectation, which is an aspect of looking ‘for’. If
we look for something in meditation and there is
expectation, the disappointment is bound to come. This
will lead to clinging, loss of energy, and mental
imbalance. It is important to look attentively and
silently. This will bring clear understanding and insight
into the nature and the contents of the mind. Buddha

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explained the same in Satipatthana Sutra. These sutras

are related to mindfulness. Buddha explained that
awareness is only for intuitive understanding and
awareness itself, not for anything else.

Intuitive insight gradually develops along the path of

awareness. We may see that this incorporates three
main factors namely: attention, awareness, and
watchfulness. These three words explain the techniques
of insight. Insight is developed if we follow this properly,
in other words when the meditation is done in the right
way.

However, in the early stages, insight is closely

connected with intellect. This is mainly because of
conflicts within and the knowledge that we have. But
with insight, we come to understand what we know;
insight gets deeper. And thus is revealed the difference
between insight itself and the function of intellect. The
two go on cooperating in deep meditation. But this is
quite different from what we have known originally.
Intellect gets still and becomes receptive when insight
operates. Now intellect will pick up the signals given by
the insight – words and concepts.

We need to allow intellect to be quiet and passive. Then

intellect becomes subservient to insight. It can no more
remain active all the time. When intellect is unduly
active we cannot attain the emptiness of the mind. We
cannot come to total silence. When we attain stillness,

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then we can see without obstruction. This seeing is

insight! And thus the meaning of the method of
Vipashyana!

To begin the process we need to cultivate our attention.

And in developing this attention, we need some primary
object as focus. In Vipashyana we use the rise and fall of
breath as the preliminary object. We need not regulate
the breath. Just let it be as it is. Let the breath move in
and out as naturally as possible without any
interference of the mind. As the breath moves in and
out, observe the rise and fall. This is the first step for the
mind, to see the nature of the rising and the passing
away in the physical sense of breathing.

As an individual we go on breathing unconsciously.

Breath is Prana. Breath is élan vital. Yet still breathing is
unconscious. We are unaware of it. And if we were to
be aware of breathing in order to breathe, we would
die. Sooner or later we would forget. Thus, we cannot
remember anything continuously. Breathing establishes
a connection between our voluntary and nonvoluntary
systems. We can, however, control our breathing to
some extent. At times we can even stop breathing for a
while. But no way can we stop breathing permanently.
It goes on without any effort on our part. One can be in
coma for months, yet still breathing goes on. Breathing
is an unconscious mechanism.

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There are two aspects of breathing – the Incoming

breath and the Outgoing breath. When you breathe in
and pause, there is a gap, and then you breathe out.
After you breathe out, there comes another gap, before
you start breathing in or inhaling again. Therefore, there
are two gaps. The first one happens within you after the
breath comes in. This creates a Center within. This is
known as your Soul or Inner Center. The other happens
when the breath is out and waiting to come in. This gap
is called Parmatman or Cosmic Center. If the breath that
has gone out does not come in, it is referred to as Death
while the gap within is called Life.

Vipashyana

Buddha used breath as a vehicle for two things

simultaneously. First to create consciousness and
second to allow this consciousness to penetrate to the
very cells of the body1 “Breathe consciously,” was
Buddha’s message. Buddha never meant pranayama. It
was meant to make breath an object of awareness. But
not changing it.

There is no need to change the breath. Leave it as it is.

Just natural! The only necessary thing is, breathe
consciously. As the breath comes in, allow the
consciousness to move in. And let the consciousness
move out with the outgoing breath. Let there be total
attention on breath. Move with it. Flow with it. Never
forget even a single breath. Buddha is reported to have

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said that if you can be aware of your breath for even

one hour, you are already Enlightened. But never let a
single breath be missed.

Definitely, one hour seems like a small fragment of

time. But it is not so. When you are trying to be aware,
one hour seems like a millennium. It is so because
generally you cannot be aware of your breath for more
than five of six seconds. Only a very alert person can be
aware even for that long. We miss awareness every
moment. You can start awareness with incoming
breath, but no sooner the breath has come in you are
somewhere else. And suddenly you realize that you
were to breathe consciously but the breath has gone
out and you were somewhere else.

To be conscious of the breath simply means that no

thought can be allowed. Thoughts distract your
attention. Buddha never said to stop thinking. His only
emphasis was on ‘conscious breathing’. And when you
breathe consciously, thoughts cease automatically. You
cannot breathe consciously and think at the same time.

As a thought comes in your mind, your attention is

withdrawn from breathing. A single thought is more
than enough to make you unconscious of breathing.
This technique seems very simple, but it is vital. Buddha
told his monks to do whatever but not to forget one
simple thing: the incoming and the outgoing breath.

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As you continue to do this frequently, you will grow in

consciousness. It is difficult. But once you have done
this you can no longer remain the same person. You will
be a different person and a different being. As you begin
to breathe in and out consciously, by and by you move
to your center. It is so because each time you breathe
in, your breath and with the breath the life force
touches the very center of the Being.

Physiologically you think that breath just purifies the

blood. This is a bodily function. But when you begin to
be aware of your breathing, by and by you go deeper
than physiology. Then one day you will begin to feel
your center, right near your navel. You can feel your
center only when you move with the breath
continuously. You have to continue, because as you
reach nearer the center, it will be even more difficult to
remain aware. You can start when the breath is
entering. When it is almost touching the nostrils, be
aware of it. As it move inwards, awareness will be more
difficult. A thought may come in or a sound or
something else may happen and you move away from
the awareness.

If you can reach to the very center, for a brief moment

breath stops and then comes in a gap. The breath
comes in and then goes out, between these two there is
a subtle gap. This gap is your center – the center of the
being. It is only after practicing this breath awareness
for a sufficiently long time you will be able to remain

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with the breath. You can be aware of the gap only when
there is no breath movement. Now the breath is neither
coming in nor going out. Between these subtle gaps,
between two breaths, you are at your center. Thus,
breath awareness was used by Buddha as a means of
reaching to the center.

Be conscious when you breathe out. Again there is a

gap. In fact, there are two gaps; one gap comes after
the breath comes in and before it goes out. Another gap
comes in when the breath is out and before it comes in.
This second gap is more difficult to be aware of. And
between these incoming and outgoing breaths lies your
center. However, there is another center – the Cosmic
Center. You may call this as God. The Cosmic center lies
between when the breath goes out and before it comes
in. However, these two centers are not two different
things. In the process first you become aware of your
inner center and then you become aware of your outer
center or the cosmic center. Then one day ultimately
you know that these two centers are one. Thus, the
outer and the inner lose their significance.

Buddha says, move consciously with the breath. Then

you will create a center of awareness within yourself. As
this center is created, awareness will begin to move to
your very cells and provide nourishment to the cells as
every cell needs oxygen. It can be said that each cell
breathes. Even the earth breathes, say scientists. With
the universe breathing in, the earth expands and when

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the universe breathes out, the earth contracts.

According to Hindu scriptures, creation is Brahma’s
single incoming breath and destruction or dissolution is
Brahma’s outgoing breath.

There are three aspects of anything that is going on.

They are rising, existing, and falling away. In case of
breathing, it can be said that there is a cessation of
breath. This can lead to a silence and therefore, it is
possible for us to transcend the consciousness of
breathing. It seems that breathing automatically stops
but in reality it is not so. Breathing gets deeper and
even. Then you breathe internally and do not feel the
movement. When we do not see the gentle movement
it is said that breathing has stopped. So when silence
becomes more significant then you can transcend the
consciousness of breathing. In that case do not cling to
the object. The preliminary object is only to start with.
Naturally you tend to pay attention to the immediate
object which is evident. Thus, there is no set object.
Everything that enters the consciousness eventually
becomes the object of meditation. We identify with
attention, awareness, and watchfulness. In this process
we are not the observer. And when we begin with
meditation, both the mind and the body discharge.
However, we have to know what is happening, knowing
just for the sake of knowledge and not for doing
anything. Awareness is at work, but we are no more.

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When you sit in meditation for long, your legs tend to

go to sleep. You will get concerned about it; let the legs
go to sleep, but keep the body in an upright position.
Sometimes the legs may wake up, but you should
remain unconcerned. And do not move because of pain
or discomfort. If you move, you cannot observe all that
is going on in the mind. The body will certainly feel the
discomfort. In that situation go on looking constantly. A
point will come when knowing happens. So no more
doing, instead seeing alone!

Also when you are sitting in the rain let the rain drops
fall and just observe what is happening in your body and
the mind. Feel your attitude. When a situation arises do
not look for any technique to get out of that situation.
Be in that situation completely, because without it you
cannot learn. Life is always open. Life has both shallow
and deeper moments. Go through every aspect of life.
Expect nothing, but take things as they are and as they
come.

In this form of meditation keep your eyes closed. Keep

your attention steady and focus on the rise and fall of.
In the Eastern monasteries, before meditation begins, a
bell is rung three times. One has to listen to the sound
from the beginning to the end, follow the sound, and be
aware of the continuity of hearing.

When meditation begins there are fears and

uncertainties. Buddha narrated a story to his monks to

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help them in practice. It is said, once a man came across

four poisonous snakes, symbolic of water, earth, fire,
and wind. He became afraid. To escape them he ran
into a village expecting some help. There he did not find
anyone. This made him more fearful and uncertain as
well. He ran until he came across a vast stretch of water.
He did not know what to do. There was no boat to take
him to the other shore. He became even more
frightened. He decided to make a raft. He collected
some reeds and branches and made a raft. Then he
started his journey. On reaching the other shore he
abandoned the raft. He was now free to enjoy himself
on this new island.

Something like the above happens in meditation. In the

beginning it maybe like trying to escape from these
poisonous snakes. Sooner or later we shall arrive at a
challenging situation. And in that situation we cannot
rely on anything. Nothing is available. But then when we
look into ourselves, we can bring about everything we
need and build a raft.

Buddha told the monks that this raft was for crossing
the ocean of life, not to cling to it. When there is
clinging, grasping, and attachment then you may stay in
the ocean or you may even drown. Also, you cannot
carry it with you as you set foot on the other shore.
Then it will become an unnecessary burden. All
techniques and teachings are for help to flow. When
you try to hold on to them, you become rigid and fixed.

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Then no movement is possible. All such techniques are

useful but never fix yourself on them. When you are
fixed to any specific teaching then you become narrow-
minded. When you are sick you takereatment and
medicine. Also you follow a particular pattern of
treatment and take precautions. But once you are cured
you do not carry the prescription anymore. All your
prescriptions, treatments, and medicines are dropped
then. So when you are fixed you are narrow-minded. No
more openness! No flexibility or adaptability! When you
want to move from one position to another, be always
open. In that case awareness becomes stronger. In
Buddhism this is self-reliance.

UPSURGE OF ENERGY IN VIPASHYANA

MEDITATION
Quite often it happens when you are doing Vipashyana
Meditation, there is an upsurge of energy. And because
of this you feel very sensual. You are so silent and
energy is not dissipated. Generally, much energy is
dissipated unnecessarily. This makes you feel
exhausted. So when you are sitting ideally, you
automatically become a reservoir of energy. This goes
on getting bigger and bigger and then there comes a
point when it begins to overflow. This makes you feel
sensuous. Sensitivity arises. It appears as if all senses
are now fresh and alive. You feel as if you have taken a
bath. This happens.

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For this very reason, Buddhist monks who have been

doing this meditation for a long time do not eat much. It
is not that they suppress appetite. There is no need.
They eat once, a very small meal. It is almost like a
breakfast. Even sleep gets less, but there is no loss of
energy. They go on working hard. They naturally engage
in works like wood cutting, gardening, and field work. In
fact, they work the whole day, but still there is no
dissipation of energy.

Also, the sitting posture is very energy consuming. The

lotus posture Buddha uses is such that all ends of the
body meet – feet upon feet, and hands upon hands.
From these points energy moves and flows out. Energy
always moves from the nerve ends. That is the reason
the male sex organ has a particular shape so that energy
leaks out. When too much energy is flowing within and
you are unable to do anything, it gets released through
the sex center.

During a sexual act, a woman never releases energy.

This is the reason that a woman can go on making love
to many persons in one night but a man cannot. A
woman can even conserve energy, if she learns the
technique of conservation. She can even get energy.

No energy is released through the head because of its

rounded shape. Thus, the brain never loses energy,
instead it conserves it. Energy never leaks from any
rounded shape. This is the reason all planets and stars

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are round in shape. So when you sit in the lotus posture

you become rounded. Therefore, when one end
releases energy the other receives it. Instead of going
out, the energy moves within almost like a circle! Energy
is conserved, and thus the body becomes a reservoir of
energy. Because of this you feel full; you may not have
eaten but there is certain fullness. This is a good sign,
enjoy it!

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VIPASHYANA MEDITATION

A technique of breath awareness

To create this inner sun of awareness within, Buddha invented a
technique of meditation almost twenty-five centuries ago. This
technique not only creates the inner sun of awareness, but at the
same time it also allows the awareness to penetrate into every cell of
the body and then to the entire being. The technique that Buddha
invented is known as Anapana Sati Yoga. This is the yoga of incoming
and outgoing breath awareness. It is also known as Vipashyana
meditation.

The word Vipashyana has two words put together – Vi and Pashyana.
Vi means neutral and Pashyana means to see. Thus, Vipashyana
means to look at everything with a neutral attitude.

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