Vipassanā

The Pali Term: Vipassanā

The term is Vipassanā (pronounced vi-puh-suh-naa). In English, it is most commonly translated as Insight or Clear-seeing.

The word is derived from the prefix vi-, which means "into" or "through," and the root passanā, which means "seeing." Therefore, Vipassanā is the practice of "seeing through" the surface level of our experiences to perceive things as they truly are.

Key Characteristics of Vipassanā

Unlike Samatha, which seeks to focus the mind on a single point to achieve stillness, Vipassanā uses the sharpened focus of a calm mind to investigate the changing nature of body and mind.

• The Three Marks of Existence (Tilakkhaṇa): The primary goal is to realize three fundamental truths about all phenomena:

  1. Impermanence (Anicca): Everything is in a constant state of flux; nothing lasts.

  2. Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness (Dukkha): Because things change, they cannot provide lasting satisfaction.

  3. Non-self (Anattā): There is no permanent, unchanging "self" or "soul" at the core of our experiences.

• The Method of Observation: Practitioners develop "bare attention." They observe physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions without judging them, clinging to them, or pushing them away.

• Developing Wisdom (Paññā): Through this continuous observation, the practitioner moves from intellectual knowledge to "experiential wisdom," which leads to the uprooting of mental defilements like greed, hatred, and delusion.

The Relationship: Samatha & Vipassanā

In the Buddhist tradition, these two are often described as "the two wings of a bird" or "the two messengers." * Samatha provides the stability and concentration (the "lens" of the microscope).

• Vipassanā provides the investigative power (the "viewing" of the cells through that microscope).

Without Samatha, the mind is too restless to see clearly. Without Vipassanā, the mind remains calm but lacks the transformative wisdom that leads to liberation (Nirvana).