Practical Vipassana Meditation Exercises

The practice of vipassana or insight meditation is the effort made by the meditators to understand correctly the nature of the psycho-physical phenomena taking place in their own bodies. Physical phenomena are the things or objects that one clearly perceives around one. The whole of one’s body that one clearly perceives constitutes a group of material qualities (rupa). Physical or mental phenomena are acts of consciousness or awareness (nama). These (namarupa)—are clearly perceived to be happening whenever they are seen, heard, smelt, tasted, touched, or thought of. We must make ourselves aware of them by observing them and noting thus: “seeing, seeing,” “hearing, hearing,” “smelling, smelling,” “tasting, tasting,” “touching, touching” or “thinking, thinking.” Every time one sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, or thinks, one should make a note of the fact. But in the beginning of one’s practice, one cannot make a note of every one of these happenings. One should, therefore, begin with noting those happenings that are conspicuous and easily perceivable. With every act of breathing, the abdomen rises and falls—that movement is always evident. This is the material quality known as vayodhatu (the element of motion). One should begin by noting this movement, which may be done by the mind intently observing the abdomen. You will find the abdomen rising when you breathe in, and falling when you breathe out. The rising should be noted mentally as “rising” and the falling as “falling.” If the movement is not evident by just noting it mentally, keep touching the abdomen with the palm of your hand. Do not alter the manner of your breathing; neither slow it down nor make it faster. Do not breathe too vigorously either. You will tire if you change the manner of your breathing. Breathe steadily as usual and note the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen as they occur. Note it mentally, not verbally.

In vipassana meditation, what you name or say does not matter. What really matters is to know or perceive. While noting the “rising” of the abdomen, do so from the beginning to the end of the movement just as if you are seeing it with your eyes. Do the same with the “falling” movement. Note the “rising” movement in such a way that your awareness of it is concurrent with the movement itself. The movement and the mental awareness of it should coincide in the same way as a stone that is thrown hits the target. Similarly, with the “falling” movement.

Your mind may wander elsewhere while you are noting the abdominal movement. This must be noted by mentally saying “wandering, wandering.” When this has been noted once or twice, the mind stops wandering, in which case you go back to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. If you imagine meeting somebody, note as “meeting, meeting.” Then go back to the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. If you imagine meeting and talking to somebody, note as “talking, talking.”

In short, whatever thoughts or reflections occur, they should be noted. If you imagine, note as “imagining.” If you think, note as “thinking.” If you perceive, “perceiving.” If you reflect, “reflecting.” If you feel happy, “happy.” If you feel bored, “bored.” If you feel glad, “glad.” If you feel disheartened, “disheartened.” Noting all these acts of consciousness is called cittanupassana.

If we fail to note these acts of consciousness, we tend to identify them with a person or individual. We tend to think that it is “I” who is imagining, thinking, planning, knowing (or perceiving). We think that there is a person who, from childhood onwards, has been living and thinking. Actually, no such person exists. There are instead only these continuing and successive acts of consciousness. That is why we have to note these acts of consciousness and know them for what they are. That is why we have to note each and every act of consciousness as it arises. When so noted, it tends to disappear. We then go back to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen.

When you have sat meditating for some time, sensations of stiffness and heat will arise in your body. These are to be noted carefully too. Similarly, with sensations of pain and tiredness. All of these sensations are dukkhavedana (feelings of unsatisfactoriness) and noting them is vedananupassana. Failure or omission to note these sensations will make you think, “I am stiff, I am feeling hot, I am in pain, I was alright a moment ago. Now, I am uneasy with these unpleasant sensations.” The identification of these sensations with the ego is a mistake. There is really no “I” involved, only a succession of one new unpleasant sensation after another.

It is just like a continuous succession of new electrical impulses that light up the lamps. Every time unpleasant contacts are encountered in the body, unpleasant sensations arise one after another. These sensations should be carefully and intently noted, whether they are sensations of stiffness, heat or pain. In the beginning of the meditators’ practice, these sensations may tend to increase and lead to desire to change their posture. The desire should be noted, after which the meditators should go back to noting the sensations of stiffness, heat, etc. “Patience leads to Nibbana,” as the saying goes. This saying is most relevant in the effort to meditate. One must be patient in meditation. If one shifts or changes one’s posture too often—because one cannot be patient with the sensation of stiffness or heat that arises—samadhi (good concentration) cannot develop.

If samadhi cannot develop, insight cannot result and there cannot be attainment of Magga (the path that leads to Nibbana), Phala (the fruit of that path) and Nibbana. That is why patience is needed in meditation. It is mostly being patient with unpleasant sensations in the body like stiffness, sensations of heat and pain, and other sensations that are hard to bear. One should not immediately give up one’s meditation on the appearance of such sensations and change one’s meditation posture. One should go on patiently, just noting “stiffness, stiffness” or “hot, hot.” Moderate sensation of these kinds will disappear if one goes on noting them patiently. When concentration is good and strong, even intense sensation tends to disappear. One then reverts to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen.

One will, of course, have to change one’s posture if the sensations do not disappear even after one has noted them for a long time, and if on the other hand, they become unbearable. One should then begin noting as “wishing to change, wishing to change.” If the arm rises, note as “rising, rising.” If it moves, note as “moving, moving.” This change should be made gently and noted as “rising, rising” “moving, moving” and “touching, touching.”

If the body sways, “swaying, swaying.” If the foot rises, “rising, rising.” If it moves, “moving, moving.” If it drops, “dropping, dropping.” If there is no change, but only static rest, go back to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. There must be no intermission in between, only continuity between a preceding act of noting and a succeeding one, between a preceding samadhi (state of concentration) and a succeeding one, between a preceding act of intelligence and a succeeding one. Only then will there be successive and ascending stages of maturity in the meditator’s state of intelligence. Magga and Phala ñana (knowledge of the path and its fruition) are attained only when there is this kind of gathering momentum. The meditative process is like that of producing fire by energetically and unremittingly rubbing two sticks of wood together so as to attain the necessary intensity of heat for the flame to arise. In the same way, the noting in vipassana meditation should be continual and unremitting, without any resting interval between acts of noting whatever phenomena may arise. For instance, if a sensation of itchiness intervenes and the meditator desires to scratch because it is hard to bear, both the sensation and the desire to get rid of it should be noted, without immediately getting rid of the sensation by scratching.

If one goes on perseveringly noting thus, the itchiness generally disappears, in which case one reverts to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. If the itchiness does not in fact disappear, one has, of course, to eliminate it by scratching. But first, the desire to do so should be noted. All the movements involved in the process of eliminating this sensation should be noted, especially the touching, pulling and pushing, and scratching movements, with an eventual reversion to noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. Every time you make a change of posture, you begin with noting your intention or desire to make the change, and go on noting every movement closely. For example, rising from the sitting posture, raising the arm, moving and stretching it. You should make the changes at the same time as noting the movements involved. As your body sways forward, note it. As you rise, the body becomes light and rises. Concentrating your mind on this, you should gently note “rising, rising.”

The meditators should behave as if they were weak invalids. People in normal health rise easily and quickly or abruptly. Not so with feeble invalids, who do so slowly and gently. The same is the case with people suffering from backache who rise gently lest the back hurts and cause pain.

So also, with meditators. They have to make their changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will mindfulness, concentration and insight become good. Begin, therefore, with gentle and gradual movements. When rising, the meditator must do so gently like an invalid and at the same time noting “rising, rising.” Not only this; though the eyes see, the meditators must act as if they do not see. Similarly when the ears hear. While meditating, the meditators’ only concern is to note. What they see and hear is not their concern. So, whatever strange or striking things they may see or hear, they must behave as if they do not see or hear them, merely noting carefully. When making bodily movements, the meditators should do so gradually as if they were weak invalids, gently moving the arms and legs, bending or stretching them, bending down the head and bringing it up. All these movements should be made gently. When rising from the sitting posture, one should do so gradually, noting as “rising, rising.” When straightening up and standing, note as “standing, standing.” When looking here and there, note as “looking, seeing.” When walking, note the steps, whether they are taken with the right or left foot. You must be aware of all the successive movements involved, from the raising of the foot to the dropping of it. Note each step taken, whether with the right foot or the left foot. This is the manner of noting when one walks fast.

It will be enough if you note thus when walking fast and walking some distance. When walking slowly or doing the cankama walk (walking up and down), three movements should be noted in each step; when the foot is raised, when it is pushed forward, and when it is dropped. Begin with noting the raising and dropping movements. One must be properly aware of the raising of the foot. Similarly, when the foot is dropped, one should be properly aware of the “heavy” falling of the foot.

One must walk, noting as “raising, dropping” with each step. This noting will become easier after about two days. Then go on noting the three movements as described above, as “raising, pushing forward, dropping.” In the beginning, it will suffice to note one or two movements only, thus “right step, left step” when walking fast and “raising, dropping” when walking slowly. If when walking thus, you want to sit down, note as “wanting to sit down, wanting to sit down.” When actually sitting down, note in full concentration the “heavy” falling of the body.

When you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging your legs and arms. When there are no such movements, but just a kind of stillness (static rest) of the body, note the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. If while noting thus, stiffness of your limbs and sensations of heat in any part of your body arise, go on to note them. Then back to “rising, falling.” If while noting thus, a desire to lie down arises, note it and also the movements of your legs and arms as you lie down. The raising of the arm, the moving of it, the resting of the elbow on the floor, the swaying of the body, the stretching of legs, the listing of the body as one slowly prepares to lie down—all these movements should be noted.

To note as you lie down thus is important. In the course of this lying down movement, you can gain distinctive knowledge (that is Magga ñana and Phala ñana—the knowledge of the path and its fruition). When samadhi (concentration) and ñana (insight) are strong, the distinctive knowledge can come at any moment. It can come in a single “bend” of the arm or in a single “stretch” of the arm. Thus, it was that that the Venerable Ananda became an Arahant. The Venerable Ananda was trying strenuously to attain Arahantship overnight, on the eve of the first Buddhist council. He was practising the whole night the form of vipassana meditation known as kayagatasati, noting his steps, right and left, raising, pushing forward and dropping of the feet; noting happening by happening the mental desire to walk and the physical movement involved in walking. Although this went on till nearly dawn, he had not yet succeeded in attaining Arahantship. Realising that he had practised the walking meditation to excess and that, in order to balance samadhi (concentration) and viriya (effort), he should practise meditation in the lying posture for a while, he entered his chamber. He sat on the couch and lay himself down. While doing so and noting “lying, lying,” he attained Arahantship in an instant.

Prior to that time, Venerable Ananda was only a Sotapanna (that is, a stream-winner or one who has attained the first stage on the path to Nibbana), before he thus lay himself down. From sotapannahood, he reached Sakadagamihood (that is, the condition of the once-returner or one who has attained the second stage on the path), Anagamihood (that is, the state of the non-returner or one who has attained the third stage on the path) and finally, Arahantship (that is, the condition of the noble one who has attained the last stage on the path). Reaching these three successive stages of the higher path took only a little while. Just think of this example of the Venerable Ananda’s attainment of Arahantship. Such attainment can come at any moment and need not take long.

That is why meditators should note with diligence all the time. They should not relax in their noting, thinking “this little lapse should not matter much.” All movements involved in lying down and arranging the arms and legs should be carefully and unremittingly noted. If there is no movement, but only stillness (of the body), go back to noting the “rising” and of the abdomen. Even when it is getting late and time for sleep, the meditators should not go to sleep yet, dropping their noting. A really serious and energetic meditator should practise mindfulness as if one were foregoing one’s sleep altogether. He should go on meditating till he falls asleep. If the meditation is good and has the upper hand, he will not fall asleep. If, on the other hand, drowsiness has the upper hand, he will fall asleep. When one feels sleepy, one should note “sleepy, sleepy;” if one’s eyelids droop, “drooping;” if they become heavy or leaden, “heavy;” if the eyes become smarting, “smarting.” Noting thus, the drowsiness may pass and the eyes become “clear” again.

The meditator should then note as “clear, clear” and go on to note the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. However, the meditator may perseveringly go on meditating. If real drowsiness intervenes, he does fall asleep. It is not difficult to fall asleep; in fact it is easy. If you meditate in the lying posture, you gradually become drowsy and eventually fall asleep. That is why the beginners in meditation should not meditate too much in the lying posture. They should meditate much more in the sitting and walking postures of the body. But, as it grows late and becomes time for sleep, they should meditate in the lying position, noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. They will naturally fall asleep.

The time one is asleep is the resting time for the meditator. But for the really serious meditators, they should limit their sleeping time to about four hours. This is the “midnight time” permitted by the Buddha. Four hours of sleep is quite enough. If the beginners in meditation think that four hours’ sleep is not enough for health, they may extend it to five or six hours. Six hours’ sleep is clearly enough for health.

When the meditators awaken, they should at once resume noting. The meditators who are really bent on attaining Magga and Phala ñana, should rest from their noting effort only when they are asleep. At other times in their waking moments, they should be noting continually and without rest. That is why, as soon as they awake, they should note the awakening state of their mind as “awakening, awakening.” If they cannot yet make themselves be aware of this, they should begin noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. If they intend to get up from bed, they should note as “intending to get up, intending to get up.” They should then go on to note the changing movements they make as they arrange their arms and legs. When they raise their heads and rise, the meditators should note “rising, rising.” When they are sitting, note as “sitting, sitting.” If they make any changing movements as they arrange their arms and legs, all of these movements should also be noted. If there are no such changes, but only sitting quietly, the meditators should revert to noting the “rising” and “falling” movements of the abdomen. One should also note when one washes one’s face and when one takes a bath. As the moments involved in these acts are rather quick, as many of them should be noted as possible. There are then acts of dressing, of tidying up the bed, of opening and closing the door; all these should be noted as closely as possible.

When the meditators have their meal and look at the table, they should note as “looking, seeing, looking, seeing.” When they extend their arms towards the food, touch it, collect and arrange it, handle it and bring it to their mouth, bend their head and put the morsel of food into their mouth, drop their arm and raise their head again, all these movements should be duly noted. (This way of noting is in accordance with the Burmese way of taking a meal. Those who use fork and spoon or chopsticks should note the movements in an appropriate manner). When they chew the food, they should note “chewing, chewing.” When they come to know the tastes of the food, they should note “knowing, knowing.” As they relish the food and swallow it, as the food goes down their throats, they should note all these happenings. This is how the meditators should note as they take one morsel after another of their food. As they take soup, all the movements involved such as extending of the arm, handling of the spoon and scooping with it and so on, all these should be noted. To note thus at meal times is rather difficult as there are so many things to observe and note. The beginning meditators are likely to miss several things that they should note, but they should resolve to note all. They cannot, of course, help it if they overlook and miss some, but as their samadhi (concentration) become strong, they will be able to note closely all these happenings. Well, I have mentioned so many things for the meditators to note. To summarise, there are only a few things to note. When walking fast, note “right step,” “left step,” and “raising, dropping” when walking slowly. When sitting quietly, just note the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. Note the same thing when you are lying down, if there is nothing particular to note. While noting thus and if the mind wanders, note the acts of consciousness that arise. Then back to the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. Note also the sensations of stiffness, pain and aches and itchiness as they arise. Then back to the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. Note also, as they arise, the bending, stretching and moving of the limbs, bending and raising of the head, swaying and straightening of the body. Then back to the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen.

As the meditators go on noting thus, they will be able to note more and more of these happenings. In the beginning, as their minds wander here and there, the meditators may miss noting many things. But they should not be disheartened. Every beginner in the meditation encounters the same difficulty, but as one becomes more practised, one becomes aware of every act of mind wandering till eventually the mind does not wander any more. The mind is then riveted on the object of its attention, the act of mindfulness becoming almost simultaneous with the object of its attention such as “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen. (In other words, the “rising” of the abdomen becomes concurrent with the act of noting it, and similarly with the “falling” of the abdomen).

The physical object of attention and the mental act of noting are occurring as a pair. In this occurrence, there is no person or individual involved, only this physical object of attention and the mental act of noting occurring as a pair. The meditators will, in time, actually and personally experience these occurrences. While noting the “rising” and “falling” of the abdomen they will come to distinguish the “rising” of the abdomen as physical phenomenon and the mental acts of noting it as mental phenomenon; similarly, with the “falling” of the abdomen. Thus the meditators will distinctly come to realise the simultaneous occurrence in pair of these psycho-physical phenomena. Thus, with every act of noting, the meditators will come to know for themselves clearly that there is only this material quality which is the object of awareness or attention and the mental quality that makes a note of it. This discriminating knowledge is called namarupa-paricchedañana, the beginning of the vipassana-ñana. It is important to gain this knowledge correctly. This will be succeeded, as the meditator goes on, by the knowledge that distinguishes between the cause and its effect, the knowledge which is called paccaya-pariggaha-ñana. As the meditators go on noting, they will see for themselves that what arises passes away after a short while. Ordinary people assume that both the material and mental phenomena go on lasting throughout life, that is, from youth to adulthood. In fact, that is not so. There is no phenomenon that lasts forever. All phenomena arise and pass away so rapidly that they do not last even for the twinkling of an eye. The meditators will come to know this for themselves as they go on noting. They will then become convinced of the uncertainty of all such phenomena. Such conviction is called aniccanupassana-ñana.

This knowledge will be succeeded by dukkhanupasana-ñana, which realises that all this impermanence is suffering. The meditators are also likely to encounter all kinds of hardship in their bodies, which is just an aggregate of suffering. This is also dukkhanupassana-ñana. Next, the meditators will become convinced that these psycho-physical phenomena are occurring of their own accord, following nobody’s will and subject to nobody’s control. They constitute no individual or ego-entity. This realisation is anattanupassana-ñana. When, as they go on meditating, the meditators will come to realise firmly that all these phenomena are anicca, dukkha and anatta, they will attain Nibbana. All the former Buddhas, Arahants and Ariyas realised Nibbana following this very path. All meditators should recognise that they themselves are now on this Satipatthana path, in fulfilment of their wish for attainment of Magga ñana (knowledge of the path), Phala ñana (knowledge of the fruition of the path) and Nibbana-dhamma and following the ripening of their parami (perfection of virtue). They should feel glad at this and at the prospect of experiencing the noble kind of samadhi (tranquillity of mind brought about by concentration) and ñana (supramundane knowledge or wisdom) experienced by the Buddhas, Arahants and Ariyas and which they themselves have never experienced before. It will not be long before they will experience for themselves the Magga ñana, Phala ñana and Nibbana-dhamma experienced by the Buddhas, Arahants and Ariyas. As a matter of fact, these may be experienced in the space of a month or of twenty or fifteen days of their meditational practice. Those whose parami is exceptional may experience these dhammas even within seven days.

The meditators should therefore rest content in the faith that they will attain these dhammas in the time specified above, that they will be freed of sakkaya-ditthi (ego-belief) and vicikiccha (doubt or uncertainty) and be saved from the danger of rebirth in the nether worlds. They should go on with their meditational practice in this faith. May you all be able to practise meditation well and quickly attain that Nibbana which the Buddhas, Arahants and Ariyas have experienced.