The Buddha’s teachings can be summed up in three parts: Sila (Discipline or morality;) Samadhi, (concentration;) and Panna (intuitive wisdom). Proper discipline leads to samadhi, and samadhi gives rise to wisdom. It is by means of discipline that the defilements are dispersed, and this eases the way for the cultivation of samadhi.
Sila Discipline; is the primary because it is the foundation for the other two. Its importance cannot be overstressed. Sila is not a set of commandments handed down by the Buddha, and it need not be confined to Buddhist teachings. It actually derives from a basic sense of humanity.
Discipline During a Vipassana Meditation Retreat
During a meditation retreat, it becomes useful to follow some of the disciplines in ways that support the intensification of meditation practice.
1. In a retreat, silence becomes the appropriate form of right speech.
2. One eats lightly to prevent drowsiness and to weaken sensual appetite. The Buddha recommended fasting from noon until the following morning; or, if this is difficult, one could eat only a little in the afternoon.
3. Cleanliness is another support for developing insight and wisdom. You should bathe, keep nails and hair trimmed, and take care to regulate the bowels. This is known as internal cleanliness.
How to do Vipassana Meditation (Basic Exercise):
1. To start the meditation it is better to have a quiet place.
2. The meditator should sit quietly and peacefully with legs crossed. If sitting with crossed legs proves to be too difficult other sitting postures may be used. For those with back trouble or ache, a chair is quite acceptable. It is true that to achieve peace of mind, we must make sure our body is at peace. So it is important to choose a position that will be comfortable for a long period of time.
3. Sit with your back erect, at a right angle to the ground, but not too stiff. The reason for sitting straight is not difficult to see. An arched or crooked back will soon bring the pain. Furthermore, the physical effort to remain upright without additional support energizes the meditation practice.
4. Close your eyes. Now place your attention on the belly, at the abdomen. Breathe normally, not forcing your breathing, neither slowing it down nor hastening it, just a natural breath. You will become aware of certain sensations as you breathe in and the abdomen rises, as you breathe out and the abdomen falls.
5. Now sharpen your aim and make sure that the mind is attentive to the entirety of each process. Be aware from the very beginning of all sensations involved in the rising. Maintain a steady attention through the middle and the end of the rising. Then be aware of the sensations of the falling movement of the abdomen from the beginning, through the middle, and to the very end of the falling. Although we describe the rising and falling as having a beginning, a middle, and an end, this is only in order to show that your awareness should be continuous and thorough. We do not intend you to break these processes into three segments. You should try to be aware of each of these movements from beginning to end as one complete process, as a whole.
6. Do not peer at the sensations with an over-focused mind, specifically looking to discover how the abdominal movement begins or ends.
In this meditation, it is very important to have both effort and precise aim so that the mind meets the sensation directly and powerfully. One helpful aid to precision and accuracy is to make a soft mental note of the object of awareness, naming the sensation by saying the word gently and silently in the mind, like “rising, rising…falling, falling.”
Anonymous
Thanks for beautiful tips!