භාවනාව ප්‍රගුණ කිරීමට මාර්ගෝපදේශ

A Vipassana course is truly valuable only if it makes a change in your life, and a change will come only if you keep practicing the technique on a daily basis. The following outline of what you have learned is offered with best wishes for your continued success in meditation.

Sīla

In daily life this is practiced by following the Five Precepts:

  • to abstain from killing any being,
  • to abstain from stealing,
  • to abstain from sexual misconduct,
  • to abstain from wrong speech,
  • to abstain from all intoxicants.


Meditation

The minimum needed to maintain the practice:

  • one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening,
  • five minutes while lying in bed before you fall asleep and after you wake up,
  • if possible, sitting once a week for one hour with other meditators practicing this technique of Vipassana,
  • a ten-day course or self-course once a year,
  • and other free time for meditation.
How to meditate in daily practice:

ආනාපාන

ඔබෙ මනස උදාසීන හෝ කැලඹුනු ස්වභාවයකින් පවතීනම්, සංවේදනා දැනීම අපහසුනම්, එමෙන්ම ඒවාට ප්‍රතිචාර නොදක්වා සිටීම අපහසු නම්, මෙය පුහුණු කරන්න. ඔබ ආනාපානසතියෙන් පටන් ගෙන පසුව විපස්සනාවට මාරු වන්න, අවශ්‍ය නම් සම්පුර්ණ පැයම ඔබේ හුස්ම නිරීක්ෂණය කිරීම පමනක් කරන්න. අනාපානසතිය පුහුණු කිරීම සඳහා ඔබේ අවධානය නාස්පුඬු විවරයන්ට පහතින් උඩු තොලපටට ඉහලින් ඇති ප්‍රදේශය දෙසට යොමු කරන්න. සෑම හුස්ම ඇතුල්වීමක් මෙන්ම පිටවීමක් පිළිබඳ අවදානයෙන් සිටින්න. මනස තදින් උදාසීන හෝ තදින් කැලඹුනු ස්වභාවයකින් පවතතී නම්, ටික වේලාවකට හිතාමතාම තදින් හුස්ම ගන්න. එසේ නොවේ නම් හුස්ම ගැනීම පිට කිරීම ස්වාභාවිකවම සිදුකළ යුතුය​.

Vipassana

Move your attention systematically from head to feet and from feet to head, observing in order each and every part of the body by feeling all the sensations that you come across. Observe objectively; that is, remain equanimous with all the sensations that you experience, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, by appreciating their impermanent nature. Keep your attention moving. Never stay for more than a few minutes at any one place. Do not allow the practice to become mechanical. Work in different ways according to the type of sensations you experience. Areas of the body having different gross sensations should be observed separately by moving the attention part by part. Symmetrical parts, such as both arms or both legs, having similar subtle sensations, may be observed together simultaneously. If you experience subtle sensations throughout the physical structure, you may at times sweep the entire body and then again work part by part.

පැයක භාවනාව අවසානයේ දී කිසියම් වූ මානසික උදාසීන බවක් හෝ කැළඹිලි ස්භාවයක් වේ නම්, එය යටපත් වීමට ඉඩ හරින්න​. ඉන් පසුව ඔබේ සිරුරේ සියුම් සංවේදනා දෙස අවධානය යොමු කරමින් ඔබේ මනසත් සහ ශරීරයත් සියලු සත්වයන් කෙරෙහි මෙෙත්‍රී සහගත යහපත් සිතිවිලි වලින් පුරවාගන්න.


Outside of Meditation Periods

A Vipassana course is truly valuable only if it makes a change in your life, and a change will come only if you keep practicing the technique on a daily basis. The following outline of what you have learned is offered with best wishes for your continued success in meditation.

Dāna

Share whatever good you have acquired with others. Doing so helps to eradicate the old habit of self-centeredness. Meditators realize that the most valuable thing they have to share is Dhamma. Not being able to teach, they do what they can to help others learn the technique. With this pure volition they donate toward the expenses of other students.

This dāna is the sole source of funding for courses and centers around the world.


Selfless Service

A still greater dāna is to give of one's time and effort by helping to organize or run courses or by doing other Dhamma work. All who help (including the Teachers and Assistant Teachers) give their service as dāna without receiving anything in return. This service not only benefits others, but also helps those offering it to eradicate egotism. to understand the teaching more deeply, and thus to advance on the path.


One Path Only

Do not mix this technique with others. If you have been practicing something else, you may attend two or three Vipassana courses to help you decide which technique you prefer. Then choose the one you find most suitable and beneficial, and devote yourself to it.


Telling Others About Vipassana

You may describe the technique to others, but do not teach them. Otherwise you might confuse rather than help them. Encourage people who want to meditate to join a course, where there is a properly trained guide.


සාමාන්‍යයෙන්

ප්‍රගතිය ක්‍රමක් ක්‍රමයෙන් ළගා වෙයි, වැරදීම් සිදුවීම නොවැළැක්විය හැකියි. නමුත් ඒවායින් ඉගෙන ගන්න. ඔබ වැරද්දක් කළ බව තේරුම් ගත් විට සිනාසී නැවතත් පටන් ගන්න.

It is common to experience drowsiness, agitation, mind-wandering and other difficulties in meditation, but if you persevere you will be successful.

ගුරුවරුන්ගේ හෝ සහකාර ගුරුවරුන්ගේ මාර්ගෝපදේශ ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ඔබට ඇත.

ඔබේ සෙසු භාවනා කරන්නන්ගේ සහයෝගයෙන් ප්‍රයෝජන ගන්න. ඔවුන් සමඟ හිඳ භාවනා කිරීමෙන් ඔබට ශක්තිය ලබෙනු දෙනු ඇත.

ඔබට හැකි සෑම අවස්ථාවකදීම දින කිහිපයකට හෝ පැය කිහිපයකට වුවද භාවනා මධ්‍යස්ථානයකට හෝ ධම්ම නිවහනකට ගොස් එහි පවතින භාවනාමය පසුබිමින් යෝජනයට ගන්න. පැරණි යෝගීන් වන ඔබ දැනට මෙම විපස්සනා භාවනා ක්‍රමය පමණක් පුහුණු කරන පැරණි යෝගියෙකු නම්, එසේම ඉඩ පහසුකම් පවතීනම් දස දින පාඨමාලාවක දින කිහිපයක් සඳහා වුවද ඔබව සාදරයෙන් පිළිගනිමු​.

නියම ප්‍රඥාව යනු සියලු අත්දැකීම් අනිත්‍ය ලෙස හදුනා ගෙන පිළිගැනීමයි. මෙම ප්‍රඥාව ඇතිවීමත් සමග කිසිදු හැලහැප්පීමකට ඔබව යටපත් කිරීමට නොහැකි වෙනු ඇත​. ඔබ ඔබේ අභ්‍යන්තර සමබරතාවය පවත්වාගන්නා විට, ඔබට මෙන්ම අන් අයටද සතුට ඇතිවන ආකාරයට හැසිරීමට හැකි වනු ඇත​. සෑම මොහොතක්ම සතුටින් උපේක්‍ෂා සහගත මනසින් ජීවත්වන්න, එවිට අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඔබට ඔබේ අවසාන ඉලක්කය වන සියලු දුකින් නිදහස්වීම සාක්ෂාත් කරගත හැක​.


Frequently Used Terms

Most of the terms set forth below are taken from the Pali language and listed here in roman pali notation. Unfortunately, limitations of this medium make it impossible to include the appropriate diacritical markings of the letters. To facilitate proper pronunciation of the Pali words one should consult another printed source which does include these markings.

The three trainings:

  • Sīla-morality
  • samādhi-concentration, mastery of the mind
  • paññā-wisdom, insight that purifies the mind

The Triple Gem:

  • Buddha-anyone who is fully enlightened
  • Dhamma-the law of nature; the teaching of an enlightened person; the way to liberation
  • Sangha-anyone who has practiced Dhamma and has become a pure-minded, saintly person

The three roots of all mental defilements:

  • rāga/lobha-craving
  • dosa-aversion
  • moha-ignorance

The Noble Eightfold Path:

  • sammā-vācā-right speech
  • sammā-kammanta-right action
  • samna-ājīvā-right livelihood
  • sammā-vāyama-right effort
  • sammā-sati-right awareness
  • sammā-samādhi-right concentration
  • sammā-saṅkappa-right thought
  • sammā-diṭṭhi-right understanding

nibbāna-the unconditioned, the ultimate reality which is beyond mind and matter (Sanskrit nirvāṇa)

The three kinds of wisdom:

  • suta-mayā paññā-wisdom gained by listening to others
  • cintā-mayā paññā-intellectual, analytical understanding
  • bhāvanā-mayā paññā-wisdom based on direct personal experience

The three characteristics of phenomena:

  • aniccā-impermanence
  • anattā-egolessness
  • dukkha-suffering

kamma-action; specifically, an action one performs which will have an effect on one's future (Sanskrit karma)

The Four Noble Truths:

  • the fact of suffering
  • the origin of suffering (craving)
  • the cessation of suffering
  • the path leading to the cessation of suffering

The five aggregates of which a human being is composed:

  • rūpa-matter; the physical body composed of subatomic particles (kalāpa)
  • viññāṇa-consciousness, cognition
  • saññā-perception, recognition
  • vedanā-sensation
  • saṅkhārā-reaction; mental conditioning

The four material elements:

  • pathavī-earth (solidity, weight)
  • āpo-water (fluidity, cohesion)
  • vāyo-air (gaseousness, motion)
  • tejo-fire (temperature)

The five hindrances or enemies:

  • kāmacchanda-craving
  • vyāpāda-aversion
  • thina-middha-physical sloth and mental torpor
  • uddhacca-kukkucca-agitation and worry
  • vicikicchā-doubt, uncertainty

The five strengths or friends:

  • saddhā-confidence
  • vīriya-effort
  • sati-awareness
  • samādhi-concentration
  • paññā-wisdom

The four causes for the arising of matter:

  • food
  • environment/atmosphere
  • a present mental reaction
  • a past mental reaction

The four qualities of a pure mind:

  • mettā-selfless love
  • karuṇā-compassion
  • muditā-sympathetic joy
  • upekkhā-equanimity

Satipaṭṭhāna-the establishing of awareness; synonym for Vipassana

The four satipatthanas are:

  • kāyānupassanā-observation of the body
  • vedanānupassanā-observation of bodily sensations
  • cittānupassanā-observation of the mind
  • dhammānupassanā-observation of mental contents

The ten parami or mental perfections:

  • nekkhamma-renunciation
  • sīla-morality
  • vīriya-effort
  • khantī-tolerance
  • sacca-truthfulness
  • adhiṭṭhāna-strong determination
  • paññā-wisdom
  • upekkhā-equanimity
  • mettā-selfless love
  • dāna-generosity; donation

Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ-May all beings be happy!

Sādhu, sādhu, sādhu-weIl said, well done; we agree, we share this wish


A Message From Goenkaji

Dear Travelers on the Path of Dhamma,

Be happy!  Keep the torch of Dhamma alight! Let it shine brightly in your daily life. Always remember, Dhamma is not an escape. It is an art of living: living in peace and harmony with oneself and also with all others. Hence, try to live a Dhamma life.

  • Don't miss your daily sittings each morning and evening.
  • Whenever possible, attend weekly joint sittings with other Vipassana meditators.
  • Do a ten-day course as an annual retreat. This is essential to keep you going strong.
  • With all confidence, face the spikes around you bravely and smilingly.
  • Renounce hatred and aversion, ill will and animosity.
  • Generate love and compassion, especially for those who do not understand Dhamma and are living an unhappy life.
May your Dhamma behavior show them the path of peace and harmony. May the glow of Dhamma on your faces attract more and more suffering people to this path of real happiness.

May all beings be happy, peaceful, liberated.

With all my metta,
S.N. Goenka