Vipassanā Bhāvanā in the Theravada School

The term vipassanā means literally “clear vision” (vi + passati — to see clearly), to see things precisely as they actually are, and is ⁵¹ explained as “seeing in diverse ways” (vividhākārato dassana). Insight is the direct meditative perception of phenomena in terms of the three characteristics: anicca, dukkha and anatta (impermanent, unsatisfactory nature of mind and matter and non-self). It is a function of the cetasika (mental factors) of wisdom (paññā) directed towards uncovering the true nature of things. This type of meditation involves the strengthening of the faculty of wisdom (paññindriya,) by which all ignorance/not knowing (avijjā) will be abandoned and the mind will be led to final enlightenment. When the five hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇā) are overcome and temporally dismissed by samatha bhāvanā, it is possible to continue developing the mind by vipassanā. It is a function of the cetasika of wisdom (paññā) directed towards uncovering the true nature of things in order to create a clear understanding of how all things and phenomena rising and falling (udayabbaya). ⁵²

Vipassanā bhāvanā, also begins with concentration exercises, just like samatha bhāvanā, using the appropriate meditation object. The difference lays in the fact that, in vipassanā, one does not go on to ever higher degrees of concentration and absorption. Here, once sufficient concentration has been achieved to ensure that undistracted mindfulness can be maintained (the degree of upacāra samādhi, or khaṇika samādhi), the meditator proceeds to examine with steady, careful attention and in the utmost possible detail, precisely all those sensory and mental processes which are discarded in abstractive meditation, including those that normally occur at subconscious or unconscious levels. ⁵³

According to the Abhidhamma, in the exercises on vipassanābhāvanā, one should have knowledge of the following.

1. The seven stages of purity (sattavisuddhi). 2. The three characteristic marks (tilakkhaṇa). 3. The three methods of contemplation (tividhanupassanā).

4. The ten insight-knowledge (dasavipassanāñāṇa). 5. The three ways of emancipation (vimokkha). 6. The three doors of emancipation (vimokkhamukha). ⁵⁴

After following the moral principles and the attainment of the habit of concentration through samādhi bhāvanā, one must acquire full knowledge through the development of vipassanā, as it described in the suttas:

“With his mind thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, spotless, free from defilements, supple, ready to act, firm, and impassable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of insight. He thus understands: “This body of mine is endowed with form, composed of the four elements, produced by mother and father, nourished with rice and porridge [a collection of nutriments], subject to change, pounding, breaking, and dissolution; this consciousness of mine is resting on this body, to this it is bound… .” ⁵⁵

In this passage, vipassanā is given under the name of “knowledge of insight” (ñāṇadassana) with references to the body and mind, as the entrance to the Noble Path for those bhikkhus who have achieved mental purity through the attainment of jhānas during samatha bhāvanā.

The practice of vipassanā started with the contemplation of groups of material and immaterial states: that is to say the meditation upon the constituents of the individual (pañcupādānakkhandhā), which are taken in different categories and determined as anicca, dukkha and anatta (tilakkhaṇa).

Mental development with vipassanā in the process of suppressing, alleviating and eradicating all defilements (sabbāsava) and can be attained through the following four ānupassanās: (1) the contemplation of the body (kāyānupassanā), (2) the contemplation of feelings (vedanānupassanā), (3) the contemplation of the state of consciousness (cittānupassanā), and (4) the contemplation of mind-objects (dhammānupassanā). ⁵⁶

The Paṭisambhidāmagga lists “masterfully defined knowledge” or “knowledge of reflection” or “determination” (samma-sanaṇāṇa), all

of which are objects of the development of vipassanā. There is a list of ⁵⁷ knowledges, which can be divided into 73 and 201 objects of contemplation. The list of 73 knowledges is as follows: (1) the five aggregates (khandhā), (2) the twelve sense-spheres/bases (āyatana), (3) the eighteen elements (dhāthu), (4) the twenty-two psycho-physical faculties (indrya), (5) the four noble truths (ariya saccāni), and (6) the twelve factors of causal existence (paṭiccasamuppāda). ⁵⁸

The extended list of 201 contemplations, which include what one needs to know by experience, to know fully or thoroughly (abhiññeyyo) are as follows: the five aggregates, the six senses, the six senses-objects, the six sense-cognitions, the six sense-contacts, the six sense-feelings, the six sense-perceptions, the six sensory thoughts or volitions, the six sensory desires, the six sensory reasonings, the six sensory investigations, the six elements, the ten kasiṇas, the thirty two parts of the body, the twelve sense-spheres, the eighteen elements, the twenty two faculties, the three properties of existence, the nine kinds of coming to existence, the four jhānas, the four emancipations, the four formless attainments and the twelve factors of causal existence (paṭiccasamuppāda).

All these divisions should be combined with the three methods of contemplation (anupassanā) to achieve complete, direct and immediate awareness of all phenomena. The three methods are:

1. aniccānupassanā — repeated contemplation on the

impermanent nature of mind and matter in the five aggregates of existence; 2. dukkhānupassanā — repeated contemplation on the

unsatisfactory nature of mind and matter in the five aggregates of existence; 3. anattānupassanā — repeated contemplation on the non-self

(or no-soul) nature of mind and matter in the five aggregates of existence.

As mentioned above, in vipassana, the compendium of purification (visuddhi) is sevenfold. These seven stages of purification are to be attained in sequence, each being the support for the one that follows. The first purification corresponds to the morality (sīla) aspect of the path, the second to the concentration (samādhi) aspect, and the last five to the wisdom (paññā) aspect. The first six stages are mundane, but the last is the supramundane paths. ⁵⁹

Vipassanā bhāvanā brings the abandoning of ignorance and results in liberation by wisdom, together with “liberation of mind” and “ liberation by wisdom,” which constitute Arahantship, the final goal.

When insight into anicca is developed, the atta-concept will be removed. When insight into dukkha is developed, taṇha is removed. When the insight that sees conditioned things as anatta is developed, the result is the complete removal of all micchā-diṭṭhis. ⁶⁰

As one practices vipassanā bhāvanā by observing the incessant arising and dissolving of the ultimate nāma and rūpa, and understands the impermanent nature as well as the unsatisfactory nature of mental and corporal formations, the ten insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇa) will arise in due course. Soon after the last insight knowledge arises, maggañāṇa and phala-ñāṇa (the path and its fruition) also arise.

The ten kinds of insight knowledge (vipassanāñāṇa) that can be achieved in vipassanā bhāvanā by aniccānupassanā, dukkhānupassanā, and anattānupassanā, are:

1. The knowledge of comprehension, i.e., the knowledge that can

investigate the three characteristic marks of nāma and rūpa in the five aggregates of existence (sammasana-ñāṇa). 2. The knowledge of rise and fall (of formations) (udayabbaya-

ñāṇa), i.e., the knowledge that can investigate the arising and passing away of the ultimate nāma and rūpa in the five aggregates of existence. 3. The knowledge of dissolution (of formations) (bhaṅga-ñāṇa),

i.e., the knowledge of the incessant dissolution of the ultimate nāma and rūpa. 4. The knowledge (of dissolving things) as fearful (bhaya-ñāṇa);

i.e., the knowledge of realizing nāma-rūpa and the five aggregates of existence as fearful as they are dissolving incessantly. 5. The knowledge of (fearful) things as dangerous (ādinava-ñāṇa);

i.e., the knowledge that realizes the fault and unsatisfactoriness in nāma-rūpa as they have been known to be fearful. 6. The knowledge of disenchantment (with all formations)

(nibbidā-ñāṇa); the knowledge of disgust in nāma-rūpa as they have been known to be unsatisfactory. 7. The knowledge of desire for deliverance (muncitukamyatā-

ñāṇa); i.e., the knowledge of the desire to escape from the entanglement of nāma-rūpa.

8. The knowledge of reflective contemplation (paṭisankhā-ñāṇa),

i.e., the knowledge to re-investigate nāma-rūpa and the five aggregates of existence in order to escape there from. 9. The knowledge of equanimity towards all formations (of

existence) (saṅkhārupakkhā-ñāṇa), i.e., towards nāma-rūpa and conditioned things. 10. The knowledge of conformity (to truth) (anuloma-ñāṇa), i.e.,

the knowledge of adaptation to the Path. ⁶¹

According to the Paṭisambhidāmagga, there are three ways of emancipation (vimokkha), or three deliverance-entrances, leading to release from the world:

1. the full comprehension of all compounds as regards their limit

and course (in rise and decay), and the mind rushing (therefrom) into the singles states (animitta-dhātu); 2. the mental agitation in all compounds, and the mind rushing

(therefrom) into the state without hankering (appanihitadhātu); and 3. the full comprehension of all states as non-self, and the mind

rushing (therefrom) into the state of void (suññata-dhātu); these three deliverance-entrances lead to release from the world. ⁶²

He who contemplates impermanence, being abundant in faith, attains the deliverance of the singles; he who contemplates suffering, being abundant in tranquillity, attains the deliverance of the nothankered-after; he who contemplates non-self, being abundant in wisdom, attains the deliverance of the void. ⁶³

The kasiṇa bhāvanā is generally divided under samatha bhāvanā, but the last two — space and consciousness kasiṇas —, however, are classified as vipassanā bhāvanā. ! ⁶⁴

Notes

Amadeo Solé-Leris, Tranquillity and Insight: An Introduction to the Oldest Form of 51 Buddhist Meditation, (Kandy: BPS, 1999), p. 21.
Ācariya Anuruddha, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha 52 Saṅgaha), p. 57.
Amadeo Solé-Leris, Tranquillity and Insight: An Introduction to the Oldest Form of 53 Buddhist Meditation, p. 23.
Mehm Tin Mon, The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma, p. 387.
Sāmaññaphalasutta DN 2.
Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta DN 22
Vism. 634-635.
Ñāṇakathā Ps 1.1.
Ācariya Anuruddha, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha 59 Saṅgaha), pp. 346-347.
Paravahera Vajirañāṇa, Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice, pp. 391-392.
Ācariya Anuruddha, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha 61 Saṅgaha), p. 306.
Vimokkhakathā Ps 1.5.
Loc. Cit. 63
“yañca ākāsakasiṇaṃ yañca viññāṇakasiṇaṃ, ayaṃ vipassanā” — Vicayahārasampāta Ne 21.