Insight into the depth of our mind

Many people often feel disturbed, not happy, and yet there are no apparent problems in their lives. We should be ok, but we are not. This is the signal to have some real deep insight into ourselves. Insight meditation or Vipassana is the one original meditation which the Buddha taught. Unlike Samatha meditation, which is for calming the mind, Vipassana meditation is to see what is bothering us inside, so that we are able to remove them and not suffer again.

1. In practicing vipassana, we practise awareness and equanimity, both wings which will give us our balance
2. We practise seeing reality as it is
3. We practise to realize impermanence
4. Our practice leads to cleansing of the depths of our mind
5. There are two foods which keep us living, food for the body, and sensations, which feed the mind
6. It is similar to fasting, when the body then accesses the fat that has been stored; in practising vipassana, we access our sanskaras (impressions left from past experiences).
7. If we just let go, and do not react to these impressions, finally the storehouse will be depleted, and we shall find our mind becoming clearer.
8. This is a simple explanation of how we can start vipassana meditation. Relax the different parts of your body. Then start breathing in and out normally. This will help calm you down. This is samatha meditation to reach Samadhi(calm abiding). You are looking into the impermanence of each breath.
9. Meditate on the qualities of the Buddha and this will stabilize your mind. This also helps you reach deeper calm.
10. Breathing in and out normally, be mindful of what’s happening at the level of your nostrils.
11. As distracting thoughts or noises come up, just note them, saying to yourself, “thought” or “noise”, and let go. You are building up awareness and equanimity, not getting disturbed.
12. Then when you are ready, you start being more mindful of your breath, noting how it moves, its length, its temperature, where it touches…
13. Finally with each practice, you let go of the past impressions, you are purifying your mind, which then becomes clearer and clearer.