Categories: Other Meditation Teachings
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, through our spiritual teachings, I wish to address a question many of you have asked me about: the practice of insight meditation. Many of you are curious about this path and have requested guidance. In some of our earlier articles, I mentioned that my primary focus would be on tranquility meditation. However, seeing the confusion that has arisen, I feel it is essential to clarify the profound difference between Samatha and Vipassana meditation.
Many people have blended these two distinct paths into a kind of mixture, making it difficult to understand what each one truly entails. While my teachings have often centered on developing psychic abilities and deep meditative states, known as Jhanas, I have also subtly woven in the methods of insight meditation for those who have been reflecting deeply on these articles. Today, let’s untangle these two paths so you can walk them with clarity and purpose. The distinction between Samatha and Vipassana is fundamental to your spiritual journey.
The Ancient Path of Calm: What is Samatha Meditation?
Let’s first explore what we call tranquility meditation, or Samatha Bhavana. This is a practice that existed in the universe long before the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the Bodhisatta who would become the Buddha. Think of ancient sages like Asita or the Brahmin Kondanna, who had developed deep meditative absorptions, or Jhanas, and possessed what are known as the five supernormal knowledges, the Pancha Abhinna. These are profound psychic abilities that arise from a deeply concentrated mind.
These abilities, which belong to the domain of Samatha and Vipassana‘s counterpart, Samatha, include:
- Dibba-cakkhu: The divine eye, or clairvoyance.
- Dibba-sota: The divine ear, or clairaudience.
- Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: The knowledge of recalling past lives.
- Paracitta-vijanana-ñana: The ability to know the minds of others.
- Iddhividha-ñana: The knowledge of various psychic powers, such as levitation or walking on water.
These powers, along with concepts like Kundalini energy and cosmic energy, are all part of the vast field of Samatha. To give you an analogy, Samatha meditation is like the sky, it is infinite, immeasurable, and without end. Its purpose is to bring about a deep tranquility and stability of mind, a mental stillness or ‘samatha’. This is an ancient method, practiced in Sri Lanka for over five or six thousand years, and even longer in places like India. It’s a universal method that people from all walks of life have discovered and used throughout history, often for their livelihoods and well-being.
Beyond the Veil: Psychic Powers and Spiritual Maturity
In ancient texts and stories, we hear of practitioners who could levitate, walk on water, and perform other extraordinary feats. Today, many people are skeptical and claim it’s impossible to lift the physical body into the air. I have addressed this before, and I say with certainty that this is not a falsehood. Such abilities are possible, and there are people who can do these things, even today. The Buddha, however, forbade monks from displaying these psychic powers (iddhi), stating that the miracle of the teaching (the Dhamma) is the highest miracle.
You may have heard the story of a disciple of the great Moggallana Thero who displayed his powers, after which the Buddha gently stopped him, later performing the Twin Miracle himself at Sāvatthī. You can find these stories in texts like the Dhammapada commentary.
So why don’t practitioners show these abilities when challenged? People in what we call the desire realm, the Kama Loka, are driven by ego and love challenges. They want to be ‘the big shot’. But someone who has cultivated their mind, who has transcended the desire realm and touched the form realm (Rupa Loka) or formless realm (Arupa Loka), has no need to prove themselves to those who are still driven by such worldly impulses.
They have no desire to show off. If someone sincerely asks to be taught the method, they will show the way. But they will not engage in performances to satisfy skeptics. I too face challenges from people who listen to my talks on Kundalini and other topics. But I offer these teachings openly to everyone, without discrimination. The problem is that the challengers often don’t practice. I invite them: practice first. See if you can even build a moment of concentration. To achieve anything, you must first have faith that it is possible.
The Buddha’s Unique Gift: What is Vipassana (Insight) Meditation?
Now, we come to the other side: insight meditation, or Vipassana Bhavana. This is where the practice of Samatha and Vipassana truly diverges.
To truly understand the profound difference between Samatha and Insight Meditation, let us use a simple analogy. Imagine a person named Nimal.
How do you truly get to know Nimal? You would need to spend a long period of time, perhaps months or years associating with him, observing his behavior, his character, his temper, his habits (does he drink alcohol or smoke? Is he virtuous?). Only through this deep, sustained association can you truly know the essence of who he is.
Now, consider an alternative: What if, instead of associating with Nimal, you simply sat alone and mentally chanted his name over and over again? ‘Nimal, Nimal, Nimal…’ What if you meditated purely by repeating his name? Would you ever truly understand his character? No, never. You would simply be engaging in rote repetition or japa.
This analogy perfectly illustrates the difference between concentration and wisdom.
The act of chanting or repeating a word, phrase, or mantra (‘Nimal, Nimal’) is akin to Samatha Bhavana. This type of practice can suppress thoughts and bring temporary calm, but it never leads to a deep understanding of the true nature of the mind (or ‘Nimal’). It is prevalent everywhere in the world, in various forms and languages (Hindi, Tamil, etc.), but it is essentially a technique of temporary mental control.
The act of associating with Nimal, observing his character, his flaws, his goodness, and his overall nature is precisely what Insight Meditation is. In Insight Meditation (Vipassana), we associate with the mind (Hita) itself. We don’t try to suppress the mind or chase after special powers; we observe the mind. We live alongside it. By associating with our own stream of consciousness, we come to understand its true nature: its unreliability, its impermanence (Anicca), and its inherent stress or unsatisfactoriness (Dukkha).
It is through this genuine observation that mental defilements (Kilesa) are not just suppressed but permanently eradicated. It is within this practice that the various realizations and wisdoms taught by the Buddha, such as the Nine Great Insight Knowledges (Nava Maha Vipassana Gnanas) and the Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dhamma) naturally blossom and mature.
The Great Misconception: When Insight Becomes Mere Chanting
Who is the only teacher in the world who has ever taught the method of ‘associating’ with the mind? Who teaches us to observe our inner Nimal? It is only the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, the Exalted One (Sammā Sambuddha). Only a Buddha, having fulfilled immense perfections (Pāramī) over countless lifetimes, can teach the path that truly leads to the profound comprehension of the mind and the eradication of suffering.
The core of this unique teaching is the practice of Sati (Mindfulness or Awareness). If you examine every teaching I have given, from beginning to end, you will find that the persistent emphasis is always on establishing and maintaining Sati to repeatedly recognize your thoughts, to repeatedly recognize your mind.
Insight Meditation is simply this: associating with the mind by maintaining continuous awareness. It is this consistent act of being present and recognizing our thoughts that is the key to liberation. I have previously shared teachings that inadvertently guided you toward this ultimate path, even while teaching methods that seemed focused on concentration.
Herein lies a great confusion. Many people believe they are practicing Vipassana, but they are actually practicing a refined form of Samatha. I have seen this in many meditation centers. People are instructed to mentally repeat words from the higher teachings (Abhidhamma), such as ‘name-and-form, name-and-form’ (nama-rupa), ‘the five clinging aggregates, the five clinging aggregates’ (pancha-upadanaskhandha), or ‘impermanence, impermanence’ (anicca), ‘suffering, suffering’ (dukkha), or ‘not-self, not-self’ (anatta).
They sit and contemplate these heavy words, but what is really happening? It is another form of repetition, another ‘japa’ or chant. This is the Samatha method of focusing on an object to calm the mind. Is there any use in this for gaining true insight?
No. Let’s use another analogy. Imagine you want to understand the city of Kandy. Can you understand it by sitting here and chanting ‘Kandy, Kandy, Kandy’? Can you know its size, its buildings, whether it’s beautiful or ugly, clean or dirty, crowded or empty? Of course not. You must go to Kandy yourself to understand it.
Similarly, repeating these profound Buddhist terms without directly experiencing their meaning is not the path. It is a delusion I myself was caught in during my early days, until I realized, ‘Heavens, I cannot understand the mind this way!’ This is why many elderly practitioners can attend ten-day retreats, gain some merit and feel good, but do not progress on the true path. They are mistaking the map for the territory.
The Single Key to True Insight: The Power of Mindfulness (Sati)
So, what is the real method?
What is the one and only way to ‘associate with Nimal,’ to truly know the mind? The Buddha taught only one way. Please remember this word carefully: Mindfulness. In Pali, this is called Sati.
In every single one of my teachings, from beginning to end, I have emphasized this point over and over again: maintain mindfulness. Observe your thoughts. This is the only way to associate with your mind and understand it. Mindfulness is the practice of Vipassana. It is that simple. When I taught you to chant the word ’emptiness’ while simultaneously associating with the present moment, I was secretly teaching you the path to Nibbana (liberation). When I taught you to maintain mindfulness to advance in Samatha, I was giving you the key. In that teaching, there is no chanting, only the pure recognition of your own thoughts as they arise.
This is the authentic method of Samatha and Vipassana‘s ultimate goal. This is all you have to do. The path of wisdom is to listen to these teachings again and again, and practice maintaining mindfulness. This is ‘associating with the mind’.
The Harmonious Path: Integrating Samatha and Vipassana for Complete Awakening
So, although I said I would primarily teach Samatha, I have given you the tools for both paths to ensure you can cross over the ocean of suffering. By practicing both Samatha and Vipassana, you receive a complete set of tools for your journey. The repetition practices (Japa) I will continue to teach are for developing the Jhanas, awakening Kundalini, and accessing psychic abilities. Please, do these practices. But as you do them, also practice ‘associating with Nimal’ maintain mindfulness. Observe the mind.
Don’t let the mind trick you into thinking it’s too difficult. The mind is a deceiver. Don’t believe it. Just continue your practice with confidence. In this way, you develop on all fronts. Without you even realizing it, your journey through Samsara (the cycle of rebirth) shortens.
You may even attain the fruits of the path (magga-phala), though you should not look for them or make them a goal. You awaken your Kundalini energy, you connect with cosmic energy, you develop psychic faculties, you attain the Jhanas, and you walk the path to Nibbana.
It is my duty to show you the clear distinction between Samatha and Vipassana, so you are not confused. With the examples I have shared, I hope the difference is now clear. Now, with strong determination, let us walk forward practicing both, nourishing our spiritual lives and developing ourselves.
May you have the strength and determination to make this your practical reality. With the power and blessings of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. I offer you, my support. With that, I conclude today’s teaching.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
