Motivation
Theory and Practice
Insight practices lead to two basic kinds
of insight: relative and ultimate. Relative
insights are what comes from getting to
know our emotions, bodies, thoughts
and hearts at the level of content: the
stories, the specific qualities, the causes,
the effects. These insights can be of great
value.
Ultimate insights refer to the stages of
awakening, realization, enlightenment,
or whatever you want to call it. These
insights are not dependent upon the
content, stories, dramas, pains,
successes or failures of our lives. Instead,
they are about some other aspect of
awareness, of being, of consciousness
itself. Ultimate insights cause permanent
changes in the relationship to reality and
eliminate fundamental levels of suffering
forever. Discussing ultimate insights is a
very difficult thing to do. It tends to lead
to descriptions that sound like
paradoxes, fantasies, or nonsense.
However, attaining the stages of
awakening is highly recommended even
if they are hard to describe. This is
definitely possible with sufficient effort
and skill. The insight practice presented
here are one effective technique for
awakening.
Concept 1: Our sensate reality is the
basis of insight practices. Reality is made
of six kinds of sensations: physical
sensations, sounds, sights, tastes, smells,
and thoughts. These experiences are all
we can know directly. When doing
insight practice, reality is defined solely
by what can be experienced in that
moment. Corollary: Everything not
experienced in that moment is assumed
to not exist at that moment.
Practice: our first goal in insight
practice is to identify the sensations that
make up our life with attention that is
steady and precise enough to get to know
them very well.
In order to do this formally, clearly and
consistently, we do a practice called
noting. We make a quiet mental note of
whatever we experience. We also try to
stay with the sensations of breathing,
either in the abdomen or at the tip of the
nose when possible. If we notice the
breath rising, we note rising. If we
notice the breath falling, we note,
falling. Similarly, we may note
thinking, wandering, feeling,
hearing, seeing, smelling, and
tasting. When walking, we may note
the lifting, moving and placing of
our feet.
We may also note such experiences as
fear, happiness, pain, boredom,
restlessness, doubt, wanting,
hunger, confusion, returning after
The attainment of both relative and
ultimate insights is the motivation to do
insight practices.
these to the noting of the rising and
falling of the breath.
Concept 2: The Three Characteristics of
Impermanence, Suffering and Noself, are the key to deep insights.
Impermanence means that many
sensations arise and vanish completely
during every second of awareness.
Suffering means that the illusion of a
watcher, observer, or doer, commonly
called the self, is inherently painful.
No-self means that all sensations arise
on their own in a natural causal fashion
and are aware where they are, requiring
no separate agent or observer at all.
Practice: Once we have applied the first
concept and gotten to know sensations
as they are, then we can perceive them
come and go, feel the painful tension
inherent in the illusion of an observer or
agent, and notice that sensations arise
over there quite on their own, not
requiring any observer or constituting
either a self or other. They are merely
part of the transient and causal nature of
things.
The simple process of noting clearly and
consistently, say at the rate of at least
once per second, can stabilize attention
enough that direct insight into the Three
Characteristics arises. The corollary of
this is that while we are lost in the
content of our stories, dramas, thoughts,
and concern for the specifics of what
arises, we will not make good progress in
insight. When we focus instead on the
Three Characteristics of whatever arises,
we will make progress in insight. Staying
with the sensations of breathing is very
helpful in this.
Practical Instructions
Set aside a defined period of time for
practice, say 20 minutes to an hour.
Find a place to practice that is relatively
quiet and free from distractions.
Chose a sitting posture that:
you can sustain it for the practice
period
is not damaging to your body
is stable
allows your back to be straight
allows you to breathe easily
You may wish to sit on a cushion (zafu)
in one of the following positions: crosslegged, in the Burmese or friendly
position (like cross-legged except that
both legs are on the floor with one foot in
front of the other), or in half-lotus or
full-lotus. You may also sit on a
meditation bench or even a chair.
Set a timing device to activate when your
sit is done. Close your eyes.
Dedicate your practice to the wisdom
and benefit of yourself and all beings.
Note carefully and consistently for the
duration of the meditation period,
focusing on the breath but noting other
things when these catch your attention.
Be sure to carefully note wandering
when the mind wanders and thinking
when thoughts distract your attention
from the sensations of breathing. Return
your attention gently but firmly to the
sensations of breathing.
Try to practice every day, and think
about making time for retreats.
Insight practices lead to a deeper
understanding of life as it is.
Presented here are the basic theory and
practice of Buddhist insight practice as
found in the original texts, specifically
Sutta #111, One by One as They
Occurred, in the Middle Length
Discourses of the Buddha. This style of
practice is given particular emphasis in
the Burmese tradition of Mahasi
Sayadaw and has had a profound impact
on Western Buddhism. It is one of the
most popular styles of insight practice in
the world today.
It is very practical, effective, realitybased, non-dogmatic, non-ritualistic and
straightforward.
More information about insight practices
may be found at:
Insight Practice
Instructions #1
Noting
www.interactivebuddha.com
This site includes the free on-line book
Mastering the Core Teachings of the
Buddha, by Daniel Ingram, and Practical
Insight Meditation, by Mahasi Sayadaw.
There you will also find a reading list,
links to other useful websites including
retreat centers and archives of useful
writings, a schedule of classes on
meditation, as well as other meditation
groups and supporters in the Louisville
area. Enjoy!
Contact information:
[email protected]
by
Daniel Ingram, MD
