Modern Vipassana meditation: Seeing reality in slow motion
The Vipassana movement is a pragmatic and practical branch of Theravada Buddhism aiming to cultivate experiential wisdom by observing the nature of mind and body, instead of reading books or acquiring intellectual knowledge.
About the tradition
The modern Vipassana movement was initiated in Myanmar during the 19th century to make the Buddha's 'Direct Path to Awakening' accessible again in modern times, without needing religious rituals or monastic robes. This pragmatic and practical branch of Theravada Buddhism is based on the Buddha’s teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta).
The focus is on cultivating our skill to be clearly aware and 'see the full picture' of reality without getting lost in stories and concepts. This system of meditation takes a step by step approach, starting from 5 minutes of mindfulness practice, to cultivating 'Right Mindfulness' and progressing through sixteen stages of Vipassana wisdom, leading to full awakening.
In this series, the teachings will be customised for modern life and offered in plain English while still trying to maintain the traditional depth.
What can attendees expect?
Have you seen the movie The Matrix and wished you had the ‘slow motion seeing’ ability like Neo when the bullets were coming at him? Have you ever noticed the bullets that are being shot at us through the words and actions of others or from our own minds? The good news is that there is a technique that can help us dodge these bullets by seeing the mind-body-feelings process in slow motion, thus giving us a sense of inner freedom.
In this series of guided meditations, we will learn this technique and progressively explore the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: Mindfulness of Body, Mindfulness of Feelings, Mindfulness of the Mind and finally arriving at Mindfulness of Truth. We will practise sitting meditation technique and walking/standing meditation technique. Participants will learn how to practise Vipassana with 'Right Attitude' and in a relaxed manner, so wisdom can arise naturally without trying too hard.
On a practical note, we get to know ourselves intimately and see where our blind spots are, so we can adjust accordingly. We also create a space between stimulus and response, so we can 'catch' our automatic reaction before acting it out. There will be a specific focus on using this technique to skilfully deal with daily life challenges such as being on autopilot, excessive thinking and intense emotions. There will be opportunities to ask questions and receive guidance for your practice both during the class and afterwards.
About the teacher
Abhi Rajguru
Abhi Rajguru is an Indian-Australian meditation teacher and a humanitarian. He has been trained and mentored in Vipassana monasteries in Myanmar and Thailand. Abhi has also completed a Mindfulness Master course at Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University in Thailand.
Abhi is passionate about bringing the depth of wisdom from monasteries in Asia to make inner freedom accessible in modern everyday life. He does so by conveying the wisdom in simple language, in bite sized chunks with practical exercises relevant to daily life.
Abhi's motto is 'Mindfulness in action'. He runs charity projects in India, Myanmar and Thailand. He has a vision to co-create a social enterprise based on in-depth mindfulness practice and social change.
Further resources
- Vipassana Meditation TEDx talk with Eilona Ariel
- Relax and be aware: Mindfulness meditations for clarity, confidence, and wisdom by Sayadaw U Tejaniya
- The 4 foundations of mindfulness in plain English by Bhante Gunaratana
- Mindfulness: A practical guide to awakening by Joseph Goldstien
