Vipassana means to see clearly. It can also be translated as “insight meditation”. If you attend a meditation retreat at the Buddhavipassana Meditation Centre you will find out that in order to gain insight, you must carefully pay attention to the four foundations of mindfulness as explained by the Buddha. What are the four foundations of mindfulness?
- Mindfulness of the body: whether walking, sitting, standing, lying down and also minor positions of the body such as reaching or touching.
- Mindfulness of feelings: whether positive, negative, or neutral
- Mindfulness of the mind: such as peaceful mind states or agitated mind states
- Mindfulness of mind objects: such as craving, anger, laziness, worry and restlessness, and doubt.
If we carefully observe these four foundations of mindfulness, continuously and in a retreat setting, insight and understanding into the nature of reality inevitable. Just as a Biologist observes nature to gain insight into how the natural world behaves, so does a Meditator observe her own body and mind to gain insight into the natural mental and physical processes that occur. As a result, there is a happiness that is borne of this understanding.
We encourage you to practice these Four Foundations of Mindfulness in a retreat setting in order to gain insight and ultimately happiness as a result.