Vipassana:formal practice or technique or daily life?classic

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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kirk5a
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Re: Vipassana:formal practice or technique or daily life?cla

Post by kirk5a »

I've been waiting to see something that bears on the question: formal practice or technique or daily life? My understanding is that Mahavihara was a monastery. How did they practice?
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
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tiltbillings
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Re: Vipassana:formal practice or technique or daily life?cla

Post by tiltbillings »

kirk5a wrote:I've been waiting to see something that bears on the question: formal practice or technique or daily life? My understanding is that Mahavihara was a monastery. How did they practice?
The handbook of practice commissioned by the Mahavihara is the Visuddhimagga. That would for the monks by 500 CE represent the ideal way of practice. The practice for the laity would be more devotional. The laity doing the sort of heavy duty practice that we see now is a relavity new phenomena, though it is not unheard of in the commentaries. The Vimuttimagga is an older practice handbook that could be looked at.

The Pali The Yogavacara's manual represents a little less orthodox more magical way of practice that one might find around the edges.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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mikenz66
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Re: Vipassana:formal practice or technique or daily life?cla

Post by mikenz66 »

robertk wrote: For the dry insight worker only khanika Samadhi is required. Khanki Samadhi- momentary concentration -
The quote I gave above seems to imply that momentary concentration is the same as access concentration:
“The words ‘insight alone’ are meant to exclude not virtue, etc., but serenity (i.e.
jhána), which is the opposite number in the pair, serenity and insight. This is for
emphasis. But the word ‘alone’ actually excludes only that concentration with distinction
[of jhána]; for concentration is classed as both access and absorption (see IV.32). Taking this stanza as the teaching for one whose vehicle is insight does not imply that there is no concentration; for no insight comes about without momentary concentration. And again, insight should be understood as the three contemplations of impermanence,pain, and not-self; not contemplation of impermanence alone” (Vism-mhþ 9–10).
This was a topic of dispute in the 1960s. The question being whether the Burmese teacher-scholars such as Mahasi Sayadaw had misunderstood the ancient commentaries:
Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā: Criticisms and Replies
http://static.sirimangalo.org/mahasi/Sa ... eplies.htm

:anjali:
Mike
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