In this introductory lesson, Tina Rasmussen provides an overview of the open monitoring practice of Vipassana and how it fits into the four neuroscience categories of meditation.
Vipassana practice allows us to see through the sense of self, brings us into the present moment, and creates the capacity to handle pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant experiences. Here, Tina sets the larger context of practice, by discussing the many aspects that are compelling about Vipassana meditation and why one would want to undertake this practice.
Sila, Samatha, and Vipassana are the stages of Buddhist practice. Rigpa/Dzogchen, leading to self-transcendence, is the last one. Here, Tina discusses how Vipassana fits into the overall Buddhist practice path.
Mindfulness just means being aware of an object of attention, which is needed in all practices. In Vipassana, or insight meditation, we are being mindful of whatever arises or is predominant in our awareness. In this lesson, Tina provides a description of Vipassana meditation and discusses how this relates to the term “mindfulness.”
In this lesson, Tina contrasts Vipassana meditation with the focused attention meditation of Samatha, and describes the differences between them.
In this guided vipassana meditation, Tina provides basic meditation instructions using the breath as an anchor, as well as posture instructions and gives a guided meditation on Vipassana.
There are four main categories of objects of meditation we can pay attention to in practice: Body, Mind Vedana (Feeling tone), and Dharmas. Here Tina describes these categories, including the body (breath, body sensations, sound and the other sense doors), the mind (emotions and thoughts), “vedana” (feeling tone of pleasant, unpleasant or neutral), and “dharmas” which include the many lists found in Buddhism.
Tina describes the many different styles of Vipassana that are taught in the various lineages, including the Burmese Goenka and Mahasi Sayadaw lineages, the Thai Forest Ajahn Chah lineage, and Tibetan Samatha with Support and theoretical Vipassana found in Vajrayana Buddhism. She places particular attention on how and when to use “noting” from the Burmese tradition versus “noticing” from the Thai Forest tradition.
In this guided meditation, Tina provides meditation instruction that includes breath and different kinds of body awareness as objects, in a guided meditation on Vipassana.
In this lesson, Tina describes the hindrances and defilements and how they are different, as well as how to work with them in Vipassana practice, which is different than the other categories of meditation.
In this guided meditation, Tina provides walking meditation instruction for Vipassana.
Tina provides an overview of how to use the Thai Forest “noticing” style of Vipassana, and how this relates to bare attention and is supportive in leading to “choiceless awareness” that includes all possible objects that can arise in awareness.
Tina provides meditation instruction that builds upon breath and body awareness, to include mind (emotions and thoughts) as objects, as well as vedana (pleasant / unpleasant / neutral) in a guided meditation on Vipassana.
While many people think “Insight” meditation refers to having psychological insights, Tina highlights that the technical description of “insight” is much deeper and more ultimate, and refers to the “Three Characteristics of Existence” in Buddhism: dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence) and anatta (no-self / not-self). She describes both the relative level of understanding of each of these, as well as the ultimate level of perception that can lead to awakening, and how these can be experienced in Vipassana.
In this culminating guided Vipassana meditation, Tina provides instruction that includes all objects of meditation, building to “choiceless awareness.” This includes breath and body awareness, mind (emotions and thoughts) vedana (pleasant / unpleasant / neutral), and the hindrances/defilements. She also refers to both the “noting” style and the “noticing” style in working with the various objects.
Also known as “ego death”, cessation can happen when there is disidentification with self, and absorbed by the ultimate ground of reality. Tina describes the culminating possibility of Vipassana, the cessation of consciousness that can lead to the stages of awakening as it is known in Vipassana.
Parting words from Tina related to this Vipassana course.
