Let's take a closer look at vipassanā. We usually translate vipassanā as insight. This word insight tells us two things about vipassanā. Firstly, insight denotes a clear and deep understanding. This is very true of vipassanā. Vipassanā is indeed a kind of very clear and deep understanding, knowledge, or wisdom. Secondly, the word insight denotes that this understanding or wisdom of vipassanā is intuitive in nature. This means it is a wisdom that arises spontaneously in the mind without any prompting from the rational mind, without the help of the power of intellect. In other words it arises without any deliberate act of thinking, reasoning, or inferring, etc.
In our normal day to day life we usually try to understand things by thinking about them, by applying logic and reasoning, by making inference, by deducing, etc. All these involve the power of the intellect. In this way we derive knowledge, understanding, and even wisdom. But vipassanā wisdom does not arise in this way. How then does it arise? It arises simply through the process of deep observation. But when we say deep observation one must not think that this observation involves thinking or pondering about the object being observed. For normally when we observe something we tend to also think and ponder about it. But for vipassanā wisdom to arise this observation must be a pure process of observation freed from all kinds of intellectual thought activities. One simply open up the mind with mindfulness and be aware of the object of observation as it really is without adding anything (imputing any subjective values) to the object or subtracting anything from it. One simply receives and watch the object as it is, as it appears to the observing mind.
By opening up the mind with mindfulness and observing the object intently one simply allows the mind to pick up and register whatever qualities of the object that happened to appear to the mind. For example if there happened to be the quality of hardness the mind simply register the bare fact of hardness. If softness appears then the fact of softness is registered. The same goes for all other qualities that the mind happened to observe: stiffness, tension, pressure, support, heat, cold, feeling, perceiving, knowing, aiming, attention, fixing, etc. The mind simply register these bare qualities of the object that it happened pick up (perceive) as it is observing the object. One do not even aim at developing any particular kind of understanding but simply open up the mind with mindfulness and register every single quality that comes within the field of mental observation.
But as the power of mindfulness gathers momentum through repeated and continuous application on the object, the mind becomes more and more focus and concentrated on the observation of the object. The power of observation becomes more keen and intense as it penetrates deeper into the object, perceiving and registering ever more profound impression of the object, and uncovering more and more of its profound nature. As this process of observation goes on and is allowed to develop without any obstruction, at some point a spark of understanding arises spontaneously regarding the nature of the object. One experiences an epiphany so to speak. The nature of the object appears very clearly and profoundly before the mind's eye. But the mind simply observes that nature clearly without thinking about it. It simply knows clearly. Sometimes this is called clear-comprehension (sampajañña).
So vipassanā is a kind of intuitive wisdom, knowledge, or understanding that arises spontaneously, not through a process of the intellect, but through a process of simple yet profound observation. But what does this vipassanā wisdom understands? It understands the true nature of things as they really are. It understands this nature in such a way that will lead to dispassion, to relinquishing, to letting go, to liberation from existential suffering. Specifically it understands the true nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. For it is by understanding the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self of things that one is able to arouse in the mind dispassion, the strength of relinquishment, and the power of letting go which leads to liberation.
Now when we say vipassanā wisdom is the understanding of the true nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, we must also know this: The impermanence, suffering, and non-self of what? As Buddhists we hear about impermanence, suffering, and non-self all the time. They are discussed or touched upon in almost every Dhamma talk that we listen to and in almost every Dhamma book that we read, regardless of whether the speaker or author is a meditation teacher or not. Whenever Buddhists get together for a discussion of Dhamma we almost always touch on impermanence, suffering, and non-self, either directly or indirectly. When somebody's worldly fortune takes a turn for the worse we say that is impermanence. Someone fall sick and we say that is suffering. Something happened in one's life which was not planned or expected and we say that is non-self.
The Buddha also talked about the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self all the time. They form a theme that permeates the entire Tipiṭaka, the recorded teaching of the Buddha. But when the Buddha talked about impermanence, suffering, and non-self, what was he referring to? The impermanence, suffering, and non-self of what?
Rightly speaking they refer to the impermanence, suffering, and non-self of the mental and physical phenomena (nāma-rūpa-dhammā) that constitute our experience of the world. Our total experience of the world consists of all our experiences that arise continuously at all the doors of our senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and all the mental processes occurring in the mind. Each time we have an experience through any of these six doors of our senses, mental and physical phenomena arises that. And if we observe these phenomena correctly we can discern that they arise and pass away immediately at each moment. From discerning their arising and passing away in each moment of experience we can perceive their nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. We can observe that these phenomena pass away immediately upon arising (impermanence). And they are being continuously oppressed by this relentless and never-ending process of arising and passing away (suffering). Also, their arising and passing away are governed by natural law of conditionality and is not subjected to the whims and fancies of a non-existent permanently abiding self (non-self).
To digress a little, what we call a person or a being is made up of a continuous, never ending series of these experiences at the sense doors which are arising and passing away continuously each moment, one after another. Since each moment of these experiences are made up of mental and physical phenomena and these phenomena has the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, it follows that a person or a being also share in these nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Therefore when we understand the true nature of impermanence, suffering, of non-self of the mental and physical phenomena arising at the six sense doors by means of vipassanā insight, we indirectly also come to understand the true nature of our being or our existence. So vipassanā insight can also be called the understanding or wisdom regarding the true nature of our existence and lives.
In terms of the four Noble Truths, vipassanā insight can be understood as the penetrative understanding of the first Noble Truth of suffering. The truth of suffering as defined by the Buddha in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta consists ultimately of the five aggregates subject to clinging:
“Now this, bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, union with the unloved is suffering, separation from the loved is suffering, not to get what one wishes is suffering. In short the five-aggregates subject to clinging is suffering.”Also:
~ Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saccasaṃyutta, Sutta 11
“And what, bhikkkhus, is the Noble Truth of suffering? 'The five aggregates subject to clinging' it should be said, that is, the aggregate of materiality subject to clinging, the aggregate of feeling subject to clinging, the aggregate of perception subject to clinging, the aggregate of mental-formations subject to clinging, and the aggregate of consciousness subject to clinging. This, bhikkhus, is called the Noble Truth of suffering.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saccasaṃyutta, Sutta 13
These five aggregates in the final analysis are nothing but mental and physical phenomena. And they have the nature of suffering, which is why they are called the truth of suffering. The Buddha also said that this Noble Truth of suffering is to be fully understood (pariññeyya). And the full understanding of the Truth of suffering consists not only in discerning clearly the specific-nature (sabhāva) of the mental and physical phenomena (nāma-rūpa-pariccheda) and the discerning of the causal relationship among these phenomena (paccaya-pariggaha). It also consists of the further full penetration of their nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. In other words one must develop vipassanā insight into their true nature.
It may be asked, if these five aggregates subject to clinging has the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self why are they called the truth of suffering only, and not the truth of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. It is because when one understands their nature of suffering one also comes to understand their nature of impermanence and non-self. Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are all part of the nature of the same thing: the five-aggregates subject to clinging or the mental and physical phenomena. When one observe one of these nature one also come to know the other two.
“What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self.”Besides the five aggregates subject to clinging, mental and physical phenomena are also classified and presented in other ways in the Suttas: as sense-bases, elements, faculties, dependent-origination, and truths. All these are different ways that the Buddha used to classify and present the mental and physical phenomena in order to suite the disposition of his listeners.
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanavagga, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 4
So where can we find the Buddha's teaching on vipassanā in the Suttas? Everywhere. All over the Suttas we find the Buddha talked about impermanence, suffering, and non-self in various ways, in different contexts, to different people. Each time the Buddha touched on the theme of impermanence, suffering, and non-self he was talking about vipassanā. Each time the Buddha spoke about the wisdom that sees into the nature of the arising and passing away of the mental and physical phenomena he was talking about vipassanā. And whenever the Buddha spoke in the Suttas about seeing things as they really are, he was usually referring to vipassanā also. So too whenever he spoke about the four Noble Truths, the first Truth in particular, he was also talking about vipassanā. So vipassanā is actually all over the Suttas.
The Buddha may not always use the term vipassanā when he spoke about vipassanā in the Suttas. But if one understands what vipassanā really is, the features and nature of vipassanā, one will be able to recognise vipassanā when it is spoken about in the Suttas, even when the actual term vipassanā is not mentioned. (And it is usually not mentioned) Just as when somebody describes a game of two teams of eleven people on each side chasing after a ball in a field trying to score points by passing the ball in between two posts at the opposite ends of the field, those who understand this description know that what is being described is the game of soccer, even though the name soccer is not mentioned in the description.
To give a more textual example, the term upacāra-samādhi (access concentration) is never used in the Suttas but only in the Commentaries. But it is nevertheless found described in the Suttas, and if one understands what upacāra-samādhi is, i.e. the concentration that precedes the jhānas when the five hindrances have been totally suppressed but before the mind enters into jhāna, one would be able to recognise upacāra-samādhi in the following passage, mentioned by the Buddha just before he mentioned the attainment of jhānas:
“Great king, when these five hindrances have been abandoned within himself the bhikkhu sees it as freedom from debt, as good health, as release from prison, as freedom, as a safe place. Seeing that the five hindrances have been abandoned in him gladness arises in him. For him who is gladdened joy arises. The body of him whose mind is joyful calms down. The body which is calmed experiences pleasure. The mind of him who is pleased is concentrated.”The following are just some examples of the passages from the Suttas that touch on vipassanā. See if you can recognise how vipassanā are being mentioned in them:
~ Dīgha-Nikāya, Sutta 2
“And what, bhikkhus, is the controlling-faculty of wisdom? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is wise; he possesses the wisdom that is directed towards rise and passing-away, which is noble and penetrative, which leads to the utter destruction of suffering. He understands as it really is: 'This is suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.' This, bhikkhus, is called the controlling-faculty of wisdom.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Indriyasaṃyutta, Sutta 10
“In what respect, bhante, is a lay-follower accomplished in wisdom?”
“Here, Mahānāma, a lay-follower is wise; he possesses the wisdom that is directed towards rise and passing-away, which is noble and penetrative, which leads to the utter destruction of suffering. In this respect, Mahānāma, a lay-follower is accomplished in wisdom.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Sotāpattisaṃyutta, Sutta 37
“Nāgita, when one dwells contemplating impermanence in the six bases of contact, revulsion towards contact is established; this is the outcome for him. When one dwell contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging, revulsion towards clinging is established; this is the outcome for him.”
~ Aṅguttara-Nikāya, Book of the Fives, Sutta 30
“And what, bhikkhus, is the development of concentration which when developed and cultivated leads to the destruction of the taints? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating rise and fall in the five-aggregates subject to clinging: 'Such is materiality, such is the arising of materiality, such is the passing-away of materiality; such is feeling, such is the arising of feeling, such is the passing-away of feeling; such is perception, such is the arising of perception, such is the passing-away of perception; such are mental-formations, such is the arising of mental-formations, such is the passing-away of mental-formations; such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, such is the passing-away of consciousness.' This, bhikkhus, is the development of concentration which when developed and cultivated leads to the destruction of the taints.”
~ Aṅguttara-Nikāya, Book of the Fours, Sutta 41
“The monk who has retired to a solitary abode and calmed his mind, who comprehends the Dhamma with insight, in him there arise a delight that transcends all human delights.
“Whenever he sees with insight the rise and fall of the aggregates, he is full of joy and happiness. To the discerning one this reflects the Deathless.”
~ Dhammapada 373-374
“Bhikkhus, materiality is non-self. For if materiality were self, this materiality would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to [wish] thus of materiality ‘May my materiality be thus, may my materiality not be thus.’ But because materiality is non-self, materiality leads to affliction, and it is not possible to [wish] thus of materiality ‘May my materiality be thus, may my materiality not be thus.’
“Feeling is non-self … Perception is non-self … Formations are non-self … Consciousness is non-self. For if consciousness were self, this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to [wish] thus of consciousness ‘May my consciousness be thus, may my consciousness not be thus.’ But because consciousness is non-self, consciousness leads to affliction, and it is not possible to [wish] thus of consciousness ‘May my consciousness be thus, may my consciousness not be thus.’
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is materiality permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, venerable sir.” “That which is impermanent, is it suffering or pleasure?” “Suffering, venerable sir.” “That which is impermanent, suffering, and subjected to change, is it proper to regard it thus ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self?” “No, venerable sir.”
“Is feeling permanent or impermanent? … Is perception permanent or impermanent? … Are formations permanent or impermanent? … Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, venerable sir.” “That which is impermanent, is it suffering or pleasure?” “Suffering, venerable sir.” “That which is impermanent, suffering, and subjected to change, is it proper to regard it thus ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self?” “No, venerable sir.”
“Therefore, bhikkhus, whatever materiality, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, that which is far or near, all materiality should seen as it really is with right wisdom thus ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Whatever feeling … Whatever perception … Whatever formations … Whatever consciousness, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, that which is far or near, all consciousness should seen as it really is with right wisdom thus ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards materiality, towards feeling, towards perception, towards formations, towards consciousness. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted the bhikkhus of the group of five rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. And while this exposition was being spoken the minds of these bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from the taints through non-clinging.
~ Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta, Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Khandhasaṃyutta, Sutta 59
“Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is burning?
“The eye is burning, visible-forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, feeling that arises with eye-contact as condition – either pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant – that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion, burning with birth, ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, unhappiness, despair, I say.
“The ear is burning, sounds are burning …
“The nose is burning, smells are burning …
“The tongue is burning, tastes are burning …
“The body is burning, tactile-objects are burning …
“The mind is burning, mind-objects are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning, feeling that arises with mind-contact as condition – either pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant – that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion, burning with birth, ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, unhappiness, despair, I say.
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards the eye, towards visible-forms, towards eye-consciousness, towards eye-contact, towards feeling that arises with eye-contact as condition – either pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant;
“He has revulsion towards the ear, towards sounds…
“He has revulsion towards the nose, towards smells…
“He has revulsion towards the tongue, towards tastes …
“He has revulsion towards body, towards tactile-objects…
“He has revulsion towards the mind, towards mind-objects, towards mind-consciousness, towards mind-contact, towards feeling that arises with mind-contact as condition – either pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant.
“Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
And while this exposition was being spoken the minds of these thousand bhikkhus were liberated from the taints through non-clinging.
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 28
“Bhikkhus, materiality is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is non-self; what is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Feeling is impermanent… Perception is impermanent… Mental-formations are impermanent… Consciousness is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is non-self; what is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards materiality, has revulsion towards feeling, has revulsion towards perception, has revulsion towards mental-formations, has revulsion towards consciousness. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Khandhasaṃyutta, Sutta 15
“Bhikkhus, the eye is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“The ear is impermanent… The nose is impermanent… The tongue is impermanent… The body is impermanent… The mind is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards the eye, has revulsion towards the ear, has revulsion towards the nose, has revulsion towards the tongue, has revulsion towards the body, has revulsion towards the mind. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanavagga, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 1
“Bhikkhus, visible-forms are impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Sounds are impermanent… Smells are impermanent… Tastes are impermanent… Tactile-objects are impermanent… Mind-objects are impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards visible-forms, has revulsion towards sounds, has revulsion towards smells, has revulsion towards tastes, has revulsion towards tactile-objects, has revulsion towards mind-objects. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanavagga, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 4
“Bhikkhus, when one knows and sees the eye as it really is, when one knows and sees visible-forms as they really are, when one knows and sees eye-consciousness as it really is, when one knows and sees eye-contact as it really is, when one knows and sees as it really is the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition, then one is not overcome by lust for the eye, for visible-forms, for eye-consciousness, for eye-contact, for the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition...
"When one knows and sees the ear as it really is, when one knows and sees sounds as they really are...
"When one knows and sees the nose as it really is, when one knows and sees smells as they really are...
"When one knows and sees the tongue as it really is, when one knows and sees tastes as they really are...
"When one knows and sees the body as it really is, when one knows and sees tactile objects as they really are...
"When one knows and sees the mind as it really is, when one knows and sees mind-objects as they really are, when one knows and sees mind-consciousness as it really is, when one knows and sees mind-contact as it really is, when one knows and sees as it really is the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with mind-contact as a condition, then one is not overcome by lust for the mind, for mind-objects, for mind-consciousness, for mind-contact, for the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with mind-contact as a condition.
“For one who dwells not overcome by lust, unfettered, undeluded, contemplating danger, the five aggregates subject to clinging go towards future diminution. And his craving, which leads to renewed existence, which is accompanied by delight and lust, which finds delight here and there, is abandoned. His bodily woes are abandoned, his mental woes are abandoned, his bodily torments are abandoned, his mental torments are abandoned, his bodily fevers are abandoned, his mental fevers are abandoned, and he experiences bodily and mental pleasure.
~ Majjhima-Nikāya, Sutta 149
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