Samatha and Vipassana Concentration: Some Similes

One way to understand the difference between samatha and vipassanā concentration is to think of samatha concentration as similar to a woodcutter who, when he wishes to take a break from his work, would put aside his axe by driving its sharp wedge into a tree stump, and then sit beside it to rest. Because the wedge of the axe is sharp it is able to cut into the stump effectively. But once it is driven in, the axe just remain there on the stump while the woodcutter takes a tranquil break.

Samatha concentration is like this. Because its jhāna factors (initial-mental-application, sustained-mental-application, joy, bliss, and mental-one-pointedness) are well developed, powerful, and sharp, they are able to penetrate effectively into their object. But once they go in, the mind just remain there, still and unmoving, allowing the meditator to have a peaceful and tranquil rest from the world of sensual objects. This is like the woodcutter taking a break from his work while his axe, normally busy chopping away, is in a state of rest, having been driven into the stump.

Vipassanā concentration on the other hand is like the sharp axe of a curious woodcutter who wishes to know the quality of the log that he is chopping. So he aims his axe properly at the log and splits the log into two with a single well directed blow. Then he examines the cleaved log and explores its various qualities such as its texture, smell, moisture content, etc.

Vipassanā concentration is like this. Not only are the jhāna factors sufficiently developed, powerful, and sharp; they are also well directed in order to penetrate deep and proper into the nature of mental and physical phenomena, the objects of vipassanā exploration. By penetrating the mental and physical phenomena with this powerful, sharp, and well directed vipassanā concentration the meditator is then able to investigate, explore, and see clearly their true nature. He is able to split the various phenomena, so to speak, and distinguish them clearly according to their respective specific-nature (sabhāva). He is also able to discern clearly their cause and effect relationship, their nature of arising and passing away, and, therefore, their nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self.

We can also think of samatha concentration as immersing oneself into the cool water of a crystal clear lake in order to rest and relieve oneself of the oppressive heat of the afternoon sun. This is like the mind which is equipped with well-developed jhāna factors that suppress the oppressive heat of the mental-hindrances, bringing about the experience of coolness even as they immerse the mind into the crystal clear samatha object, allowing it to rest there in tranquillity.

Vipassanā concentration on the other hand is like immersing oneself in the same way, but having been relieved of the heat, instead of resting there, one goes on to explore the content of the lake: the plants, fishes, shells, rocks, pebbles, etc. For in the case of vipassanā meditation, having suppressed the heat of the mental-hindrances which obstruct the clarity of mind, the jhāna factors immerse the mind into the mental and physical phenomena, the vipassanā objects which now appear crystal clear; Then, freed from the oppressive heat of the hindrances and by means of this clarity brought about by vipassanā concentration the meditator proceeds to explore and investigate the nature of these vipassanā objects in the way mentioned earlier.

We can also think of samatha concentration as similar to a knife plunged into a cake. Just as the cake does not change and the knife does not move, so also in samatha meditation the samatha object does not change and the mind is immovably fixed on the object by the jhāna factors.

Vipassanā concentration, however, is a more dynamic kind of concentration. It can be compared to a surfer riding on a wave. Just as the wave is a dynamic and unpredictable movement of water and the surfer needs to constantly adjust and adapt to maintain his balance to stay on the wave, so too the vipassanā objects are in a state of dynamic and unpredictable flux and the vipassanā meditator need to constantly adjust his mental-controlling-faculties to preserve their balance in order to remain on top of the objects so as to be able to contemplate them clearly from moment to moment.