19

NOV
2021

WHY USE VIPASSANA MEDITATION AS A TECHNIQUE TO BE HAPPY

WHY USE VIPASSANA MEDITATION AS A TECHNIQUE TO BE HAPPY

Why use Vipassana Meditation as a technique to be happy

Vipassana is a technique that has existed for over 2500 years. It has been an integral part of my life, and for twenty-five years now. When I look back at my life, the single activity that has saved me from going through the highs and lows of my life (and yes, I mention highs here) has been the techniques of Vipassana meditation. It’s also an activity I have engaged in daily for 1 hour every morning. 

Our goal in life is to be happy, no matter what the circumstances around us. It is also to cultivate an attitude and also live with ‘grace.’ At least that has been the goal of my life always. My definition of pursuing happiness is different from anyone else’s definition or even yours. In my first paragraph, I have said Vipassana has helped me go through my highs as well, and this is because as a meditation technique it teaches us to be ‘equanimous’ and not be attached to the moments of being in this state of high or even not be attached to being low.

My view of life

After going through the path of bhakti (devotion) as a child and turning to some of the greatest philosophers in my teens who were trying to understand the question of ‘who am I’ or ‘see things for what they are,’ I concluded that my oath to self-evolution and growth would be to use a technique to make me a better person, the best version of myself. Vipassana came to me (now I look back it was destiny) at a time when I needed it the most. However, having kept it going parallel to my life with my career, personal life and everything that I live for, I have realized it has indeed taken me to the space cultivating my altitude in life which is my ‘attitude’ towards everything. While making me a better person, it has also allowed me to also choose the path to getting out of the dance of birth and death.

Why meditate?

At any time, not just in these trying times meditation is an important tool for many reasons – 

  • (1) It rewires the brain in a way that you start generating positivity towards your life.
  • (2) It distances you from situations you may go through which would ordinarily embroil you and make you unhappy.
  • (3) It allows you to generate ‘mind space,’ by this I mean in this cluttered existence of social media, media and stimulation it helps create some energetic space in the mind for new things to come.
  • (4) If the technique is right, then it aligns your life with something larger than your human existence alone.
  • (5) It makes you a better person.

Why it is relevant to the World?

The philosophy of Macrobiotics expounds the tenet of ‘One Peaceful World’ which means that all human beings must be peaceful, so we affect mass consciousness. This makes nations calmer, and impacts the world at large, to keep up with this tenet of ‘One Peaceful World.’ Deepak Chopra said ‘To change the printout of the body, you must learn to rewrite the software of the mind.’ (Source below). I would like to extend this by saying, ‘To change the mindset of people, one must rewrite the software of human consciousness.’ 

We, humans, are constantly in a state of push and pull. The world outside holds us under its spell with social media, constant stimuli from our phones, media, the environmental pressures: jobs/personal, the pandemic, stress on countries, nations, and so much more. How do we establish our moral compass and peace in all of it? 

A technique like Vipassana is needed not just for a few people, but for the human race as a whole just to rise above their limitations.

Where does one start?

It starts with trying not to generate negativity at the mental, physical and vocal level first; easier said than done. The mental action is the most important of the three, as every action stem’s from the mental intention first. 

In Vipassana mediation, the goal is to enter that ‘grey area’ which exists between a stimulus and response. Without getting into too much and making it confusing for you. We all have an ‘awareness’ that needs to be sharpened this the ‘grey area.’ This is the space where possibilities exist and things can begin to happen. This is the area that Vipassana meditation helps you access. It starts with engaging in observing our breath (Anapana) meditation. Just normal natural breath as is, with no manipulation. That’s as simple as it is. 

Once you attend a ten-day course and go through this first step in Anapana meditation, you have now created the space to delve deeper into Vipassana meditation. You now start observing how the habit pattern of the mind attaches to sensations, and the technique helps you change this habit pattern of the mind accessing the ‘grey area.’ It all sounds confounded here. That the habit pattern of the mind, is usually to react to sensations that are pleasant or unpleasant with either craving or aversion. And this is what we do all the tie as human beings. Vipassana meditation helps you come out of this craving and aversion towards the attachment to these sensations, and thus on a larger canvas the habit patterns of the mind start to change. 

When you are looking for meditation books to explain the technique more deeply, I have written a book recently called Vipassana: The Timeless Secret to Meditate and Be Calm. Do pre-order it here – https://amzn.to/3cmHDkw

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