Self Awareness Through Meditation

Author(s): Ranjitsingh Kumat
Publisher: Ranjitsingh Kumat

Page 88

MEDITATION IN BUDDHA SYSTEM VIPASSANA
Importance of Vedana
Vipassana gives highest importance to Vedana or sensation. Sensation means what we experience on our body and everything that arises in the mind is accompanied by bodily sensation. Therefore, the specific tool that a Vipassana meditator uses to develop experiential wisdom is bodily sensation. By observing sensations objectively throughout the body, it is realized that they all have the same nature of arising and passing away; the nature of impermanence. So long as we do not realize this true nature of sensations, we get attached to the objects wherefrom we receive these sensations. This is called ignorance or ‘Avidya'. This creates craving in us and we run after the objects as per the directions of our sense organs. This cycle of ignorance and the suffering through craving and aversion is best explained in the doctrine of paticcasamuppaada? (the doctrine of interdependence.) It has been explained as under:
1. Avidya or Ignorance—Not knowing the true nature of sensations, we
develop craving or aversion for the objects of the world. 2. Sankhara (volitional activities)—we react according to craving or
aversion for the objects. 3. Vinana or consciousness—the sankhara leads to creation of consciousness
or chetana. 4. Nama-rupa or mind and matter—consciousness leads to creation of
mind and our body that we acquire by taking birth. 5. Salayatana or six sense doors—Acquiring of body leads to acquisition
of sense organs that help in sensing the objects. 6. Phassa or contact—Sense organs have touch with the worldly objects
and sense them or obtain sensations from them 7. Vedana or sensations—The touch results in receipt of sensations on
the body 8. Tanha or Craving—Sensations received on body lead to tanha or
craving. Pleasant sensations lead to craving and unpleasant to aversion.
Both are included in the term tanha or craving. 9. Upadana or Clinging—Craving results in upadana or clinging or
attachment if it is pleasant and aversion and hatred if it is unpleasant. 10. Bhava or becoming—The clinging or attachment results in bhava
or becoming. We move around in this world and in different births
according to the attachment, clinging and aversion. 11. Jati or birth—Bhava or becoming leads to birth. We take birth precisely
to fulfil the desires imbibed while experiencing the sensations.