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Vipassana/Theravada Buddhism
B.G.: Any lay person in society, while having families, having children, holding jobs, and being fully engaged in social activities, can practice vipassana meditation. Things that they do in life will be made easier by practicing vipassana meditation. Meditation will reduce their tensions, fears, and excitements for the better-in their family relationships, and in their jobs.
Through mindfulness practice, they will see moment to moment what is really happening. That all their life is like a river; it is a continuous flow. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch-all are constantly changing. A person can move and can flow along with these changes, instead of resisting them. They can float on, rather than sink in them.
But first, they have to pay attention to their work. People can spend at least a minute of every hour in mindfulness-in order to relieve tension that builds up in that hour. Secondly, they have to be aware of the impermanence of everything. Third, the object is to gain peace, at least temporarily. And fourth, they unite themselves with the practice of mindfulness meditation.
So by the end of the day, a person will have done ten, twelve, or fifteen minutes of meditation. That means that every hour during the day, take one minute to stop everything literally, stop everything. And close their eyes and focus. People do not have time and feel pressed; people become workaholics who are more and more interested only in their work. This is a self-perpetuating habit, a vicious cycle. It never ends. It ends only when the person has a heart attack or stroke; when something really bad happens to the person.
L.M.: This one-minute meditation is extremely helpful and practical.
B.G.: This kind of meditation doesn't require a particular place to sit. And people can have a clearer comprehension and competence in their work, when they do this type of meditation.
L.M.: Again, for someone living in the world, is it possible for them to reach enlightenment in this very life?
B.G.: Sure, sure, sure; certainly, they can do it. But gradually, not very quickly. Sometimes people say they can attain enlightenment very quickly.
L.M.: We are very impatient.
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