Compilation of my tweets (19 Oct 2010) on Burma and Vipassana:
- @AdamPantouw: FREE BURMA! RT @thejakartaglobe: Burma Bans Foreign Observers for Polls http://bit.ly/cqEKaB
- Aung San Suu Kyi won Burma last election twenty years ago but was never allowed to take power by Burma Military Junta.
- This Nov. 7 Burma will have it’s first election after 20 years. Aung San Suu Kyi will be freed on 13 Nov, after the election.
- Ancient Burma was known as Suvarnabhumi (Golden Land) while ancient Sumatra was known as Suvarnadvipa (Golden Peninsula).
- Burma is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population (of which 89% are Buddhist).
- Burma was the last country to hold Theravada Buddhist Council. The sixth council was attended by 2,500 monastics from 8 Buddhist countries.
- The Council lasted from Vesak 1954 to Vesak 1956 (2 years), completed on the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha’s Parinibbāna (passing away).
- The purpose of the council was to preserve the Buddha’s teachings. There were monks who could recite the whole Tipitaka (16.000 pages).
- Venerable Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa was the first to recite 16.000 pages of Tipitaka. A world record -> http://bit.ly/aBHkc5
- But the most famous practice of Buddhism in Burma is not reciting Tipitaka, it’s Vipassana meditation, Insight meditation.
- Buddhism was spread to Burma by missionaries sent by King Asoka of India. But modern world of Buddhism owes a lot to Burma.
- The first Indonesian-born Buddhist monk was ordained in Burma, Venerable Ashin Jinarakkhita. His preceptor was Mahasi Sayadaw.
- Mahasi Sayadaw was the most respectable Vipassana master. He introduced Vipassana practice to laymen, a rare thing in the past.
- Many believe Mahasi Sayadaw might have been enlightened, became an Arahat -the one that has complete realization of Nirvana.
- Although Burma is governed by military junta, the practice of Buddhism in that country isn’t suppressed. Foreigners are welcome.
- One friend went to Burma as marketing staff of pharmaceutical company. He loved Burma so much that he decided to stay there.
- He studied Buddhism and especially Vipassana in Burma, quit his job and then returned to Indonesia to establish Buddhist books publisher.
- Insight Meditation. The Art of Living. Check this ->http://www.dhamma.org/en/art.shtml RT @assyaukanie: @benhanwhat is vipassana, Ben?
- According to Buddhism, there are two types of meditation: Samatha and Vipassana. Samatha is meditation that is based on concentration…
- Reciting prayers, mantras, words, object visualization, concentration on breathing are categorized as Samatha Meditation.
- Samatha meditation will result in calmness, bliss, peaceful state of mind. A very deep meditation will even enter ‘jhana’ state.
- Vipassana meditation is not based on concentration. It is about the observation of body and mind without any force. Mindfulness.
- With vipassana, we learn how to accept thing as it is, how to let go. Thus vipassana results in insight, wisdom.
- The wisdom arises in vipassana is special, it’s wisdom acquired by experience. It is not wisdom as told by others, or scriptures.
- Just like when you touch fire and you know by yourself that it burns, it’s not comparable with someone telling you that fire burns.
- Or when you learn to swim and are amazed that you can float in the water, it isn’t comparable with being told that man can swim.
- Three supreme wisdoms might arise in Vipassana for one that has practiced diligently: Dukkha, Anicca and Anatta.
- Anicca=The impermanence of life. In vipassana, one will realize that everything is changing. Thoughts will rise and cease…
- Change is taking place from moment to moment but in daily life we choose to ignore it. We try to preserve the permanent image of ourselves.
- We try to think that everyone’s thought of ourselves is permanent. That people love us, that we’re going to stay the same forever.
- In vipassana, we have to face the reality. We see our own thoughts, those that were avoided so far by us. We have to face them.
- Hatred, fear, love, those feelings aren’t like what we imagine. There is no permanent feeling towards someone or things…
- We will then realize our feelings are merely reactions to contacts. And that reactions are changing, very clear in vipassana.
- After understanding anicca, the impermanence of life, one will come to dukkha, life is unsatisfactory. It is not a pessimistic view of life.
- Life is unsatisfactory because we tend to cling to things, which are impermanent. We’re bound to suffering when the time of separation comes
- Separation with the ones we love is definitive. But we seldom dare to think about it, why? Bcoz we cling to the idea of permanency.
- In Vipassana, we can’t avoid it. That thought will come and we have to face it. We then have to accept: the relationship isn’t permanent.
- You may say, “I can think about the impermanence of my relationship and I understand it, why I need meditation to tell me?”
- The answer is you can’t get deep understanding of things only with your surface mind. In meditation everything turns much more clear.
- In meditation, even subtle feeling can turn gross. The smallest detail turns big. Things that you try to hide emerge blatantly.
- And at the end the knowledge of Anicca and Dukkha will culminate in the best kept secret: the Anatta, the delusion of existence of Self.
- I can’t explain Anatta because only those who have attained the supreme truth, realization of Nibbana (Nirvana) could explain it.
- If you want to know more ->The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation http://www.dhamma.org/en/art.shtml
- Dalam bahasa Indonesia ->Seni Hidup: Meditasi Vipassana http://www.indonesian.dhamma.org/art.htm
- All these Vipassana tweets were triggered by the election in Burma. May people of Burma finally find peace and democracy. They deserve it.
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