Questions tagged [insight]

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Meditation question

When I meditate after maybe 30 minutes I notice a shift and the meditation feels like suddenly not as much or no effort is required. It’s a nice calm feeling. Thoughts are almost non existent. Usually ...
Saddhā's user avatar
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1 answer
52 views

How to distinguish dukkha ñanas from the arising of psychological issues?

As the question states, is there a clear way to distinguish the pair? I understand that stopping one's meditation practice causes the affects of the dukka nana to end. Are there any other signs? Love ...
Fuzzy's user avatar
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2 votes
5 answers
188 views

What are the cause(s) of a biased or sticky mind?

Over the years I observed in myself and others a tendency to get stuck (to be biased) in our views, thoughts and behaviour. This appears to be the result of cognitive biases in the mind resulting in ...
Desmon's user avatar
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0 votes
3 answers
293 views

Narcissism insights in Buddhism

I've been recently observing that I am surrounded by a lot of narcissistic people which include all kinds of relationships friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances. Having been surrounded by these ...
Kobamschitzo's user avatar
2 votes
5 answers
289 views

Feeling scared/ having aversion to looking at "pretty" women

I have been doing buddhist practices and trying to keep the precepts for a few months, after an intensive retreat. I have been noticing recently that I have automatically started to avoid looking at ...
zantamaduno's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
106 views

Breaking Habitual Sin Through Understanding of Karma

Even though I am Catholic, I am discovering the Truth of the existence of karma through personal experience in my own spiritual journey. There is a certain habitual sin that I am struggling with. ...
Fomalhaut's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
85 views

How to distinguish the different stages of insight in MN 24?

In the same way, my friend, purity in terms of virtue is simply for the sake of purity in terms of mind. Purity in terms of mind is simply for the sake of purity in terms of view. Purity in terms of ...
PDT's user avatar
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2 votes
4 answers
209 views

After right concentration, how does right view change?

After right concentration, how does right view change? Do you become completely convinced by right view, or was that already the case? Is right view in some other sense more pervasive? Or is it just ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
97 views

Is Buddhist insight non-conceptual?

For me, until recently, an insight was this: having been mindful of some phenomenon that I contemplated, I then have a spontaneous idea about that phenomenon. For example, I might be contemplating ...
user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
95 views

Can We give any value to anything in truth?

Isn't everything in this world equal in value? Can we say that the value of a human being is greater than the dust?
Dum's user avatar
  • 715
2 votes
2 answers
95 views

Time vs Impermanence

What is the connection between time and impermanence ? Are they different terms for the same thing ? I heard this from philosopher, "Nibbana is like a timeless space".
Dum's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
106 views

How can I be happy at other's happiness?

How can I be happy at other's happiness ? How can I develop my willingness to see others' being happy ? If I define a happiness level, scale of 0 to 100 about being happy at others' happiness, I ...
Dum's user avatar
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3 votes
5 answers
1k views

Nothing is satisfying. Everything feels shallow, meaningless

Nothing is satisfying. Everything feels shallow, meaningless. There is no joy in eating, sleeping, working, reading, entertainment, social media, relationships, or sexual pleasures. I don't know why I ...
Equanimous_being's user avatar
1 vote
6 answers
317 views

What could be some teachings that Buddha has not revealed to us?

In Maha-parinibbana Sutta Buddha has said: "there is nothing, Ananda, with regard to the teachings that the Tathagata holds to the last with the closed fist of a teacher who keeps some things ...
user17389's user avatar
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2 votes
6 answers
157 views

Problems of a Lay Mediator

Questions: Is it normal to shy away from your family when it is hard to interact with them because they are so caught up in defilement and shaming my practices? And is it proper to not ...
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
144 views

Subconscious & Vipassana

Is the subconscious what becomes conscious when insight occurs? When the hinderances fall is the subconscious seen? What is the subconscious in relationship to the scriptures & the Abhidhamma? ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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1 vote
7 answers
224 views

I had a no-self experience, why is it a good state?

I've been meditating for about 4 months without (seemingly) getting somewhere up till about 2 weeks ago when something clicked for me after watching some interviews and talks from Gary Weber and ...
Matan Tsuberi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
39 views

Particular Benefit from Writing

I have noticed that when I write spontaneously, a lot of insight occurs. By this, I mean ideas flow in a manner generating many positive emotions as awe, joy, and movement. In Buddhism, is such ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
482 views

Is there a objective book on how vipassana of U. Mahasi and S.N. Goenka works?

I have been practicing Vipassana in S.N. Goenka's lineage for two years. I have read some of Mahasi's and Webu's Sayadaw writings as well. The biggest hindrance I've thus come across is Doubt. Every ...
Matheus's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
228 views

Buddha verifying his enlightenment

If I remember correctly, Buddha wanted to verify his insight after his sit under the Bodhi tree. He took a leaf and reversed the cause-and-effect leading to him holding that leaf in order to check ...
user14337's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
98 views

Where can one find guidance from a teacher next year in 2018?

Where on Earth or online are future retreats or classes for an insight practitioner to get Dhamma guidance and/or guidance through some version of the stages of insight meditation? Are there teachers ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
98 views

Different meditation approaches within Theravada

I talked to a monk at a Thai Theravada based monastery recently and he told me that they primarily use breath meditation and jhana to gain awakening. And then there are other traditions, like yours, ...
Scott's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
796 views

Insight in Buddhism

What is "insight" the "knowing that I know" in Buddhism? I understand the concept of consciousness a bit better but what about having Insight.
Carlos Raimundo's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
325 views

Compassion and Wisdom

Does wise practice of compassion ever lead to suffering or bliss for the practitioner? Is there a difference between compassion cultivated through the Brammaviharas and compassion cultivated through ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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6 votes
8 answers
6k views

How do you know if you have bad/good karma?

Is it possible to know if you have bad or good karma? A lot of things have happened to me in life that is very negative. I believe partially it is my own fault because the way I am and how others ...
NuWin's user avatar
  • 351
4 votes
7 answers
271 views

What the Buddha saw

In a book I am reading it says "This is what the Buddha realized by examining himself. With his strongly concentrated mind, he penetrated deeply into his own nature and found that the entire material ...
Arturia's user avatar
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9 votes
10 answers
942 views

Seeing things as they are

There's a lot of emphasis within the insight tradition on "seeing things as they are" , "turning towards difficult emotions" etc etc. But in my experience it's not always the best advise. For ...
Arturia's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
340 views

Is this considered insight?

I have noticed during formal meditation and also off the cushion that everything can be broken down into what seems like an infinite amount of moments. For example when swallowing I can notice so ...
Arturia's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
108 views

Insight guidance

During meditation I focus on breath and when mind wanders I bring it gently back to breath. I have been doing this for 6 years. Most of the time there is this continuous noise. It's a mishmash of ...
Saddhā's user avatar
  • 527
4 votes
1 answer
102 views

How should a disciple of the Buddha with great samadhi verify that rebirth occurs after physical death?

I asked my teacher how somebody should see for themselves that rebirth occurs, he (a Theravadin monastic) said that with great samadhi one should watch the twelve nidanas (the process of dependant co-...
Hugh's user avatar
  • 1,603
3 votes
3 answers
409 views

State between Equanimity and 1st or 2nd or further path

I heard from my teacher that between the insight "equanimity of formation" and the following path insights the meditator can be stuck in a delusion state. This state can only be mastered if the ...
makurisan's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
68 views

How is the "self" able to recognize the interplay between the cognitive process and "desire"?

I read in Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts by Bhikkhu Bodhi that "cognition is subservient to wish", and "in subtle ways concealed from ourselves our desires condition our perceptions": ...
PaPa's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
139 views

Jhāna, seeing the welfare of self and other

I am looking for a sutta in which something is said--roughly: that unless one has suppressed the hindrances, one cannot see the welfare of self or other. Or that without jhāna one cannot see one's own ...
Adamokkha's user avatar
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5 votes
5 answers
313 views

Is the attainment of natural wisdom exclusive to Buddhism?

Regardless of the medium, or the path, do you know of any other traditions, or religions, or ways to attain wisdom? Wisdom as it's known in buddhist tradition: Seeing things as they are.
wanderer's user avatar
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14 votes
7 answers
883 views

Why does insight lead to to compassion?

Am I correct in asserting that an increasing level of insight into the true nature of things leads to compassion. Or to put it another way insight is a condition for compassion. From my reading it ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
81 views

Can you skip the 7 purifications and gain straight insight into phenomenon?

Is it possible to skip the 7 purifications and gain straight insight into phenomenon?
Buddhistdude's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
252 views

Can you go through all 7 purifications of insight with walking meditation?

Can you go through all 7 purifications of insight with walking meditation. Can you also go through the 7 purifications of insight by focusing on your steps and saying to yourself "stepping, stepping"?
Buddhistdude's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
62 views

Can insight be gained at any point in insight meditation, or do you have to go through all 7 purifications of insight?

Can insight into impermanence suffering and not-self be gained at any point in insight practice or do you have to go through all 7 purifications of insight?
Buddhistdude's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
385 views

What is meant by the 8 stages of insight?

I have heard that there are 8 attainments or stages of insight in the progression of Vipassana, can anyone explain? I'm familiar with the 8 stages of jhana but I believe this is in reference to ...
MFS's user avatar
  • 551
4 votes
3 answers
4k views

In Vipassana, what's the difference between 1st and 2nd "knowledge of dissolution" (paṭhama- & dutiya- bhanga-ñāṇa)

One of the main station of insight before stream entry is bhanga-ñāṇa. In some explanations this seems to be subdivided further into 1st (paṭhama) and 2nd (dutiya) bhanga-ñāṇa ("knowledge of ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Buddhist Centres in Paris?

I moved to France, Paris recently. I am seeking any meditation centres vipasana, zen, Insight etc., where I can also communicate in English, since I don't speak much French. Can anyone here who ...
user40469's user avatar
10 votes
4 answers
665 views

In terms of reliability of understanding reality, how does the scientific method compare with Buddhist insight practice? [closed]

Posted based on a requested edit to this question The modern "scientific method", perhaps as espoused in Karl Popper's "The Logic of Scientific Discovery", is seen today by many, especially in the ...
yuttadhammo's user avatar
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