The Art of Living Vipassana

Teachings on the practice of Vipassana Meditation and its application to every day life.

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Lesson III: The Qualities of the Buddha

The first protection offered by dharma teachings is contemplation of the buddha and the qualities of buddhahood. For those who experience moments and feeling states of low self-esteem and low confidence, it is helpful to prompt the meditator to direct focus to the characteristics and qualities of the Buddha. For those who wish to take a more secular spiritual approach, you may consider this as a prompt to focus on a role model or mentor who represents the skillful qualities that you wish to embody or strive to develop.  From my travels in Thailand, I was introduced to the practice of chanting the nine qualities of the Buddha for a series of 108 times in order to generate perseverance and self-empowerment during difficult moments of practice. These nine qualities together are a foundational mantra in Thai Buddhist culture and is commonly known as Iti Pi So. This mantra delineates the nine noble qualities of Buddha, representing the skilled disciplines of enlightened nature. 

Iti’ pi so bhagava araham sammasambuddho vijjacaranasampanno sugato lokavidu anuttaro purisadammasarathi sattha devamanussanam buddho bhagava’ti. 

Common Translation:  "Thus indeed is the Exalted One (1) an accomplished one, (2) a fully-enlightened one, (3) endowed with knowledge and good conduct, (4) well gone or gone to bliss, (5) a knower of the world, (6) an unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, (7) a teacher of humans and devas, (8) the awakened or the one who knows, (9) the sublime or exalted."

These nine qualities are meant to inspire and uplift you as you practice. Interpret the words as you feel inclined. When unwholesome mental states arise, focus on the qualities you are generating and learning as you practice. This protective mantra of noble qualities and character traits remind us of what we are training to embody. Within Mahayana Buddhist traditions these notable qualities are believed to inherently reside within each of us as our inborn “buddha nature.” 

During your insight practice, if feeling states arise which attack your confidence, consider reciting a mantra that reminds you of the qualities you strive to embody or align with your values. The effect of this recitation will neutralize self-doubt and remind you of who you truly are. If the provided mantra is not your preferred practice, you may consider reciting motivational language that is relevant to you. I have many times turned to a motivational speech delivered by Janaya Future Khan called “Be the Light” for inspiration of guiding principles and future states to be attained through practice and repeated action Anything that reminds you of purpose, meaning and qualities worth striving for can be used as a protective tool during insight practice. 

Equip yourselves with motivational material. Begin to collect quotes that inspire you, mantras, videos, memes and other media that ignite your passion for living. Keeping these things at your reach will prove useful during moments when you encounter the more challenging aspects of your own consciousness and psychology. Practice and repeat this material on a regular basis and incorporate it into your daily practice. 

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Lesson II: The Four Protections

As one can gather from the previous lesson, it is advised that one should prepare to take great care of one’s own psychological welfare when embarking on a path of consciousness exploration. When choosing to practice insight, as one encounters their mental objects, thoughts and feeling states, those unknown factors may trigger negative responses as much as positive, joyful and neutral ones. 

This preparatory study is not just for Vipassana practice alone. Any practice that leads one on a journey of inner exploration, all yogas, all occult practices, all spiritual practices and personal development journeys. Whichever your chosen path, care for the mind during periods of retreat and isolation are of utmost importance for your own safety and the safety of others. Should you find yourself in a situation of suicidal ideation or urges to self-harm, contact your local suicide hotline. I recommend having a spiritual friend or community with whom to practice or connect with about your practice regularly. The teaching of Buddhist dharma offers a framework of psychological protection for those embarking upon personal consciousness exploration, known as The Four Protections. For the prevention of and to counterbalance unwholesome, frightening or other negative conscious states, it is recommended by buddhist teachings to resort to the conscious practice of reflection upon four objects of meditation: 

1) The qualities of buddha nature or embodied conscious wakefulness

2) Compassion or lovingkindness

3) The nature of the body

4) The nature of impermanence 

I have found in my practice that these four protective meditations have neutralized or transformed extreme and unwanted consciousness states and prevent harm to the body or others when working through difficult emotions.  These lessons are not intended to frighten or dissuade anyone from the practice of vipassana, only to prepare one to face one’s own consciousness with a Lion’s Gaze. Just as safety would be provided when completing the inner work of therapy and counselling, vipassana practice is no different. In the coming lessons, we will spend some time exploring the four protections, equipping ourselves with tools and elixirs for the inner journey. 

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Lesson I

I would be remiss as a teacher and counsellor to forgo preparing (to the best of my abilities and utmost care) those who bravely choose to explore the inner workings of their own consciousness. Just as a sojourn in the wilderness requires packing the basic necessities of life, medicines and tools for safety, sitting in meditation - especially a silent meditation practice like Vipassana - a meditator must be equipped with the same supplies for personal care and safety. 

A period of intensive isolated silent meditation does have its contraindications for certain individuals. This is a group of people I serve as a psychotherapist and mentor. As my continuous training and research in psychotherapy and healing emotional trauma informs me, the modality in use at many times must be modified and tailored to suit the individual or client to reduce the potential for harm. 

For those on a journey of emotional healing, the technique of vipassana meditation- specifically vipassana practiced in traditional and highly-controlled environments- may be far too aggressive of a practice for someone experiencing relapse of PTSD, suicidal ideation, recent hospitalization and psychotic episodes for example, triggering further harm than was intended to be avoided. Intensive Vipassana meditation can indeed be an insightful and healing tool for many; however, those with sensitive mental wellness needs should take extra great care when practising alone. There is nothing dishonourable about modifying the practice and programming of intensive Vipassana meditation. One’s practice does not have to reflect the rigidity of the 10-day silent retreats that have recently increased in popularity across the world and in the West especially. Benefit can be achieved in all experiences; and each experience is valid and worthy of making progress in practice. 

In this course of instruction, I offer an accessible and modifiable practice for beginners and experienced meditators alike, specifically with those in mind who seek yogic practices for the therapeutic effect of mental wellness. Long periods of unguided silent sitting can trigger negative symptoms for some. Be gentle with yourselves. There is no expectation to perform anything to perfection. Only step-by-step progress. In fact, release expectation of what a good meditation practice looks like. Vipassana is not meant to be a penance, punishment or self-oppression, only a path to personal awareness and insight. I approach this practice with radical compassion and invite you to do the same. Release judgment, and self-judgment regarding this practice.