A STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION EMOTION EXAMINATION IN BUDDHISM

Abstract

     The objectives of this research article were: 1) to study the essential concept and importance of Vipassanā meditation emotion in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the development of the Vipassanā meditation object examination in Buddhism in the case study of “Rising-Falling Meditation’. This qualitative study was carried out through various document investigations: Tripiṭaka, Commentary and related documents. The data obtained were analyzed and synthesized through the descriptive analysis.

     The result of the study found that Vipassanā meditation emotion refers to the emotion which keep the mind to be endowed with wisdom; namely, Vipassanā emotion: the 5 Aggregates (Pāli: khandha), internal and 12 external sense-fields (Pāli: āyatana), 18 elements (Pāli: dhātu), 22 faculties (Pāli: indriya) and dependent origination (Pāli: paṭiccasamuppāda). The Vipassanā emotion are classified into the four mindfulness (Pāli: satipaṭṭhāna) as tangible (Pāli: rūpa) and intangible emotion (Pāli: nāma). The important doctrines of Vipassanā meditation is concentration on the tangible and intangible emotion, not his or our self as the emotional object.

     The development of the Vipassanā meditation object examination: the case study of ‘Rising-Falling Meditation’ in Thailand can be traced back to the meditation object examination of the Buddha as found in the Anattalakhaṇa Sutta or Cūlapathaka Sutta and the practices of Phra Sophonmahathera Aggarabundit or Maha Sisayador (Burmese) who simplified the meditation method based on training consciousness to stand still at the Wind Element (Pāli: vāyadhātu) (Rising and Falling) according to the principles of mindfulness. In 1952, Phra Dhamdhirarajamuni (Shodok Yansitthi, Pāli 9) went to study this meditation method with Maha Sisayador and came back to Thailand to diffuse this meditation based on the initiative of Somdej Aaj Āsapha Mahathera. The Vipassanā institute then was established at Mahadhātu temple, Bangkok and the development of Vipassanā meditation object examination in line of ‘Rising-Falling Meditation such as the method for teaching mindfulness ‘Rising Falling’, examination of intrinsic knowledge contestations and delivery method of emotion with details has begun.