Vipassana: the Buddha's tool to probe mind and body.

Vipassana, a first-person method taught by the Buddha for examining conscious experience, is most thoroughly detailed in the Satipatthana Sutta. This chapter reviews salient features of Vipassana practice as described in that text. The authors suggest that formal first-person methods may become necessary for tracking internal subjective states in the scientific study of consciousness, and that reviewing classical methods could guide further research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The chapter reviews certain practical aspects related to Vipassana , a first-person method taught by the Buddha, to probe one's stream of conscious experience, its contents and related material events. Although references to Vipassana are found scattered throughout the Pali literature the most comprehensive and detailed account with regard to its practice is contained in the Satipatthana Sutta. This chapter summarizes some salient features of Vipassana practice as found in the Sutta. It could be possible that formal first-person methods will be found necessary to track the succession of internal subjective states even in the scientific study of consciousness. A review of classical methods could provide directions for further studies.