The interface of samatha and vipassanā in the Insight Meditation methods of Goenka, Mahāsī, Mogok and Pa Auk
Otávio Vieira
Estrema: revista interdisciplinar de humanidades 2023 DOI: 10.51427/com.est.2023.02.02.0009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Traces two main approaches among four Burmese masters: samatha as preparation for vipassanā, and vipassanā without preparatory samatha (dry insight). |
Abstract
This article traces interface among four renowned Burmese masters of the Insight Meditation Movement, its political-historical context, and their distinct theoretical understandings and practical ways of dealing with two interrelated aspects of meditation: samatha (concentration) and vipassanā (wisdom). Two main approaches are found: samatha as a preparation for vipassanā, and vipassanā without samatha as a prerequisite. Whereas Goenka and Mogok promulgate a short practice of samatha, Pa Auk focuses on achieving the four jhanās (deep samatha absorption) before vipassanā can be practiced. By contrast, Mahāsī teaches vipassanā without preparatory samatha (dry insight), as momentary concentration develops the required level for insight practice.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |