01.1 Course Outline and Mahasi Method

7/21/2019 01.1 Course Outline and Mahasi Method

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Introduction to

Vipassana meditation

(Mahasi method)



Course Outline

Lesson 1 : Who is Mahasi SayadawWhat is the Mahasi method

Basic meditation instructions

Lesson 2 : What is Buddhist meditationGroup & individual meditation practice

Lesson 3 : Satipatthana Sutta

Group meditation practice

Group & individual meditation practiceLesson 4 : happana Sutta! Malun"yaputta Sutta

#he $ive %indrances

Group & individual meditation practice



Course Outline







#he $ive %indrances




Course Outline



Lesson 2 : What is Buddhist meditation




Lesson 4 : happana Sutta! Malun"yaputta Sutta#he $ive %indrances




Course Outline



Lesson 2 : What is Buddhist meditation




Lesson 4 : happana Sutta! Malun"yaputta SuttaGroup & individual meditation practice



Course Outline

Lesson : $our Brahma 'iharas & Metta SuttaMetta meditation

(ndividual ) & *

Lesson + : Samatha and 'ipassana meditation ,

#heir di--erences and e.ual importance

(ndividual ) & *

Lesson / : Modern applications o- Mind-ulness

32 0arts o- the Body contemplation(ndividual ) & *

Lesson : Group & individual meditation practice

(ndividual ) & *



Course Outline


(ndividual ) & *



(ndividual ) & *




(ndividual ) & *



Course Outline


(ndividual ) & *



(ndividual ) & *



Lesson : %indrances and (mpediments

(ndividual ) & *



Background to the Mahasi method

#here are many types o- Buddhist

meditation techni.ues with di--erent

methods used y di--erent teachers

5amples o- such techni.ues are

visuali6ations o- the Buddha or various

deities! meditation on the cha"ras!

meditation with mantras! meditation on

the reath! etc




#here are many types o- Buddhist

meditation techni.ues with di--erent

methods used y di--erent teachers

5amples o- such techni.ues are

visuali6ations o- the Buddha or various

deities! meditation on the cha"ras!

meditation with mantras! meditation on

the reath! etc




%owever! the most success-ul and

widespread techni.ues o- recent times is

the method tau7ht y Mahasi Sayadaw

#his method is ased on the teachin7s o-

the Satipatthana Sutta! one o- the most

important teachin7s o- the Buddha

(t uses the reath as the meditation

o8ect centred on the adomen! as well

as techni.ues -or all the -our postures




#he late Mahasi Sayadaw was orn in

194 in upper Burma! north o- Mandalay

%e studied the Buddhist scriptures

e-ore ta"in7 up meditation practiceunder the 7uidance o- Min7un Sayadaw

Min7un Sayadaw was a pioneer in the

revival o- 'ipassana ;(nsi7ht< meditation

in Burma! and in particular the

movement to teach 'ipassana to lay

people




*-ter completin7 his trainin7! Mahasi

Sayadaw returned to his home

monastery to teach

When Burma ecame independent in

194 the new 7overnment sponsored a

revival o- Buddhism Mahasi Sayadaw

was invited to e in char7e o- a new

meditation centre in =an7oon which was

developed to teach meditation practice to

lar7e numers o- lay people




#his was an innovation! as in traditional

Buddhist societies meditation is

7enerally practiced only y the mon"s

#he meditation method associated with

Mahasi Sayadaw is a 'ipassana ;(nsi7ht

meditation< method! desi7ned

speci-ically to allow lay people in the

modern world to attain the e5perience o-

>iana




*t the historic Si5th Buddhist ouncil! on

in 194! Mahasi Sayadaw played an

eminent role! underta"in7 the tas"s o-

$inal ditor and )uestioner

(n the editin7 o- this commentarial

literature! he was responsile -or ma"in7

a critical analysis! sound interpretation!

and s"il-ul reconciliation o- several

crucial! ut diver7ent passa7es




Suse.uently and at the re.uest o- the

Government o- Sri Lan"a! a special

mission headed y Sayadaw ? Su8ata!

an eminent deputy o- Mahasi Sayadaw!went there in 19

#he mission stayed -or over a year

settin7 up twelve permanent and

seventeen temporary meditation centres




$ollowin7 the completion o- a meditation

centre on a site 7ranted y the Sri

Lan"an Government! a lar7er mission

led y Mahasi Sayadaw le-t -or SriLan"a

#his historic visit o- the Burmese mission

under the leadership o- Mahasi Sayadaw

led to a revival o- interest in meditation in

Sri Lan"a! which had drastically

declined




(n 192! at the re.uest o- the #hai Minister

-or San7ha *--airs! Mahasi Sayadaw sent

two deputies -or the promotion o-

'ipassana meditation in #hailand! whichwas no lon7er widely practiced

#han"s to their e--orts! the Mahasi method

7ained wide acceptance in #hailand By

19+! many meditation centres had een

estalished and the numer o- Mahasi

meditators e5ceeded a hundred thousand




#he Mahasi entre! now teaches

thousands o- students every year and

has over 3 ranch centres inside and

outside Burma

(t remains one o- the most important

meditation centres in the world today!

and the source o- one o- the most

in-luential meditation linea7es in

#heravada Buddhism




*mon7 the centres promotin7 the Mahasi

method are the hu7e 0anditarama and

@anduoda meditation centres in Burma

and Sri Lan"a respectively

(n Malaysia! there are the Lunas

%ermita7e! the Malaysian Buddhist

Meditation entre! and 'en *77acitta o-

the Sasanara"ha Buddhist Sanctuary was

ordained at the Mahasi Meditation entre

in Aan7on! Burma




(n addition! there are numerous centres

located in the ?S*! urope and *ustralia

*merica Burma Buddhist *ssociationhammanada 'ihara

Birmin7ham Buddhist 'ihara

Satipanya Buddhist =etreatBodhi #ree $orest Monastery! Blue

Mountains (nsi7ht Meditation entre




#he -oremost centre in Sin7apore

teachin7 the Mahasi method is the

Satipatthana Meditation entre ;SM<

located in Semawan7

(n #hailand! Wat Mahadhatu! Wat #amao

Wat 'ive" *som are amon7 the centres

a--iliated to the Mahasi Meditation entre

#he most active in conductin7 courses in

the Mahasi Method! is the AB*# 7roup o-

meditation centres throu7hout #hailand



0repared y # A Lee

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01.1 Course Outline and Mahasi Method

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