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Piyush Kulshreshtha learned vipassanā meditation as taught by
Shri S N Goenka, in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin in June 2006.
He has never practiced any other meditation technique and is
exclusively devoted to practice of vipassanā meditation for the last
18 years. To gain further clarity about Dhamma, directly from the
words of Buddha, Piyush learned Pāli in 2014-15 from Vipassanā
Research Institute (VRI). He studied Abhidhammatthasangaho since
2014 and found it fascinating and capable of answering the many
questions that arose during meditation. In 2017, he began to share
his understanding of Abhidhamma with other meditators through
the sessions organised by VRI. Benny met Piyush at a conference in
India, and interviewed him on the meaning of Vipassana, its origin
in Buddhism, its relevance for the modern world, how it is related to
mindfulness meditation and differences with samatha meditation.

The word “Vipassanā” means Anger, ill-will, hatred, covetousness, gross level awareness of bodily
seeing things clearly or seeing jealousy, sadness, regret, fear, sensations, without focusing much
things as they really are. What craving and all such reactions to the on the impermanent nature of all
do we these words mean to an mental and material phenomena sensations. It appears to be more a
ordinary person? make us restless. A common man tool for stress management.

reacts non-stop in such a manner Vipassanā meditation is about
In the Pāli Language, Vipassanā because he or she is ignorant about removal of defilements, purifying
is described as visesena passati’ti the ultimate nature of all mental the mind, changing the habit
vipassanā. To see in a special way and material phenomena, that patterns drastically and in the
is called Vipassanā. And the special they are impermanent, there is finality, irreversibly, towards
way is to focus on the “ultimate inherent suffering and that we have wholesome/skillful habits. The
nature” of all sense objects, rather no control on such phenomena. goal being so serious, a meditator
than the sense object alone. Through vipassanā, when they is gradually expected to maintain
gain insight, they stop reacting continuity of practice out of their
And the ultimate nature of all sense and become equanimous. The own volition. They are expected to
objects, mental and material, is equanimity brings them peace and gain continuous insight into ultimate
three-fold. One, that they keep happiness on one side, while it nature of all mental and material
changing, they are impermanent. weakens the habit of reacting on the phenomena, establishing them
Two, they are bound to bring other. And this brings a profound more effortlessly into maintaining
suffering. And, three, we have no positive change in people’s lives. equanimity, which eventually leads
ownership, no control over these How is Vipassanā meditation to eradication of unwholesome/
mental and material phenomena. different from mindfulness unskillful habit patterns, eventually
This is the insight we gain from meditation? Do they both have leading to liberation.
continuous observation of the the same ultimate aim?
ultimate nature of all mental and What about shamatha meditation
material phenomena. I have not practiced mindfulness. or calm abiding meditation? How
But from whatever little we read is it different from Vipassanā
As a result of this, meditators about it, mindfulness practices meditation, and should we
themselves realize the futility of all either stop at observation of practice both types of meditation
the reactions they are habituated to. breath, which is Ānāpāna, or a very in each meditation session?