Venerable Sujiva

Preface

If a person is energetic, mindful,
pure in his thought, word and deed,
and if he does everything with care
and consideration in senses restrain,
he earns his living according to the Truth.
And if the person is not unheedful,
the fame and fortune of that mindful person
steadily increases

It is not an task easy to approach such a profound topic as Insight Meditation in simple terms. But we have to start somewhere. After some years of introducing this type of meditation, I still find a lack of introductory booklets for those without any knowledge of Buddhism. Many of them are extremely technical – loaded with ancient Indian terminology, for which words in the English vocabulary can never hope to substitute perfectly. So I have tried to come up with something easier to read and understand. Even in this booklet I have used some English words – such as ‘conditioned’ and ‘suffering’ – which need special explanation when they are used in a ‘Buddhist’ sense.

What I have offered here will give you an idea as to what to do when you decide to take the first step. Even for those who go on a retreat, the initial instructions must be repeated several times before they are understood. For a better grasp of the techniques and ideas, it would be best to consult a meditation teacher.

See what you can make out of it. If, after reading this, you go one step further in trying to practise Insight Meditation for yourself, then I have succeeded.

Sujiva
Santisukharama, Kota Tinggi, Malaysia