Saddhamma Foundation - Supporting Vipassana Meditation and Traditional Buddhist Teachings

Meditation Information & Resources

Here is a collection of Satipatthana (Insight) Meditation resources to help yogis get started and stay on track in their spiritual development. We consider these listings as representing the most authoritative and accessible sources for the traditional teachings of the Buddha.

The Five Precepts

The effort to develop one's moral character is of paramount importance in Buddhism. By keeping the Five Precepts in daily life, a yogi builds an essential basis of morality (Sila) that is necessary for successful meditation. Good deeds and moral virtue stabilize and calm the mind so that a yogi's conscience can be clear when meditating. Developing a good foundation of moral character by keeping the precepts helps prevent remorse and guilt from arising and disturbing one's practice.

The Five Precepts are as follows:

To abstain from killing any living beings

To abstain from stealing

To abstain from sexual misconduct

To abstain from lying, tale-bearing, harsh language,
and frivolous talk

To abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs

About Satipatthana (Insight) Meditation

Introduced by the Buddha over 2500 years ago, this unique meditation practice is a precise system of scientific investigation by which one develops the power of empirical observation (Sati or Mindfulness) and reveals the underlying nature of the mind and body process. The natural result of a yogi's efforts in sustained meditative observation is a series of developmental discoveries or "insight knowledges." These knowledges reveal the true nature of existence. The accumulation and deepening of such transformative experiences builds existential wisdom which cleanses the mind of destructive mental tendencies called kilesas (greed, hatred and delusion). Firm commitment to this meditation practice ultimately leads one to the development of complete mental purity, the experience of which is known as Nibbana.
Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw

Meditation Instructions

Click here to download a PDF of meditation instructions given by The Late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw (1904-1982), the Burmese Meditation master who is the founder of our lineage of teachers. His clear and thorough instructions are based on the Buddha's teachings in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta. The power and authenticity of the Mahasi method has been proven over the years by the thousands of yogis who have successfully practiced and achieved the spiritual attainments described in the Buddhist scriptures.

Practice Daily

One should try to set aside a period of time every day for mediation. Whether it's a full hour or just a few minutes is not as important as being consistent and putting in sincere effort in keeping a routine practice. If one sits regularly then one will gradually build the skills and determination (Paramis) helpful for longer retreats. It is during sustained retreat practice that one is most able develop one's practice and make significant spiritual progress.

More Resources:>> Recommended Reading & Meditation Centers

Dhamma in Daily Life
An excerpt from a dhamma talk given by
Sayadaw U Pandita during a recent visit to the U.S.

Download PDF Version

"One should take advantage of this rare opportunity to practice while it is available (and while one is young and healthy)"

In daily life one has to give priority to one’s job and worldly matters at certain hours. And also in daily life there should be a certain part of the day where one gives priority to practicing dhamma. When worldly matters take priority you should work diligently, and at the same time try to be as mindful as possible. Even though you may not be developing vipassana knowledge when working at your job, mindfulness in daily life and having a general knowledge of what you are doing can support your practice. If you keep general mindfulness as much as you can, the defilements will not have as great a momentum than if you were not mindful at all.

Giving priority to worldly matters one can earn an income that can keep one in a higher status in the worldly sense. But earning income in worldly business is not significant compared to dhamma business. Coming across the Buddha’s teaching, it is very important to be worthy of becoming a human in this Buddha sasana. It is very important to be a true human, to have a humane mind, and to become an extra-ordinary human. One should take advantage of this rare opportunity to practice while it is available (and while one is young and healthy).

>> Continued