Vipassana is an ancient Buddhist meditation technique. It is rendered as lhak-thong (ལྷག་མཐོང་) in Mahayana-Vajrayana traditions, which means to “see more”, “see clearly”. In these traditions, though, the Lhak-thong practices require prior understanding of the core philosophies of compassion (Dz. སྙིང་རྗེ་, nyingjéy, Skt. Karuna) and emptiness (Dz: སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ – tongpa nyi, Sanskrit: Sunyata) – and is rarely delivered to a novice or lay practitioners. Training in another meditation technique called Shamatha (Dz. ཞི་གནས་, Zhi-néy, Sanskrit: Samatha) is also seen as a requirement, or as the foundational meditation technique, in the Mahayana school and its offshoots.

Vipassana as delivered in the Goenka Tradition is a simplified, but a powerful and experiential training in Buddha’s Eightfold Noble Path. Its ultimate goal is for one to work towards liberation by focussing on the concepts of Anicca (Dzongkha: མི་རྟག་པ་, mitakpa; English: Impermanence) and equanimity (Dz: བཏང་སྙོམས་, tang-nyom; Skt: Upek-kha) in which one develops a mind that it is free from the attitude of attachment to some and aversion to others. A balanced and calm mind, so to speak. It is based on the universal law of nature that all things are in a constant state of flux, including one’s body and mind. Hence, by sitting still, observing your breath, and by exploring inwards with a calm mind, one can feel the sensations arising and fading – which signifies the impermanence nature of all phenomena.

As you enter the 10-day programme you have to deposit your ego, status, and smartphones at the Reception Desk and for the entire duration you have to live like a monk or a nun – by subscribing to the Five Precepts of Buddhism, and meditate in total silence, guided by a teacher. You sleep in a simple room, and eat what is offered by the centre through the generosity of others. Day starts at 4 in the morning and ends at 9 in the night.

In absence of such a simple, a yet profound, technique for lay pratitioners in Mahayana followers (there maybe one), Vipassana is very popular among the Bhutanese. There are many who have embraced it and continue to practise, as well as new students like me getting into it.

Does this practice contradict with Vajrayana-Mahayana practices? No. To put it simply, Vajrayana Buddhism among non-monastic followers and practitioners engage in meritorous acts such as supporting the Sangha and reciting the mantras that are believed to propel one to salvation. Vipassana invites people to undertake inward journeys only – to explore one’s mind and purify it. So the two practices are complementary.