A Study of The Buddhist Insight Meditation Practice in Sāla Sutta

Abstract

The objectives of this article were 1) to study the content and important teachings in Sāla Sutta, and 2) to study Vipassana practice in Sāla Sutta. The research data was taken from Theravada Buddhist scriptures and documents related, then summarized, analyzed, and finally compiled in descriptive type. The results revealed that the description of vipassana practice in Sāla Sutta revealed that the practical method refers to Vipassana meditation based on Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna principles, namely 1) in Kāyānupassanāsatipaṭṭhāna, the practitioners must start, with diligence and continual awareness, observing four movements of the body, namely walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, etc.; 2) in Vedanāunpassanāsatipaṭṭhāna, the  practitioners, with diligence and continual awareness, observes feeling namely happiness, suffering, and equanimity; 3) in Cittānupassanāsatipaṭṭhāna, the practitioners, with diligence and continual awareness observing the 16 consciousness types, for example, having mental lust, he knows that the mind has lust, etc.; and 4) In Dhammānupassanāsatipaṭṭhāna, practitioners, with diligence and continual awareness, observe all mental formations in 5 sections, for example, the Yogi uses mindfulness to observe the five hindrances, which are the barrier of attaining wholesome mind such as absorption etc. They are other important teaching in this Sutta: 1) Ātāpī or great diligence for eliminating defilements, and 2) the four types of awareness or Sampajañña, namely Sātathakasampajañña, Sāppāyasampajañña, Gocarasampajañña, Asammohasampajañña.