Abstract

This qualitative research has three objectives, namely; 1. to study the concept of insight meditation in Theravāda Buddhism, 2. to lean the teaching of insight meditation in Myanmar and Thailand based on Mahasi Sayadaw and 3. bring out a comparative and contemporary meditation practice in Myanmar and Thailand.

The findings showed that Thailand has greatly influenced by the new meditation technique of Myanmar, though Thailand alone has its long history of meditation tradition for hundreds of years. Myanmar has produced a few historical great figures in Theravāda Buddhist tradition and who played a very important role of fundamental meditational needs for monks and lay followers. Among all those great figures, Mahasi Sayadaw is one of those who had newly introduced the vipassanā technique in Myanmar and immediately obtained high recognition and acceptance by the Buddhist practitioners and scholastic world. This research paper describes the historical background of meditation, mainly Samatha and Vipassanā as practiced by the Buddha himself, its development in different time periods and contemporary popular meditative traditions in Theravāda Buddhist countries.

Moreover, the four foundations of Vipassanā meditation that which adopted by the Mahasi Sayadaw and “rising and falling of abdomen” as the primary object of concentration has been shown its step by step progress.

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