What is the Mahasi method?

[Jhana4]

I've seen the term "Mahasi method" around. Googling it doesn't give a clear, short description of what it is about.

Would anyone care to post 3-4 lines giving the gist of it?

[mikenz66]

Hi Jhana4,

Hmm 4 lines to summarize everything? Simply, the Mahasi method is what Sayadaw Mahasi and his students teach....

You can find a lot of information at:
http://aimwell.org/
e.g. http://aimwell.org/Books/Mahasi/Fundame ... ntals.html

or
http://buddhanet.net/insight.htm
where this is the sort of short summary you're probably looking for:
http://buddhanet.net/imol/wrkshp.htm


Mike

[tiltbillings]

This from a footnote of some book, I know not which, but it neatly give the Mahasi Sayadaw rationale of teaching:

Cf. Mahasi 1990:PP.17and 21:"the actual method of practice in vipassana meditation is
to ... observe ... the successive occurrences of seeing, hearing, and so on, at the six
sense doors. However, it will not be possible for a beginner to follow these on all successive
incidents as they occur, because his mindfulness, concentration and knowledge
are still very weak. ... A simpler and easier form of the exercise for a beginner is
this: With every breath there occurs in the abdomen a rising-falling movement. Abeginner
should start with the exercise of noting this movement." Mahasi 1992: P.7S:
"we used to instruct the yogi whose powers of concentration have strengthened to
extend this method o fmeditation to noting all that happens at his six sense doors." Ba
Khin 1985=P.94: "in fact one can develop the understanding of anicca through any of
the six organs of sense. In practice, however, we have found that ... the feeling by
contact of touch ... is more tangible than other types of feeling and therefore a beginner
in Vipassana meditation can come to the understanding of anicca more easily
through bodily feelings .... This is the main reason we have chosen the body feelings
as a medium for the quick understanding of anicca. It is open to anyone to try other
means, but my suggestion is that one should have oneself well established in the
understanding of anicca through bodily feelings before an attempt is made through
other types of feeling."

[Jhana4]

That is pretty much what I wanted, a thumbnail sketch of what those people actually do when they sit down to practice.

Thanks much.