The Practice of Vipassana Meditation Today

Since the beginning of the twentieth century the teaching and the practice of traditional Buddhist meditation have undergone a considerable evolution in two important respects.

First, there has been a decided growth in the practice of vipassana meditation on its own, without combining it with samantha meditation.

Secondly, there has been a much greater involvement of lay person in vipassana, not only as students in ever growing numbers but also as lay meditation masters.

Both these development are mutually interrelated and are manifestations of the same overall trend: an adaption to the conditions prevailing in the modern word and a response to the growing demand for these simple and effective methods of mental culture.