Daryl Wong, my vipassana meditation brother, Financial Consultant cum Coach has kindly contributed the following article on Vipassana Meditation vs. Qigong. He’s standing next to me, third guy from the left, on the top row. He’s wearing glasses.
Vipassana Meditation vs. Qigong by Daryl Wong
I started my first contact with Buddhism since 1994. Thereafter, my interest in searching the truths of Buddha’s teachings on universal dhamma has continually inspired me to read many sutras, alongside with attendances to many talks in Singapore monasteries. In 1998, I adopted Pureland practice mainly due to the influence of Master Rev. “Shi Chinkong”. His unlimited wisdom and immeasurable compassion has set forth a great milestone for many followers, including me, to pursue in this simple teachings among all others imparted by Lord Buddha.
As a Buddhist, It was only natural for me to think then that meditation was essential part of practicing Buddhism. As a layman, I thought it would be great to sit down for hours and cultivate the calmness like those masters depicted in movies or comics. Hence, I picked up practicing a Qigong meditation which originates from Zen Buddhism.
This meditation technique that I used to learn is about adopting a correct posture with regulated breathing, thus developing and circulating the vital energy called “Chi” throughout your body. Frankly, it has been very beneficial for health as well as mind training. After practicing it, I started to “disown” my anger and became less stressful in my personal life. Of course, to accomplish this improvement, I had also put in lots of effort to read, understand and practice the value of a faithful Buddhist.
Personally, Buddhism has changed my life and my personal behavior since many years ago. Though life has many ups and downs, the cultivated wisdom, equanimity and patience have helped me a lot to resolve many differences that rose from the circles of work, business, friends and family. Somehow, I have always thought the qigong meditation played an important part in my personal transformation. Indeed, after 10 years of practice, it was only recently that I discovered I could have done it better if I had adopted the Vipassana meditation!
Today, most of the Qigong meditations originate from Taoist and Buddhist teachings. The Buddhist style is usually derived from Zen practice. As Qigong has been scientifically proven and recognized as a health-oriented exercise (both in sitting or moving styles), many people are pursuing them on very superficial goal just like what I did!
From my personal knowledge, Qigong meditation basically teaches practitioners how to develop the awareness of “Chi” or “Qi” (known as vital energy flow in our bodies) and use it to self-cleanse our inner-system. The smooth flow of the inner energy, after practicing for few months, will naturally emit the elation and calmness in oneself when it is guided all over the body. Definitely, the results are multi-beneficial to improving health through consistent practice. Nevertheless, such methods simply target to health improvements and learners are taught to pursue and enjoy the blissful feelings while during practice! In fact, the teacher (a non-bikkhu) who taught me Zen-style meditation told me to avoid the physical pain whenever it came about (while during practice), by rubbing it or focus on other part of the body that emitted elated sensation!
Personally, I have been very grateful all this while that such Qigong meditation has given me great health. Simultaneously, it has also become an addiction to many people, including myself, since every completion of such Qigong practice (or exercise) always gives you more energetic and feel happier!
The word “Vipassana” was first known to me in 2001 through a friend. Even though as a Buddhist, I took it for granted that it might be just one of the same techniques that I already knew. In fact, it has always puzzled me on why “Vipassana” course needs 10-days duration. Truthfully speaking, it will be very difficult for anyone to take 10-days leave from the conventional job for such a meager reason. Hence, I gave myself excuses all these years not to go for this retreat. However, I have always visited the websites in India and Singapore regularly even though the unknown fear has always successfully stopped me from making the advance!
The problem with educated and civilized people is they like to plan everything about their lives. Everything they do must justify with a reason and every measure of an action must constitute a reward!
Do not let this hindrance stop you! This destructive mentality has deterred me from pursuing Vipassana meditation course for years. It will do likewise to you if you do not finish reading this article!
In June 2007, I met a new friend from Kuching (Malaysia) who has completed a Vipassana course. I started to be curious and asked him the uniqueness of this meditation technique. He did not reply directly but only said the truth lied in my own hands if I had wanted searched for it sincerely.
Shortly after I came back to Singapore, I met an old friend who practiced Yoga for more than a decade. Since a year ago, he has devoted his time into practicing Vipassana meditation. Upon my persistence query, he mentioned practicing Yoga is just a form of regular exercise for him now in order to maintain physical flexibility and anti-aging. However, he has found the truths of what he wants from Vipassana meditation!
After hearing that, I could not take the “pressure” anymore. I started searching the website and was so fortunate to have registered for the following immediate 10-days course in St. John Island from 15-26 August.
Upon completion, I was so relieved and felt so many burdens of my present life have been released. I also came to realize all other Qigong methods in whatever styles are actually part of Vipassana method only. While Vipassana technique teaches learners to observe their feeling with equanimious mind, we were also taught to face both pains and all other sensations instead of exercising favorism!
This article was written with pure intention to share with those who are still oblivious or some who might think Vipassana is just like any other meditation techniques. From personal experience, the most valuable teachings that I learned from this 10-days retreat is the understanding of indiscrimination and compassion that need to be cultivated from oneself, before you can emit to others!
The values of Vipassana meditation course involve 4 progressive stages:
1)seek refuge in triple gems
2)observing the 5 precepts for beginners / 8 precepts for old students
3)cultivation of wisdom (from within yourself)
4)cultivation of compassion (from within yourself)
Despite the similarity of developing and guiding energy flow throughout your body (which is a form of self-cleansing), the greatest difference of Vipassana technique to all other “Qigong” methods is the inclusion of 4 magnificent values stated above.
The development of wisdom and insight of your personal life will never be the same again after going through this retreat. The initial thought of “10-days sufferings” actually was transformed into “10-day of happiness and liberation” soon after you have understood the truth of universal dhamma.
At the end of the course, the final stage of cultivating compassion is such a precious act that no other meditation will emphasize on the importance of this practice through mental thought and transference of merit. Believe me, this part of the whole practice is most important and it will begin to transform your life to better phase through continual practice!
Do not let your faith or whatever doctrines tie you down. That is precisely why noble silence is observed until the final day. Vipassana does not convey in words nor it try to convert any religious dogma. Even a Buddhist is not allowed to chant or read sutra during this retreat! This solid 10-days journey is a unique experience of self-transformation and understanding of inner-self relatively to the universal environment. Only you can benefit from it after going through yourself!
I had only wished that I should have come to this course earlier instead of many evasive delays. People who are always busy with family, work and making money, will never find a time to commit these 10 days until they breathe their last!
Wisdom and Compassion are two essentials that generate true happiness from within yourself. Prajna wisdom is not the knowledge that one could obtain from academic achievements nor great compassion involve in feelings that one develops from feeling pessimism. In fact, these important core values, when practiced with great equanimity, enable one to be free from all sufferings and also liberate all sentient beings from samsara!
If you are truly searching for the purpose of your life, do not ask what you will get after this retreat. Do not expect any rewards when you could not even surrender 10 days for your own benefits. To make it simple, all you need is just 10 days of your life to recover what you have unknowingly lost for aeons. I am glad I have found mine!
To find our more details on Vipassana meditation, you may visit website http://www.sg.dhamma.org
Wu Chan
4 September 2007
I just went on a retreat similar to the one you went on. It sounds just like the ones taught by SN Goenka. I came home 3 days ago and I have meditated twice a day as prescribed, and I have already found enormous benefits. I still wonder, however, if it is the technique for me. I did Aikido for 5 years and I have also some qigong and yoga. While vipassana is currently my favorite, I miss the flow of chi in qigong. It seems like the Taoist practices of qigong, tai chi and ba gua, might me more of a complete system. Vipassana is so simple, but I still have so many questions like, “Should I breathe into a part of my body? How intense should my attention be? What should I do when I can’t remain equanimous?”
Also I wonder how healthy vipassana is. Qigong is certainly a system that makes you healthier as well as one that helps you dissolve emotional energies. I will take your word for it that vipassana is more adept at this. Do you think the two practices could work together in this way?
Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts.
Hi John,
I also practiced some different types of breathing exercises based on taoism and martial arts in my younger days. Basically, in my opinion, I believe Vipassana is a very old method but was no surprised to be the Mother of all Qigong and soft breathing exercise eg. Taichi. this can verified when it was passed onto to the rest of India and into China by Ven. Dhammo (beginning of zen buddhism in China), which in return spread again to the Northern Eastern Asia eg. Japan & Korea at later stage.
Vipassana emphasized on the simplicity in cleansing the whole body using the movement of our focal concentration, which drives the Qi around. In this context, we do not observe just at one point of the body like most meditations. After prolong practice, the capability of driving this inner energy feely at any part of our body will be able to energise ourselves with very fast thought of our mind!
This can be achieved only thru developing equanimous mind which can be expedited from a quiet environment (highly preferred during practiced). However, many martial artist or other Qigong methods only emphasize the developement of equuanimous mindset during practice for reason of faster Qi development in order to promote health, but they do not promote as a way of life!
In Vipassana, equanimity is reinforced by the development of personal inner compassion which is the universal synchronisation of all energy differences. When equanimous mindset is reinforced by consistent compassion as a way of life in our daily living, then it becomes an added value to our life and definitely changing ourselves to be better.
To develope and maintain equanimous mind, one has to reduce and eventually do away with anger, jealousy, hatred, frustration and even happiness out of attachment…etc etc. hence a true way to free ourselves from all mental and physical sentiments.
So if you ask if the different methods can be practiced with Vipassana, I strongly believe it lies in the compassion development. If you want to know more, read the book called written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Metta, Daryl.
Hi all,
sthg to add on the last line of previosu reply. The book is known as – Ultimate Healing: Power of Compassion.
Qigong is my meditation of choice; I’ve been a martial artist for the majority of my life, meditation has kept my life in focus. Commend you for this post. Thank you for taking the time out to put this in questions.
Well Put. I just got back from 10 day course that I delayed not once but twice in the last three years. There will never be a “good” time for you to take a 10 day course. I deeply regret not going earlier.
cheers