Manual of Insight

by Mahasi Sayadaw, Vipassana Metta FoundationTranslation Committee (Translation), Steve Armstrong (Editor)

The most comprehensive manual of the practice of insight meditation ( vipassana ), written by one of its foremost 20th century proponents, is translated into English for the first time.

Manual of Insight is the magnum opus of Mahasi Sayadaw, one of the originators of the “vipassana movement” that has swept through the Buddhist world over the last hundred years. The manual presents a comprehensive overview of the practice of insight meditation, including the foundational aspects of ethical self-discipline, understanding the philosophical framework for the practice, and developing basic concentration and mindfulness. It culminates with an in-depth exploration of the various types of insight and spiritual fruits that the practice yields.

Authored by the master who brought insight meditation to the West and whose students include Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Sharon Salzberg, Manual of Insight is a veritable Bible for any practitioner of vipassana.

Genres: Buddhism, Meditation, Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help

710 pages, Hardcover

First published May 17, 2016

Reviews

[Jason Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Buddhist book that I've read so far. It is complex, and not for beginners, unless you are very diligent in cross referencing with other texts! It's a book that requires multiple readings as well as consistently practicing the instructions inside. I have found that the more I practice the methods outlined in the book, the more the book comes to life upon further readings. Of all the meditation techniques I've tried, I have personally found this noting technique to be the most effective, and this book has become my defacto guide to meditation. The book also elucidates some of the teachings found in the Pali text, and how they apply to the practice of insight meditation. I'm certain that anyone who reads and digests this book deeply, and also follows the practice outlined within, will reach deep levels of insight. The book assumes most of the metaphysics of Theravada Buddhism, so keep that in mind, but it is not necessary to believe in all of those parts to gain a lot of benefit from the method.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the Buddhist teachings are priceless, this book is really not ratable. I have read and re-read it and will continue to do so, uncovering new layers each time. I only called it "read" because I finished a 10-month course for which it was assigned reading. I will pass along the useful advice I was given by my teacher: don't be intimidated by the bulk or density of the manual. One can read Chapter 5 Practical Instructions and benefit greatly. If you are looking for a very different perspective on the mindfulness fad currently occupying a lot of bandwidth in the self-help/new age realm, look at Chapter 4 The Development of Mindfulness.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like writing a review for this book, even though I haven't finished it yet. It's the kind of book that you can read throughout your lifetime (and you might never finish it because it's packed with information), so it's definitely not a light reading.

Manual of Insight is aimed at serious vipassana practitioners, so in order to truly absorb the information in the book you need to practice vipassana vigorously. As Buddha said, you should test out and question the practice for yourself. So it applies here more than ever.

Read, question, practice, read again and over time, deeper and deeper insights will appear. It takes lot of time and dedication, but so far from my experience, it is well worth the deep dive.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definitive guide to vipassana meditation by one of the foremost Buddhist teachers of the 20th century, carefully and lovingly translated and organized by a team of students who have all themselves been ordained Buddhist monks or nuns and have practiced these teachings extensively. This is a dharma text of the highest quality, and a must for anyone who is seriously interested in vipassana meditation.

[Tetrijeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

methodic, systematic, extremely detailed and possibly the most useful vipassana meditation manual out there. bit dry at times, but thats just theravada for you, and I still love it to death. these teachings are worth their weight in gold, but need to be practised to be effective!
namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhasa

[Shiju Varghese · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is literally a bible of Theravada Buddhism.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thorough but not the most clearly or succinct writing. Also contains a lot of “judgement” and “commandment” type chapters including a very graphic description of what hell looks like. Not the most suited for a modern western audience, but does contain good nuggets if you dig for them, eg two level universe / reality

[Matt Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible for anyone but scholars. Praise Buddha I finished it! I was clinging to the hope of getting through it. I watched $50 arise and pass away though providing the four requisites for someone.

[Kant the Conqueror · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the meditation practice and theory you will ever need should you choose to follow the path of Theravada.

[Felix Delong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone even remotely interested in the spiritual path should read this like 5x and put it into practice. You will never regret it and your life will be significantly better.

[Josh Panter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didactic and pedantic, this is a very dry and repetitive book that seeks to simplify the process of insight to the most easily understood denominators. In doing so it has moments of great clarity, and is certain to contain morsels of insight and clarity of instruction, but it also sacrifices readability and strains interest in both the material and the presentation of the material that it seems to simplify. It is a challenge to read this cover to cover, and should not be treated as such, rather, use it as a reference book if at all.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed, step by step instructions to Insight meditation. Great map and overview of the different stages all the way up to full awakening. Not an 'easy' read by any means. Very technical. I would only really recommend this if you have multiple years of meditation experience. But for experienced meditators, especially those within the Theravada tradition, it's a gold gem!