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Tibetans Aren't Big Into Vipassana?
JaySon
Florida Veteran
Practicing Lamrim I've realized the Tibetans aren't big on Vipassana. (Cool, I hate Vipassana.)
Here's a typical meditation session.
Start off with some breath meditation to polish the mind.
Go into prayers to enlightened beings to ask for their blessings and empowerments, confess non virtues and vow to fix it, and strengthen bodhicitta.
Use analytical meditation on one of the 21 meditations until a strong feeling arises.
Use single pointed meditation on that feeling that arises.
Dedicate the merit gained from the meditation to enlightenment for the good of all beings.
Ask for blessings and empowerments of enlightened ones.
No Vipassana.
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Comments
Sounds like Tibetan Buddhism to me ...
Don't like a technique/path? Don't do it. Job done. Here endeth the Zen.
No more Zen for this guy.
yeah if you hate it, not much point in subjecting yourself. We're looking to reduce dukkha not force more of it on ourselves.
That said, Tibetan practitioners definitely practice vipassana. My teacher doesn't get into Lamrim much at all, and does a lot with Vipassana. Just depends on what their focus is, I guess. He is also a Tibetan Vajrayana teacher, so perhaps that is why.
My understanding is that lamrim is a special practice of TB
(not to be confused with "speshul")
But my mom says I'm "speshul"
That makes sense. I haven't touched Vajrayana. I don't plan to until after I practice Lamrim for a long time. Generating bodhicitta and concentration feel like the right thing to do right now. Plus I haven't received the empowerment.
I'm taking it slow. Like @dhammachick said.
Also remember there are 4 main schools of TB. The Gelug tradition is closest to what you describe though the others do it as well. The Nyigma and Kagyu schools have a strong influence from the Chinese Chan tradition and have a greater focus on something closer to vipassana in their practice.