Why Meditate?
Every living being is subject to the changing conditions of life.
These conditions motivated the Buddha to discover a meditation that effectively release from needless suffering. He called it awakening from the dream of existence. For more than forty years, he taught thousands of people how to experience freedom of mind--nirvana.
Every living being is subject to the changing conditions of life.
- Gain and Loss
- Fame and Ill-fame
- Praise and Blame
- Pleasure and Pain
These conditions motivated the Buddha to discover a meditation that effectively release from needless suffering. He called it awakening from the dream of existence. For more than forty years, he taught thousands of people how to experience freedom of mind--nirvana.
Why TWIM?
TWIM is a systematic self-directed protocol that cultivates mental and emotional balance that releases or clinging
TWIM is a systematic self-directed protocol that cultivates mental and emotional balance that releases or clinging
- easy to understand,
- integrative in practice,
- practical and results-oriented
Daily Benifits
- Reduced stress and anxiety: The focus on relaxation and tranquility can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety levels.
- Improved mental composure: attentiveness strengthen our ability to apply and maintain attention on an activity for longer periods of time.
- Increased awareness: through mindful observation of thoughts, emotions, and sensations, reoccurring mental patterns and behaviors are recognized and released.
- Emotional resilience: calm and tranquility replaces restlessness, anxiety, and painful emotional overloads decrease and disappear.
- Openess and compassion: Deeper sensitivity and empathy generates kindness and acceptance towards others.
Transcendental Awakening
- The experience of awakening ignorance involves the gradual weakening and eventual eradication of ten fetters or roots of craving.
- Each stage of awakening brings greater freedom from suffering, more happiness, and closer proximity to total liberation.
- Progress on the path of awakening includes morality and meditation, which results in insight, wisdom, and liberation.
Level 1: Stream-enterer (Sotapanna): This is the first stage of enlightenment. At this stage, a person has directly experienced Nibbana, the unconditioned state, for the first time. This experience leads to the removal of the first three constraints or fetters:
Level 4: Arahant: This is the final stage of enlightenment. The person has completely eradicated all ten constraints or fetters or constraints.
- Self-illusion (sakkaya-ditthi): The belief in a permanent, unchanging self.
- Doubt (vicikiccha): Doubt in the Buddha, the Dhamma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community of monks and nuns).
- Clinging to rites and rituals (silabbata-paramasa): The belief that following rituals or repetitive practices leads to liberation. A stream-enterer is assured of reaching full enlightenment within seven lifetimes at most, and they will never be reborn in lower realm.
- Sensual desire (kama-raga): Craving for sensual pleasures.
- Ill will (vyapada): Hatred or aversion. A once-returner will be reborn in the human realm only once more before attaining full enlightenment.
Level 4: Arahant: This is the final stage of enlightenment. The person has completely eradicated all ten constraints or fetters or constraints.
- Desire for existence in the fine-material world (rupa-raga).
- Desire for existence in the immaterial world (arupa-raga).
- Conceit (mana).
- Restlessness (uddhacca).
- Ignorance (avijja). An arahant has attained full liberation from suffering and will not be reborn again. They have achieved Nibbana in this very life.
TWIM Origins
The principles of Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation were originally discovered and taught by the Buddha. His discoursed and dialogues are available in the Pali text translated into English. These text were the foundation for information and instruction by Bhante Vimalaramsi, an American born Buddhist monk, While living in Asia,He practiced meditation methods based on widely accepted interruptions and translations guided by prominent Buddhist monks. After many years of practice, he learned that these approaches to reaching the goal of meditation did not yield the results stated in the Pali suttas. Compelled by his noble search for wisdom, he studied and practiced a variety of interpretations. By trial and error, he discovered variation of the traditional practice were immediately effective with profound results and benefits that matched the conclusions given by the Buddha.
The principles of Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation were originally discovered and taught by the Buddha. His discoursed and dialogues are available in the Pali text translated into English. These text were the foundation for information and instruction by Bhante Vimalaramsi, an American born Buddhist monk, While living in Asia,He practiced meditation methods based on widely accepted interruptions and translations guided by prominent Buddhist monks. After many years of practice, he learned that these approaches to reaching the goal of meditation did not yield the results stated in the Pali suttas. Compelled by his noble search for wisdom, he studied and practiced a variety of interpretations. By trial and error, he discovered variation of the traditional practice were immediately effective with profound results and benefits that matched the conclusions given by the Buddha.
He pointed out that TWIM dissolves barriers with the elimination of craving—the root cause of unhappiness and suffering. He concluded that TWIM, when practiced as instructed, unfolds as described in the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. It culminates in four potential stages of transindental realizations or ultimate truths know as nirvana.
He concludes that the practice results in the stages of awakening described in the suttas. It is a process of purification of the mind partially or completely through the eradication of specific mental and emotional factors rooted a constellation of causes and conditions that are programed to result in unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Each level of attainment is experienced as mental and emotional liberation by cutting off from the root causes. He describes the direct experience is profound beyond words and best discribes as awakening.
The Future of TWIM
Although he passed away in 2023, his legacy continues with his dedicated students enthusiastically teaching world wide sharing what Bhante revealed about what the Buddha taught.
He concludes that the practice results in the stages of awakening described in the suttas. It is a process of purification of the mind partially or completely through the eradication of specific mental and emotional factors rooted a constellation of causes and conditions that are programed to result in unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Each level of attainment is experienced as mental and emotional liberation by cutting off from the root causes. He describes the direct experience is profound beyond words and best discribes as awakening.
The Future of TWIM
Although he passed away in 2023, his legacy continues with his dedicated students enthusiastically teaching world wide sharing what Bhante revealed about what the Buddha taught.
Tranquil Wisdom insight Meditation
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