Foundations of Vipassana: Insight Meditation, Impermanence, and the Theravada Path

Vipassana is often described simply as a technique — a body scan, a breath observation, a mental noting practice. But it is also a philosophy of mind and a path toward liberation as understood in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Separating what Vipassana is from what it is sometimes marketed as requires understanding both the traditional framework and the modern forms in which it is widely taught. By the end of this course you will be able to explain the Theravada philosophical foundations of Vipassana practice, describe the classical concept of the three characteristics of existence (impermanence, suffering, non-self) and their role in insight meditation, distinguish Vipassana from other meditation approaches including samatha (calm abiding), and locate contemporary Vipassana transmission in its historical and institutional context. What you will learn: - The Pali Canon sources for Vipassana: the Satipatthana Sutta and what the four foundations of mindfulness actually describe - The three characteristics (tilakkhana): anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), anatta (non-self) as the objects of insight - Samatha versus Vipassana: how calm and insight relate and the debates about which should be developed first - The Burmese reform movement of the 19th and 20th centuries and figures like Mahasi Sayadaw and Ledi Sayadaw who shaped modern Vipassana - How S.N. Goenka's tradition taught Vipassana in a secular, universalist frame and its global spread - The concept of sila (ethical conduct) as the foundation upon which concentration and insight are built - What insight (panna) means in Theravada: not intellectual understanding but direct non-conceptual recognition of the three characteristics - Academic perspectives on how meditation practices change when removed from their traditional monastic and ethical contexts The course is structured as a conceptual sequence: foundational Buddhist philosophy first, then the specific theory of insight practice, then historical transmission, then contemporary forms. Each section ends with a reflection prompt. Annotated excerpts from Pali texts in translation are used to ground abstract discussion in primary sources. A comparative worksheet maps Vipassana concepts against basic cognitive science of attention and perception. This course is designed for beginners with no prior background in Buddhism or meditation. It is also valuable for meditators who practice Vipassana but have not engaged with its philosophical and historical foundations. No prior knowledge of Pali or Buddhist studies is assumed.