Date: 01/25/2025 01/26/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
The Meaning of Unified Calm and Insight
Calming (Samatha) settles the mind; insight (Vipassanā) reveals truth. Practicing only calming leads to comfort without wisdom; practicing only insight creates clarity without stability. When calm and insight work together, the mind becomes both steady and deeply aware—this is the essence of full meditation.
1.What Is the Union of Calm and Insight?
1.Calm: the mind becomes steady
It stops chasing thoughts and settles like a still lake.
2.Insight: the mind becomes clear
It sees impermanence, non-self, and cause-and-effect like seeing the bottom of clear water.
3.The union: stability with clarity
Calm prevents confusion;Insight prevents ignorance.Together, they create a balanced, awakened mind.
2.Why Not Only Calm?
1.Calm alone leads to attachment to peaceful states
The meditator may cling to quietness.
2.Calm does not create wisdom
It stabilizes but does not reveal deeper truths.
3.Calm can drift into dullness
Without insight, stability becomes hazy.
Calm is necessary but insufficient.
3.Why Not Only Insight?
1.Insight alone can make the mind overly sharp
Too much looking destabilizes the mind.
2.Without calm, insight lacks depth
The mind cannot hold observation for long.
3.Insight may turn into thinking
Without stability, analysis takes over.Insight needs calm to stay genuine.
4.How Calm and Insight Work Together
1.Calm deepens insight
A steady mind perceives subtle mental movements.
2.Insight strengthens calm
Seeing thoughts as non-self prevents distraction.
3.The two cycle and reinforce each other
Calm → clarity
Clarity → deeper calm
This spiral leads to profound transformation.
5.How to Practice the Union
1.Anchor on the breath (calm)
2.Observe its changing nature (insight)
3.Relax the body (calm)
4.Witness sensations arise and fade (insight)
5.Rest in awareness (calm)
6.Watch thoughts appear and vanish (insight)
Calm provides the ground; insight provides the light.
6. The Results of Unified Practice
1.Less emotional turbulence
2.Thoughts lose their force
3.Stronger clarity and stability
4.Less attachment to “self”
5.A mind that is spacious, bright, and free
The union of calm and insight is the path to liberation.
Conclusion
Calm steadies the mind; insight reveals truth.When both operate together, the mind becomes unshakable and clear.This union is the true engine of meditation, leading toward wisdom and freedom.
