Date: 07/26/2025 07/27/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
The Natural Unity of Samatha and Vipassana
Samatha (calm abiding) stabilizes the mind.Vipassana (insight) illuminates phenomena.When both mature, they merge naturally—without effort—into a unified state where the mind is both deeply stable and sharply aware.This unity is not constructed but arises spontaneously from balanced cultivation.
1.What Is Samatha? The Power of Stability
1.A mind that stays unmoved
External sounds or internal thoughts no longer shake it.
2.Grounded and steady
Like firm earth—calm, unshaken.
3.Relaxed yet fully alert
True calm is light, open, and awake.
2.What Is Vipassana? The Wisdom of Seeing Clearly
1.Directly perceiving arising and passing
Thoughts, sensations, and emotions become transparent.
2.Recognizing impermanence, non-self, and dependent arising
Insight is experiential, not intellectual.
3.A light, non-grasping awareness
Observation occurs without strain.
3.Why Must Samatha and Vipassana Unite?
1.Samatha without insight becomes dull
Calm but not clear.
2.Insight without stability becomes scattered
Clear but not grounded.
3.Together they reinforce each other
Calm stabilizes insight
Insight brightens calm
The union produces a balanced and powerful mind.
4.The Natural Unity of Mature Samatha and Vipassana
1.Calm but not inert
Still, yet full of clarity.(Samatha infused with Vipassana)
2.Insightful but not agitated
Seeing, yet undisturbed.(Vipassana supported by Samatha)
3.Awareness that flows effortlessly
No forcing, no interruption.
4.Non-clinging to sounds, thoughts, or emotions
Everything is known without being owned.
5.A sense of spacious ease and brightness
Meditation becomes natural rather than effortful.
5.The Deep Significance of Their Unity
1.Wisdom becomes experiential
Impermanence and non-self are directly known.
2.The ego’s grip weakens
The sense of “I am experiencing this” fades.
3.Defilements lose their power
Greed, anger, and delusion cannot take root in such a mind.
4.The foundation of liberation emerges
Unified samatha-vipassana leads toward profound freedom.
6.How to Cultivate This Natural Unity
1.Do not force technique
Stop dividing your practice into “calm” and “insight.”
2.Relax while remaining aware
Neither tense nor dull.
3.Do not cling to particular states
Joy, lightness, clarity—all arise and pass.
4.Trust consistent practice
Maturity comes through familiarity and balance.
Conclusion
When calm and insight mature together,the mind becomes simultaneously steady and luminous.This unity is not manufactured—it arises naturally from balanced practice.In this harmony, the path toward deep wisdom unfolds.
