Dry Insight?

[deadman]

hi there

What is your definition/experience/understanding of dry insight?

cheers

dm

[Several]

I could be wrong but isn't that insight without intuition? Like dry Arahants who have gained enlightenment but developed no pyschic ability. Truth be told I have never heard of it so I'm just guessing here.

Realisation of the true nature of phenomena is something beyond the senses or conceptualisation so dry insight could also refer to realisation gained without hearing Dhamma. Like accidentally finding a pearl. This would be how Pacceka Buddhas come into being, they having reached Nibbana but not able to describe how they did it.

[weary]

I have heard the term used recently in a meditation instruction manual I read (may have been linked to in this forum) about a 'school' of meditation where Vipassana practice is started immediately, without first developing Samatha. Samatha, as I have understood it, being a meditation practice focused on developing one-pointed concentration, as opposed to Vipassana being based on developing sati (often translated as mindfulness) in order to penetrate into the nature of nama and rupa dhamma (mental and physical formations) to get insight about them.

Please correct me if you feel my understanding is incorrect in any respect.

Edited October 8, 2012 by weary

[Several]

Thats where I heard the term Dry Arahant too. There is no strict reason to do samatha as vipassana will attain the aim. I feel a combination of the two is best. But basically samatha does not have long lasting effects.

[Brucenkhamen]

Strictly speaking I think it's Vipassana without Jhana. Most vipassana techniques have a degree of samatha.