Samatha, Vipassana, Sati - A Spiral Record of Awakening

 I practice meditation every day. Initially, I began simply to calm my mind, but over time, meditation itself became the natural flow of my life. The experiences I encounter in meditation have become a new language that helps me interpret life itself. Through this process, concepts like 'Samatha,' 'Vipassana,' 'Sati,' and 'Samadhi' naturally revealed themselves through direct experience. Now, I want to share what I have realized through this journey.

Samatha, Vipassana, Sati – The Three Elements of Meditation

As I continued meditating, these three elements began to intertwine organically.

Samatha is the practice of cultivating focus and tranquility. By concentrating solely on the inhalation and exhalation of my breath, my mind gradually entered deeper calm and stability. At first, I struggled to maintain this focus, trying to block all thoughts. However, suppressing thoughts only led to more thoughts arising, making me realize that erasing thoughts altogether was nearly impossible. Eventually, the effort to keep awareness anchored on the breath led to a more profound sense of peace, and the periods of that stability gradually extended.

However, maintaining that stability required addressing the thoughts that arose. In order to focus on the breath, I first had to observe and release emotions, sensations, and moods. After that, I had to observe and release memories, imagination, judgments, and discriminations. This process naturally led me to grasp the concept of the Five Aggregates (Skandhas)—and this, in turn, naturally led me into Vipassana.

Vipassana is nothing other than using the lens of the aggregates to deconstruct every arising thought. In the past, during Samatha practice, I would try to push away arising thoughts. Now, I naturally observe and analyze them. Through this, the components of the Five Aggregates became vividly clear.

The Five Aggregates and the Mechanism of Afflictions

Gradually, every thought that arose was seen through the lens of the Five Aggregates: form, sensation, perception, volitional formation, and consciousness. (I will explain these in more detail later.)

One critical realization was that these five aggregates do not function independently. They strongly overlap and interpenetrate.

Observing a physical form (Rupa), I noticed sensations (Vedana), perceptions (Sanna), intentions (Sankhara), and consciousness (Vinnana) all present within it. Observing a sensation, I found form, perception, volition, and consciousness entwined within. The same applied to all aggregates. Observing one deeply always revealed the others. They do not stand alone but weave together into a single dynamic pattern.

When I connected this to Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance (Lobha, Dosa, Moha), a profound pattern emerged. The aggregates' patterns gave rise to powerful energy as craving (Lobha), which—when reality failed to align with that craving or fulfilled it—transformed into anger, sadness, anxiety, or joy. All of this unfolded entirely within the mechanism of the aggregates. The emotional turbulence I experienced was nothing more than the energy pattern created by the interweaving aggregates.

The Transformation of Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance—and the Flow of Anatta

Then a question naturally arose: "If craving does not arise, where does that energy go?" If craving disappears, does the energy simply vanish—or could it transform into a higher creative cause-and-effect energy?

Craving is fundamentally a powerful creative force. When it clings, it becomes affliction. But when seen with clear awareness, craving dissolves—and then what? That energy can become the raw material for creation. The goal is not to suppress craving but to observe it fully and see its impermanence. When I could do that, the craving energy dissolved—but it didn’t simply disappear. Instead, I could feel it transforming into something finer, something directed toward a higher intention and purpose.

When the Boundary Between Practice and Life Disappears

At this point, meditation and life are no longer separate. In the beginning, meditation belonged to a special time set apart from daily life. Now, every moment is an extension of practice. Seeing, hearing, thinking, and moving—all of it is connected to meditation. Meditation is no longer a set activity; life itself is meditation.

Samatha, Vipassana, and Sati are not separate stages but an ongoing interplay, each strengthening the others. As this deepened, Samadhi expanded beyond being a temporary meditative state into something that infused my entire life. Samadhi is not mere concentration—it is a deep calm and balance sustained by constant awareness (Sati).

Samatha provides the foundation for Samadhi. Vipassana opens insight within Samadhi. Sati keeps Samadhi alive in everyday life. Ultimately, Samadhi is not a fixed goal but a living, breathing balance that renews itself moment by moment.

This entire process—the spiral of Samatha, Vipassana, and Sati—has been my direct experience and realization through practice.

Now, standing at the edge of this unfolding path, I face a new question: "How will I live this realization?" Holding that question, I step once again into the spiral flow.