Meanings
nounvipassana (uncountable)
- uncountableBuddhismInsight into the true nature of reality, namely as the three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering or unsatisfactoriness, and the realisation of nonself.
Since the 1960s, when enthusiasts brought the Eastern practice of meditation in the United States, a variety of schools have flourished: Vipassana or mindfulness, Zen, Shambala, Dzogchen, Tibetan, mantra, Qi gong, Tai chi, Transcendental, and even yoga, which includes similar elements.
2018, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever — And What to Do About It, page 195
Origin
Transliteration of Pali vipassanā, from Sanskrit विपश्यना (vipaśyanā).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 觀 /观, 觀 /观
- 觀 /观vipassana
- 觀 /观 (guān)vipassana
French vipassana
- vipassanavipassana
Thai วิปัสสนา
- วิปัสสนา (wí-bpàt-sà-naa)vipassana
Vietnamese quán, thiền quán
- quánvipassana
- thiền quánvipassana
Cite this entry
APA
vipassana. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vipassana
MLA
“vipassana.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vipassana. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vipassana,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vipassana.
Source: vipassana on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.