Dipa Ma
Encyclopedia
Dipa Ma was born Nani Bala Barua in a small village named Chittagong in East Bengal
(currently, Bangladesh
), moving to join her husband in Burma when she was 16. When Nani was 18, her mother unexpectedly died, leaving behind a baby boy named Bijoy which Nani and her new husband took to raise in Burma, as they had not yet had a child.
At the age of 35 (very rare for the times) Nani did conceive and give birth to her first child, a baby girl, who fell ill and died at three months of age. Four years later, Nani gave birth to a daughter Dipa, at the age of 39, whereupon she began to be called Dipa Ma "Mother of Dipa" as her daughter's survival was a momentous event. This was followed by yet another loss of a child (her first son) at birth, the sudden death of her husband, and subsequent extreme grief and physical weakness before training as a Vipassana meditator.
In Dipa Ma's own words: "You have seen me. I was disheartened and broken down due to the loss of my children and husband, and due to disease. I suffered so much. I could not walk properly. But now, how are you finding me? All my disease is gone. I am refreshed, and there is nothing in my mind. There is no sorrow, no grief. I am quite happy. If you come to meditate, you will also be happy. There is no magic to Vipassana, only follow the instructions."
In Nani's childhood, she showed an exceptional interest in Buddhist
rituals and preferred to study rather than play. Unlike other local girls, she insisted on attending school, but at the age of twelve she was married off and was later sent to live with her engineer husband in Rangoon. But he soon left to work in Burma for two years, leaving her with her in-laws. She later openly spoke of her unhappiness in her marriage in the early years, however, she said she eventually came to love her husband deeply, and they lived in Burma together.
After he died in 1957, and her only surviving child, daughter Dipa, was seven years old, Nani "Dipa Ma", was drowning in sorrow and at the lowest point in her life. One day a doctor said to her, "You know, you're actually going to die of a broken heart unless you do something about the state of your mind." Because she was living in Burma, a Buddhist country, he suggested that she learn how to meditate. It was then she had a dream in which the Buddha appeared to her as a luminous presence and softly chanted a verse from the Dhammapada
:
"Clinging to what is dear brings sorrow,
Clinging to what is dear brings fear.
To one who is entirely free from endearment,
There is no sorrow or fear."
Dipa Ma understood the Buddha's advice as a call to master Vipassana
meditation. She attended her first meditation retreat at the Kamayut Meditation Center in Rangoon, expecting to simply die there due to her weak health. And she almost did die, as while walking in deep meditation, she was bit by a rabid dog, even though she felt no pain, she had to leave the retreat early and receive medical treatment. She didn't give up her meditation practice however, and soon after embarked on her second retreat in a different frame of mind, at the Thathana Yeiktha center, where the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw
(the most renowned monk, scholar, and meditation master in Burma at the time) was teacher-in-residence. There she experienced irrevocable transformation. At age 53, after six days of serious practice, Dipa Ma reached the first stage of enlightenment.
Dipa Ma and her daughter were soon joined by her sister, Hema, and her children coming to live and meditate. The two sisters would have up to six children with them at a time. They found a balance with family life always adhering to the strict retreat discipline, taking their children with them to the center and sharing childcare as the only women at the monastery, housed by the monks on the far outskirts of the facility!
In 1963, due to her impeccable morality and her powers of concentration, she was chosen to study the siddhi
s or spiritual powers with her teacher, also a family friend, the Indian master Anagarika Munindra
, a senior student of Mahasi Sayadaw. These practices included dematerialization, body-doubling, cooking food without fire, mind-reading, visitation of the various realms of heaven and hell, time travel, and knowledge of past lives. Upon mastery she dropped them, as instructed in the eastern tradition.
In 1967, she moved to Calcutta where she taught meditation to a wide range of students. Her first formal student was her neighbor, Malati Barua, a widow trying to raise six young children alone. Malati presented an interesting challenge: she was eager to meditate but unable to leave her house. Dipa Ma, believing that enlightenment was possible in any environment, devised practices that her new student, a breastfeeding mother, could carry out at home. In one such practice, she taught Malati to steadfastly notice the sensations of the suckling infant at her breast, with complete presence of mind, for the duration of each nursing period. This amounted to hours each day and, as Dipa Ma had hoped, Malati attained the first stage of enlightenment without ever leaving her house. When someone asked Dipa Ma if she found her worldly concerns as a single mother and dutiful grandmother a hindrance, she said, "My worldly concerns are not a hindrance, because whatever I do, the meditation is there. It never really leaves me. Even when I'm talking, I'm meditating. When I'm eating or thinking about my daughter, that doesn't hinder the meditation."
"Women can go more quickly and deeper in the practice of Vipassana than men because because your minds are more supple. Women's tendency to be more emotional is not a hindrance to practice." Softness of mind, Dipa Ma explained, is what brings more emotion, more movement. This is something to be witnessed, not identified with.
Dipa Ma was also not afraid to challenge the traditional Theravada doctrine that claims only men can be buddhas. Her feminist stance, normally just an undercurrent, could sometimes surprise her students.
Thus Dipa Ma began her career of leading householders to wisdom in the midst of their busy lives. In the 1970s, she was a teacher of Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein
, Jack Kornfield
, Michelle Levey, and Sharon Salzberg
, who later became prominent teachers in America. In the early 1980s Dipa Ma taught at the Insight Meditation Society
in Barre, Massachusetts
.
She died in 1989 in India, while meditating before a statue of the Buddha. She is survived by her daughter Dipa, an employee of the Indian government, and her grandson, Rishi.
2. Meditate every day. Practice now. Don't think you will do more later.
3. Any situation is workable. Each of us has enormous power. It can be used to help ourselves and help others.
4. Practice patience. Patience is one of the most important virtues for developing mindfulness and concentration.
5. Free your mind. Your mind is all stories.
6. Cool the fire of emotions. Anger is a fire.
7. Have fun along the way. I am quite happy. If you come to meditate you will also be happy.
8. Simplify. Live simply. A very simple life is good for every thing. Too much luxury is a hindrance to practice.
9. Cultivate the spirit of blessing. If you bless those around you this will inspire you to be attentive in every moment.
10. It's a circular journey. Meditation integrates the whole person
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
(currently, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
), moving to join her husband in Burma when she was 16. When Nani was 18, her mother unexpectedly died, leaving behind a baby boy named Bijoy which Nani and her new husband took to raise in Burma, as they had not yet had a child.
At the age of 35 (very rare for the times) Nani did conceive and give birth to her first child, a baby girl, who fell ill and died at three months of age. Four years later, Nani gave birth to a daughter Dipa, at the age of 39, whereupon she began to be called Dipa Ma "Mother of Dipa" as her daughter's survival was a momentous event. This was followed by yet another loss of a child (her first son) at birth, the sudden death of her husband, and subsequent extreme grief and physical weakness before training as a Vipassana meditator.
In Dipa Ma's own words: "You have seen me. I was disheartened and broken down due to the loss of my children and husband, and due to disease. I suffered so much. I could not walk properly. But now, how are you finding me? All my disease is gone. I am refreshed, and there is nothing in my mind. There is no sorrow, no grief. I am quite happy. If you come to meditate, you will also be happy. There is no magic to Vipassana, only follow the instructions."
Early life
In Nani's childhood, she showed an exceptional interest in Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
rituals and preferred to study rather than play. Unlike other local girls, she insisted on attending school, but at the age of twelve she was married off and was later sent to live with her engineer husband in Rangoon. But he soon left to work in Burma for two years, leaving her with her in-laws. She later openly spoke of her unhappiness in her marriage in the early years, however, she said she eventually came to love her husband deeply, and they lived in Burma together.
After he died in 1957, and her only surviving child, daughter Dipa, was seven years old, Nani "Dipa Ma", was drowning in sorrow and at the lowest point in her life. One day a doctor said to her, "You know, you're actually going to die of a broken heart unless you do something about the state of your mind." Because she was living in Burma, a Buddhist country, he suggested that she learn how to meditate. It was then she had a dream in which the Buddha appeared to her as a luminous presence and softly chanted a verse from the Dhammapada
Dhammapada
The Dhammapada is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Theravada canon....
:
"Clinging to what is dear brings sorrow,
Clinging to what is dear brings fear.
To one who is entirely free from endearment,
There is no sorrow or fear."
Beginning Vipassana Training
Dipa Ma understood the Buddha's advice as a call to master Vipassana
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
meditation. She attended her first meditation retreat at the Kamayut Meditation Center in Rangoon, expecting to simply die there due to her weak health. And she almost did die, as while walking in deep meditation, she was bit by a rabid dog, even though she felt no pain, she had to leave the retreat early and receive medical treatment. She didn't give up her meditation practice however, and soon after embarked on her second retreat in a different frame of mind, at the Thathana Yeiktha center, where the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw
Mahasi Sayadaw
The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw U Sobhana was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of Vipassana meditation in the West and throughout Asia...
(the most renowned monk, scholar, and meditation master in Burma at the time) was teacher-in-residence. There she experienced irrevocable transformation. At age 53, after six days of serious practice, Dipa Ma reached the first stage of enlightenment.
Dipa Ma and her daughter were soon joined by her sister, Hema, and her children coming to live and meditate. The two sisters would have up to six children with them at a time. They found a balance with family life always adhering to the strict retreat discipline, taking their children with them to the center and sharing childcare as the only women at the monastery, housed by the monks on the far outskirts of the facility!
Mastery
In 1963, due to her impeccable morality and her powers of concentration, she was chosen to study the siddhi
Siddhi
is a Sanskrit noun that can be translated as "perfection", "accomplishment", "attainment", or "success". The term is first attested in the Mahabharata. In the Pancatantra, a siddhi may be any unusual skill or faculty or capability...
s or spiritual powers with her teacher, also a family friend, the Indian master Anagarika Munindra
Anagarika Munindra
Anagarika Shri Munindra , also called Munindraji by his disciples, was a Bengali vipassana meditation teacher, who taught many notable teachers including Dipa Ma, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Surya Das. Anagarika simply means a practicing Buddhist who leads a homeless life without...
, a senior student of Mahasi Sayadaw. These practices included dematerialization, body-doubling, cooking food without fire, mind-reading, visitation of the various realms of heaven and hell, time travel, and knowledge of past lives. Upon mastery she dropped them, as instructed in the eastern tradition.
Teaching Students Where They Are
In 1967, she moved to Calcutta where she taught meditation to a wide range of students. Her first formal student was her neighbor, Malati Barua, a widow trying to raise six young children alone. Malati presented an interesting challenge: she was eager to meditate but unable to leave her house. Dipa Ma, believing that enlightenment was possible in any environment, devised practices that her new student, a breastfeeding mother, could carry out at home. In one such practice, she taught Malati to steadfastly notice the sensations of the suckling infant at her breast, with complete presence of mind, for the duration of each nursing period. This amounted to hours each day and, as Dipa Ma had hoped, Malati attained the first stage of enlightenment without ever leaving her house. When someone asked Dipa Ma if she found her worldly concerns as a single mother and dutiful grandmother a hindrance, she said, "My worldly concerns are not a hindrance, because whatever I do, the meditation is there. It never really leaves me. Even when I'm talking, I'm meditating. When I'm eating or thinking about my daughter, that doesn't hinder the meditation."
Addressing Her Female Students
"Women can go more quickly and deeper in the practice of Vipassana than men because because your minds are more supple. Women's tendency to be more emotional is not a hindrance to practice." Softness of mind, Dipa Ma explained, is what brings more emotion, more movement. This is something to be witnessed, not identified with.
Dipa Ma was also not afraid to challenge the traditional Theravada doctrine that claims only men can be buddhas. Her feminist stance, normally just an undercurrent, could sometimes surprise her students.
Coming To The West
Thus Dipa Ma began her career of leading householders to wisdom in the midst of their busy lives. In the 1970s, she was a teacher of Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein is one of the first American vipassana teachers , co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society with Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, contemporary author of numerous popular books on Buddhism , resident guiding teacher at IMS, and leader of retreats worldwide on insight and...
, Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield is a teacher in the vipassana movement of American Theravada Buddhism. He trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, including as a student of the Thai monk Ajahn Chah...
, Michelle Levey, and Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg is a New York Times Best selling author and influential teacher of Buddhist meditation practices in West. She co-founded the Insight Meditation Society at Barre, Massachusetts with Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, in 1974...
, who later became prominent teachers in America. In the early 1980s Dipa Ma taught at the Insight Meditation Society
Insight Meditation Society
The Insight Meditation Society is a non-profit organization for study of Buddhism located in Barre, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1975, by Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein, and is rooted in the Theravada tradition. IMS meditation practices are based on the teachings of the...
in Barre, Massachusetts
Barre, Massachusetts
Barre is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled in 1720. The town was incorporated on June 17, 1774, as Hutchinson after Thomas Hutchinson, colonial...
.
Leaving This Life
She died in 1989 in India, while meditating before a statue of the Buddha. She is survived by her daughter Dipa, an employee of the Indian government, and her grandson, Rishi.
Dipa-Ma's 10 Lessons to Live By
1. Choose one meditation practice and stick with it. If you want to progress in meditation stay with one technique.2. Meditate every day. Practice now. Don't think you will do more later.
3. Any situation is workable. Each of us has enormous power. It can be used to help ourselves and help others.
4. Practice patience. Patience is one of the most important virtues for developing mindfulness and concentration.
5. Free your mind. Your mind is all stories.
6. Cool the fire of emotions. Anger is a fire.
7. Have fun along the way. I am quite happy. If you come to meditate you will also be happy.
8. Simplify. Live simply. A very simple life is good for every thing. Too much luxury is a hindrance to practice.
9. Cultivate the spirit of blessing. If you bless those around you this will inspire you to be attentive in every moment.
10. It's a circular journey. Meditation integrates the whole person
Source
- Amy Schmidt, Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master. ISBN 0-9742405-5-9 (USA); ISBN 1-899579-73-7 (Europe)
- Mother of Light: The Inspiring Story of Dipa Ma by Amy Schmidt and Sara Jenkins