Insight, does it have a real meaning for an everyday individual who goes about his/her daily life? To the Buddha this was the way to experience the truth of freedom from suffering. Vipassana, or insight in the Pali language, is to see things as they really are and is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, therefore Vipassana is referred to as the Art of Living. It is the process of self-purification by self-observation, or getting to know thyself. This Theravada form of meditation, Vipassana-bhavana, has many aspects of teaching how to clear the mind as I will attempt to discuss in short detail, as this type of meditation has great depth to be covered, in latter part of this essay. Beginning from the Search, to the Starting Point, to the Cause and the Root of the Problem, and the Goal of freeing oneself from suffering or unsatisfactoriness are some of the aspects of the Buddha's teachings.
Perhaps the most difficult journey in clearing the mind of all ills is the beginning the search to gain insight into the reality of your own nature and to experience true freedom from suffering. The goal of a Yogi, or a meditator, is to seek peace and harmony, because this is what we lack in our lives. We all want to be happy; we regard it as our right. Everyone experiences dissatisfaction in life, for example, agitation, irritation, disharmony, suffering, etc Even at this time an individual might be happy and free from these dissatisfactions, there might have been a time when they afflicted them and can foresee a time when they may reoccur, as the case with the suffering of death. After years of searching the Buddha had gained a real understanding of the reality and his inner-self. Having reached the highest goal of liberation, of release from misery and conflict, he devoted the rest of his life to helping others do as he had done, to show everyone in his grasp the way to search for the way things as they really are, or Vipassana.