<p>Vipassana is the process of methodology to <a href="http://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/yath%C4%81-bh%C5%ABta-%C3%B1%C4%81na-dassana" rel="nofollow noreferrer">see things as they are</a>. Seeing this as they are (yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana) leads to revulsion (nibbidā) --> dispassion (virāga) -->  liberation (vimutti) -->  knowledge of the destruction of the influxes (āsava-k,khaya,ñāna). [<a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/6.12-Upanisa-S-s12.23-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Upanisa Sutta</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/33.3b-Ekadasaka-Cetanakaraniya-a11.2-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Ekā,dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/41.6-Dasaka-Cetanakaraniya-S-a10.2-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta</a>].</p>

<p>So by means of Vipassana you get yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana though which you can get liberation transitively. <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/21.5-Vimuttayatana-S-a5.26-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vimutt’āyatana Sutta</a> mentions this, though it skips some intermidiate steps <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nibbida</a> fomular implies that you have to pass through yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana. Also see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/18118/295">this answer</a>.</p>

<p>Also see: <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nibbida</a> by Piya Tan</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-18T01:36:30.413Z
2016-11-18T01:46:22.000Z
2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>Yatha does not mean &quot;true.&quot; Bhuta does not mean &quot;nature.&quot;  Yatha means &quot;as&quot; or &quot;like.&quot;  Butha means either &quot;[it] is&quot; or &quot;has come to be.&quot;  Yatha butha therefore means &quot;as it (really) is,&quot; or &quot;as it has come to be.&quot;  There is an implication of truth/reality, but that is not literally present in the language.</p>
<p>Vipassana is neither process nor method as you can use multiple methods to attain vipassana meaning &quot;insight&quot; (lit. vi = &quot;in&quot; or &quot;into&quot; [in this context], passa = &quot;see,&quot; na = nominalization marker).</p>
<p>Therefore cultivating samadhi allows us achieve vipassana as it pertains to cause-and-effect (i.e. experience &quot;as it has come to be&quot; yathā bhuta).  Though, the causality could be reversed and you could say that when the mind is still in samadhi then we are able to see experience yatha bhuta, which then becomes the cause for vipassana.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-19T04:57:52.610Z
2021-10-28T03:22:21.303Z
2021-10-28T03:22:21.303Z
Asher
<p>"yathabhuta - seeing things as they are - not as you want them to be" - this was the instruction at Goenka retreats. It relates to the four noble truths - suffering is because we want things to be different than they actually are in reality...in short - craving is what suffering is...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-01T02:45:12.577Z
Someone proposed an edit, that this answer be changed to -- `seeing  things as they are - ajahn sumedho says "right now - it is like This"` -- but I don't think someone's edit should replace your answer like that, so here it's as a suggestion or comment.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-24T02:50:16.433Z
2018-11-24T02:50:16.433Z
allister
<p>The two terms are not exactly synonymous although their context of usage is synonymous since both terms are associated with "seeing" ("passa") the same true reality. </p>

<p>'<em>Yathā</em> <em>bhūta</em>' means "true nature", as is found in <a href="https://suttacentral.net/en/an11.2" rel="nofollow">AN 11.2</a>, namely: '<em>yathā</em> (true) <em>bhūta</em> (nature) <em>jānāmi</em> (know) <em>passāmi</em> (see)*' </p>

<p>"<em>Vipassana</em>" means "clear seeing" (namely, the Four Noble Truths, the true nature of suffering &amp; peace; &amp; the Three Characteristics, the true nature of conditioned things). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-26T01:18:48.673Z
2016-10-26T10:35:23.453Z
2016-10-26T10:35:23.453Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>Is there a difference between <em>yatha bhuta</em> and <em>vipassana</em>? Or are they just synonyms?</p>

<vipassana>
Difference between yatha bhuta and vipassana
# Difference between yatha bhuta and vipassana

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-25)

Is there a difference between *yatha bhuta* and *vipassana*? Or are they just synonyms?

**Tags:** vipassana


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-10-26. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The two terms are not exactly synonymous although their context of usage is synonymous since both terms are associated with "seeing" ("passa") the same true reality.

'*Yathā* *bhūta*' means "true nature", as is found in [AN 11.2](https://suttacentral.net/en/an11.2), namely: '*yathā* (true) *bhūta* (nature) *jānāmi* (know) *passāmi* (see)\*'

"*Vipassana*" means "clear seeing" (namely, the Four Noble Truths, the true nature of suffering & peace; & the Three Characteristics, the true nature of conditioned things).


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### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-18. Score: 1

Vipassana is the process of methodology to [see things as they are](http://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/yath%C4%81-bh%C5%ABta-%C3%B1%C4%81na-dassana). Seeing this as they are (yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana) leads to revulsion (nibbidā) --> dispassion (virāga) --> liberation (vimutti) --> knowledge of the destruction of the influxes (āsava-k,khaya,ñāna). [[Upanisa Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/6.12-Upanisa-S-s12.23-piya.pdf), [(Ekā,dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/33.3b-Ekadasaka-Cetanakaraniya-a11.2-piya.pdf), [(Dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/41.6-Dasaka-Cetanakaraniya-S-a10.2-piya.pdf)].

So by means of Vipassana you get yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana though which you can get liberation transitively. [Vimutt’āyatana Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/21.5-Vimuttayatana-S-a5.26-piya.pdf) mentions this, though it skips some intermidiate steps [Nibbida](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf) fomular implies that you have to pass through yathā,bhuta.ñana.dassana. Also see [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/18118/295).

Also see: [Nibbida](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf) by Piya Tan


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-19. Score: 1

Yatha does not mean "true." Bhuta does not mean "nature." Yatha means "as" or "like." Butha means either "[it] is" or "has come to be." Yatha butha therefore means "as it (really) is," or "as it has come to be." There is an implication of truth/reality, but that is not literally present in the language.

Vipassana is neither process nor method as you can use multiple methods to attain vipassana meaning "insight" (lit. vi = "in" or "into" [in this context], passa = "see," na = nominalization marker).

Therefore cultivating samadhi allows us achieve vipassana as it pertains to cause-and-effect (i.e. experience "as it has come to be" yathā bhuta). Though, the causality could be reversed and you could say that when the mind is still in samadhi then we are able to see experience yatha bhuta, which then becomes the cause for vipassana.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-24. Score: 0

"yathabhuta - seeing things as they are - not as you want them to be" - this was the instruction at Goenka retreats. It relates to the four noble truths - suffering is because we want things to be different than they actually are in reality...in short - craving is what suffering is...

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Someone proposed an edit, that this answer be changed to -- `seeing  things as they are - ajahn sumedho says "right now - it is like This"` -- but I don't think someone's edit should replace your answer like that, so here it's as a suggestion or comment.  

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