The magic Seven Read Vipassana Research Institute, 1996, pp. 2, 3. makes this practice appear to be "superior" to others:
"This is the direct way (PÄli: ekÄyano ... maggo- maggo is "more commonly" translated as "the only path,"based on the contextual meaning of ekÄyano, AnÄlayo translated as "direct path"),monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nibbÄna...." and listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wV0nJtlswqg <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wV0nJtlswqg> and weep [:D] The sutta in which vipassana is based is sathipathana sutt,Smá¹tyupasthÄna SÅ«tra (The Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness)and the MahÄsatipaá¹á¹hÄna Sutta(The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness)- -see above link Maha Sathipattana Sutta chanted by Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhita Thero.- in which Buddha promised that you could gain enlightment in 7 years, "O bhikkhus, should any person maintain the Four Arousings of Mindfulness in this manner for seven years, then by him one of two fruitions is proper to be expected: Knowledge (arahantship) here and now; or, if some form of clinging is yet present, the state of non- returning (the Third Stage of Supramundane Fulfillment). "O bhikkhus, let alone seven years. Should a person maintain these Four Arousings of Mindfulness, in this manner, for six years... for five years... four years... three years... two years... one year, then by him one of two fruitions is proper to be expected: knowledge here and now; or, if some form of clinging is yet present, the state of non- returning. if not 7 months, "O bhikkhus, let alone a year. Should any person maintain these Four Arousings of Mindfulness, in the manner, for seven months, then by him one of two fruitions is proper to be expected: Knowledge here and now; or, if some form of clinging is yet present, the state of non- returning. "O bhikkhus, let alone seven months. Should any person maintain these Four Arousings of Mindfulness in this manner for six months... five months... four months... three months... two months... one month... half-a-month, then, by him one of two fruition is proper to be expected: Knowledge here and now; or, if some form of clinging is yet present, the state of non-returning. if not 7 days. "O bhikkhus, let alone half-a-month. Should any person maintain these Four Arousings of Mindfulness in this manner for a week, then by him one of two fruition is proper to be expected: Knowledge here and now; or, if some form of clinging is yet present, the state of non- returning. "Because of this was it said: 'This is the only way, O bhikkhus, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the Four Arousings of Mindfulness." Thus spoke the Blessed One.
