Vipassana

Do you agree that it is important if one is serious about developing vipassana that we must avoid certain sense objects such as violent movies?

Actually when vipassana is been developed it doesn't really matter what object contacts the senses. It can all be insighted. If we watch a violent movie then it is conditioned already. While we watch there are namas (mental states) and rupas (physical states) arising and passing away continually. Looking at a tv is the situation, the concept, but the realities are merely colour and seeing, sound and hearing, which depending on understanding or lack of it condition various perceptions and feelings which (along with colour, seeing, sound hearing) can be directly understood. This doesn't mean that there can be continual mindfulness of realities - sati and understanding are conditioned they arise when there are sufficient conditions. From studying the Buddhist teachings and developing vipassana we learn about the nature of realities such as seeing and colour, hearing and sound, touching and hardness, heat, vibration, feelings, attachment, kindness, anger etc. we still have our old world of situation and concept but there is the beginning of seeing beneath the surface. Here is an example: someone is angry with me - they speak harsh words. If there is no understanding of realities then I will tend to feel upset, "why is he saying that to me" and so on or perhaps if I have some special spiritual technique I might think of a mantra or concentrate on sensations in the body. But there can also be direct experience of the sounds that are contacting the earbase. When sound is seen ,as it is in the present moment, there won't be aversion to that sound- it is merely a momentary reality that passes so quickly and thus there is not the same tendency to feel upset.