Meditation is the practice Buddhists know very well. The meaning of meditation or bhavana means “cultivation of the mind” . It is therefore an activity that is determined to increase their understanding and wisdom that are essential for the eradication of ” dukkha “.
There are many different Buddhist meditation techniques depending on the tradition and school, for example in the Theravada Visuddhimagga there are listed up to 40 meditation methods. All of them are based on two components called Samatha (calm abiding, peace of mind) and Vipassana (direct knowledge, intuition).
We must take into account that different traditions of Buddhism Mahayana developed their own unique methods. In Buddhism Mahayana it is often described that the meditation techniques could be considered as “total” in the sense that sometimes they defend one particular type of meditation above all else. Such is the case of Buddhist meditation Zen (Zazen) or Mahamudra in Tibetan Buddhism .
Buddhism is a means of individual and social transformation. The word Buddha is a title or an epithet and not a name. It means “one who is awake” in the sense of having “woken up to reality” . The Buddha was a human being , who, through tremendous efforts, transformed and transcended his human limitations in creating a new order of Being: A Being Lit.
Buddhist Meditation Technique
Buddhist meditation does not mean only sitting on the floor to develop a contemplative awareness. To gain full benefits of Buddhist meditation you should seek a quiet place, preferably close to nature to promote the progress of meditation. You should be consistent in meditation times.
In addition you are advised to take the pose of the actual Buddha . The popular representation of the Buddha is that of a seated figure with legs crossed in the so-called lotus position . There are, however, other representations of Buddha (standing, lying down, or in a chair) which are less often used as a guide to Buddhist meditation.
In Buddhist meditation it is attempted to predispose certain mental condition that favors the samadhi or “state of maximum care and comfort.” The samadhi is considered something prior to the completion of a high understanding and also of nirvana.
In primitive Buddhism – as we know from the sources of Pali Theravada school – Buddha explains the different states or “jhanas” a practitioner should experience in his/her progress as well as how to identify and to follow certain meditation methods.
Similarly, in Mahayana Buddhism there appear similar explanations of different meditative states along with new ways to meditate. Historically, these new formulations often involves the revival of old meditation methods that are adapted to the new world.
At the core of all Buddhist meditation is a quiet and careful observation of both one’s mental processes and the phenomena of life.
Meditation in the different schools
From this common basis, throughout history different Buddhist traditions developed their own techniques of meditation according to their own historical and cultural influences. In all traditions there are many meditation techniques and variations, so sometimes it’s easy to get confused about Buddhist meditation.
However, there are some more important Buddhist meditation types that can be understood and learnt. Here they are:
Theravada Buddhism : it emphasizes the analysis and description of the different states of meditation. The meditation ritual is simple and a careful study of this meditation is strongly encouraged. This type of Buddhist meditation emphasizes a practical way to polish progressive achievements of the practitioner. The analysis and systematization of the experience of meditation is the main feature in the Theravada tradition.
Zen Buddhism : emphasizes the spontaneous nature and intuitive wisdom . The Buddhist practice of ritual is simple and it tries to find a natural harmony in the individual achievements. It avoid dualism in the understanding of reality and this feature is one of the most important ones in Zen meditation
Tibetan Buddhism : works with the unconscious symbolic mechanisms of the mind. It is a ritualistic practice that attempts to transform the practitioner’s mind through a progressive way of accomplishments. Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is focused from the beginning to establish new psychological patterns to increase understanding of reality at deep levels. It is the most symbolic and magical of all Buddhist traditions.
Pure Land Buddhism : highlights the powerful nature of wisdom in the efforts of the individual. It is a devotional practice in which the mantras (recitations) predispose to the practitioner for an instant realization. In Pure Land Buddhism, devotion, humility and gratitude are the most distinctive outcomes.
Buddhist meditation in the world
In general, Buddhism provides many explanations and analysis of different states of mind during meditation and their psychological factors and conditions.
Buddhism is very generally recognized as the most sophisticated spiritual practice because of its contemplative techniques. Due to the pragmatic approach of the Buddhist religion, sometimes this sophistication has also been useful to approach people of other religions.
Often different techniques have been adopted by practitioners of other religions within their own contexts. It has also been used as an aid for psychological therapy or physical health.
In several European countries, it is being used successfully and regularly to help the rehabilitation of prisoners, and its recent successes with anorexia are sometimes spectacular, being praised both in medical and scientific studies.
Also recently, the scientific community has been interested in deciphering physiologically Buddhist meditation techniques (National Geopraphic) . The revitalizing of this ancient practice is viewed with joy from the Buddhist community, as it always has been considered something quite beneficial to the happiness of individuals.
How to do Buddhist Meditation
Today, meditation can be a key tool of self-control and, moreover, can help us find peace and happiness.
Contrary to what many people think it is not necessary to have a teacher or a group or go to a temple or a special place to meditate. Of course, if you would like to do that, you surely can. But anyway, the point is that you can learn to meditate in the corner of your home where you feel most comfortable using only a fraction of your time.
Now the first thing you should understand before you start to meditate is that you have to have faith in what you’re doing, and how this meditation will help you. I will soon show you the steps to get started on the path of Buddhist meditation.
There is no reason to have conflict of religion or anything like that, just think that in your meditation you are addressing a universal being. I encourage you to learn Buddhist meditation because it is quite easy to do and is suitable for people looking for a form of meditation that is quick and not complicated.
How to do Buddhist Mediation – steps
1. First, define the place where you meditate every day. It should be calm, free from interruptions, should radiate with peace and serenity, and above all, should be private (where you can be left undisturbed for at least 15 minutes).
2. Preferably, light a candle or incense, but if you do not have anything on hand that’s okay.
3. Sit in the position you’re most comfortable.
4. Try to clear your mind of problems and concerns, in general, try to keep it blank.
5. Begin to see light, think of positive things, happiness and peace.
6. Stay in this state for about 15 or 20 minutes, then with practice, you will be able to effortlessly extend this time.
Strange and incredible as it sounds, you will see that this practice will really help you in many aspects of your life. If you do it regularly and with faith, things will begin to change in your life – negativity will diminish whilst positive things in your life will increase.
There are many different Buddhist meditation techniques depending on the tradition and school, for example in the Theravada Visuddhimagga there are listed up to 40 meditation methods. All of them are based on two components called Samatha (calm abiding, peace of mind) and Vipassana (direct knowledge, intuition).
We must take into account that different traditions of Buddhism Mahayana developed their own unique methods. In Buddhism Mahayana it is often described that the meditation techniques could be considered as “total” in the sense that sometimes they defend one particular type of meditation above all else. Such is the case of Buddhist meditation Zen (Zazen) or Mahamudra in Tibetan Buddhism .
Buddhism is a means of individual and social transformation. The word Buddha is a title or an epithet and not a name. It means “one who is awake” in the sense of having “woken up to reality” . The Buddha was a human being , who, through tremendous efforts, transformed and transcended his human limitations in creating a new order of Being: A Being Lit.
Buddhist Meditation Technique
Buddhist meditation does not mean only sitting on the floor to develop a contemplative awareness. To gain full benefits of Buddhist meditation you should seek a quiet place, preferably close to nature to promote the progress of meditation. You should be consistent in meditation times.
In addition you are advised to take the pose of the actual Buddha . The popular representation of the Buddha is that of a seated figure with legs crossed in the so-called lotus position . There are, however, other representations of Buddha (standing, lying down, or in a chair) which are less often used as a guide to Buddhist meditation.
In Buddhist meditation it is attempted to predispose certain mental condition that favors the samadhi or “state of maximum care and comfort.” The samadhi is considered something prior to the completion of a high understanding and also of nirvana.
In primitive Buddhism – as we know from the sources of Pali Theravada school – Buddha explains the different states or “jhanas” a practitioner should experience in his/her progress as well as how to identify and to follow certain meditation methods.
Similarly, in Mahayana Buddhism there appear similar explanations of different meditative states along with new ways to meditate. Historically, these new formulations often involves the revival of old meditation methods that are adapted to the new world.
At the core of all Buddhist meditation is a quiet and careful observation of both one’s mental processes and the phenomena of life.
Meditation in the different schools
From this common basis, throughout history different Buddhist traditions developed their own techniques of meditation according to their own historical and cultural influences. In all traditions there are many meditation techniques and variations, so sometimes it’s easy to get confused about Buddhist meditation.
However, there are some more important Buddhist meditation types that can be understood and learnt. Here they are:
Theravada Buddhism : it emphasizes the analysis and description of the different states of meditation. The meditation ritual is simple and a careful study of this meditation is strongly encouraged. This type of Buddhist meditation emphasizes a practical way to polish progressive achievements of the practitioner. The analysis and systematization of the experience of meditation is the main feature in the Theravada tradition.
Zen Buddhism : emphasizes the spontaneous nature and intuitive wisdom . The Buddhist practice of ritual is simple and it tries to find a natural harmony in the individual achievements. It avoid dualism in the understanding of reality and this feature is one of the most important ones in Zen meditation
Tibetan Buddhism : works with the unconscious symbolic mechanisms of the mind. It is a ritualistic practice that attempts to transform the practitioner’s mind through a progressive way of accomplishments. Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is focused from the beginning to establish new psychological patterns to increase understanding of reality at deep levels. It is the most symbolic and magical of all Buddhist traditions.
Pure Land Buddhism : highlights the powerful nature of wisdom in the efforts of the individual. It is a devotional practice in which the mantras (recitations) predispose to the practitioner for an instant realization. In Pure Land Buddhism, devotion, humility and gratitude are the most distinctive outcomes.
Buddhist meditation in the world
In general, Buddhism provides many explanations and analysis of different states of mind during meditation and their psychological factors and conditions.
Buddhism is very generally recognized as the most sophisticated spiritual practice because of its contemplative techniques. Due to the pragmatic approach of the Buddhist religion, sometimes this sophistication has also been useful to approach people of other religions.
Often different techniques have been adopted by practitioners of other religions within their own contexts. It has also been used as an aid for psychological therapy or physical health.
In several European countries, it is being used successfully and regularly to help the rehabilitation of prisoners, and its recent successes with anorexia are sometimes spectacular, being praised both in medical and scientific studies.
Also recently, the scientific community has been interested in deciphering physiologically Buddhist meditation techniques (National Geopraphic) . The revitalizing of this ancient practice is viewed with joy from the Buddhist community, as it always has been considered something quite beneficial to the happiness of individuals.
How to do Buddhist Meditation
Today, meditation can be a key tool of self-control and, moreover, can help us find peace and happiness.
Contrary to what many people think it is not necessary to have a teacher or a group or go to a temple or a special place to meditate. Of course, if you would like to do that, you surely can. But anyway, the point is that you can learn to meditate in the corner of your home where you feel most comfortable using only a fraction of your time.
Now the first thing you should understand before you start to meditate is that you have to have faith in what you’re doing, and how this meditation will help you. I will soon show you the steps to get started on the path of Buddhist meditation.
There is no reason to have conflict of religion or anything like that, just think that in your meditation you are addressing a universal being. I encourage you to learn Buddhist meditation because it is quite easy to do and is suitable for people looking for a form of meditation that is quick and not complicated.
How to do Buddhist Mediation – steps
1. First, define the place where you meditate every day. It should be calm, free from interruptions, should radiate with peace and serenity, and above all, should be private (where you can be left undisturbed for at least 15 minutes).
2. Preferably, light a candle or incense, but if you do not have anything on hand that’s okay.
3. Sit in the position you’re most comfortable.
4. Try to clear your mind of problems and concerns, in general, try to keep it blank.
5. Begin to see light, think of positive things, happiness and peace.
6. Stay in this state for about 15 or 20 minutes, then with practice, you will be able to effortlessly extend this time.
Strange and incredible as it sounds, you will see that this practice will really help you in many aspects of your life. If you do it regularly and with faith, things will begin to change in your life – negativity will diminish whilst positive things in your life will increase.
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