Buddhist Meditation

Buddhist meditation includes a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. Non-Buddhist use these meditation techniques for pursuing physical and mental health whereas Buddhist use it as a part of the path toward enlightenment and nirvana. Buddhist meditation is meant to free oneself from the cluttered mind so as to attain a more serene life.

Exploring the types of Meditation:

There are many types and forms of Buddhist meditation. Theravada meditation alone includes over fifty methods for developing mindfulness and forty for developing concentration. Tibetan tradition is another form Buddhist meditation which has thousands of visualization meditations. Buddhist meditation can be largely classified into two forms viz. samatha meditation and vipassana meditation.

Vipassana meditation:

Vipassana meditation is a simple method which depends on direct experience and observation. Its main motto is to develop a deep, experimental understanding of all the phenomena and bring to the surface and dissolve deep-seated complexes and tensions. It helps us to explore

* Whether the worldly matters are permanent or not.

* Whether the worldly things are satisfactory or filled with suffering.

* To have a sense of non-doership and non-possessorship.

Vipassana shall be inherited from the legitimate source to avoid confusion and prevent incorrect technique. It can again be classified into three main headings:

Theravada vipassana is used for understanding the four noble truths that were taught by the Buddha. Mahayana vipassana meditation unfolds two truths viz. conventional truth and absolute truth. Vajrayana vipassana takes the practitioner to the path of direct experience.

Samatha meditation:

Samatha is another type of Buddhist meditation which enhances the sustained voluntary attention. Samatha meditation includes introduction to wisdom practices as well as Samadhi (tranquility or concentration) practices. It is a focusing, pacifying and calming meditation which can be related to other traditional practices like yoga. The main goal of this meditation is to calm the mind and reveal the facts which had disturbed the mind.

Buddhist meditation aims to get rid of all the worldly sorrows and attain the highest point of moral and psychological maturation. Like the other meditations, Buddhist meditation also helps in developing concentration, compassion, inner peace and wisdom.