Meditation

Buddhist Meditation

(http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/meditation)

Buddhist meditation is a form of mental concentration that leads ultimately to enlightenment and spiritual freedom. Meditation occupies a central place in all forms of Buddhism, but has developed characteristic variations in different Buddhist traditions.

There are two main types of Buddhist meditation: vipassana (insight) and samatha (tranquility). The two are often combined or used one after the other (usually vipissana follows samatha).

The basic purpose of samatha or tranquility meditation is to still the mind and train it to concentrate. The object of concentration (kammatthana) is less important than the skill of concentration itself, and varies by individual and situation. One Pali texts lists 40 kammatthanas, which include:

– devices (like color or light)
– repulsive things (like a corpse)
– recollections (such as sayings of the Buddha)
– virtues (like loving-kindness)

Tranquility Meditation (Samatha)

The goal of samatha meditation is to progress through four stages (dhyanas):

– Detachment from the external world and a consciousness of joy and tranquility;
– Concentration, with suppression of reasoning and investigation;
– The passing away of joy, but with the sense of tranquility remaining; and
– The passing away of tranquility also, bringing about a state of pure self-possession and equanimity.

Insight Meditation (Vipassana)

Many of the skills learned in tranquility meditation can be applied to insight meditation, but the end goal is different. As its name suggests, the purpose of insight meditation is the realization of important truths. Specifically, one who practices vipassana hopes to realize the truths of impermanence, suffering and “no-self.”

Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Bhavana)

Loving-kindness is a central virtue of Buddhism, and loving-kindness meditation (metta bhavana) is a way of developing this virtue. It is a practice that is seen as supplemental or complementary to other forms of meditation.

The purpose of loving-kindness meditation is to develop the mental habit of altruistic love for the self and others. It is said to “sweeten the mind.