Buddhism

About Meditation

A Brief Summary

The core practice in Buddhism is meditation. What is it?

In its broadest form, meditation is a universal means of survival; something we all do. Our minds race constantly; they are filled with the internal dialogue of thoughts and emotions, future and the past. If we were never to get a break from this unremitting kaleidoscope we would go crazy. So we find ways to rest; to slow down; to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else. Athletes get into the 'zone.' Workers get lost in their work. Drivers lose a sense of time on long trips.

Buddhist meditation is method of harnessing this basic survival skill to be present, in the moment, at all times. Buddhist meditation is the practice of being aware.

The two most common types of meditation employed in Buddhist practice are:

• Shamata: This practice for calming the mind is actually common to many spiritual traditions. In Buddhism it is often characterized by counting the breath, concentrating on a statue of Buddha, or some other point of external focus. It is often referred to in Buddhism as tranquility meditation or calm-abiding meditation.
• Vipassina: These practices are found only in Buddhism. The word Vipashyana literally means seeing extra, more or superior seeing. It refers to the insight of seeing emptiness directly. This is the practice through which we cut the root of suffering by seeing its true nature. Vipashyana is the end result - the moment of realization. The meditation practices are therefore referred to with the same name. They include 'watching the mind', and analytical meditations on specific aspects of Buddhist teaching.

Practitioners begin with Shamata meditation. This helps calm down the mind by reducing outside distractions while building up our inner alertness and stamina. We then move on to Vipashyana practices as the main endeavor in Buddhist meditation.

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How Meditation Works

The mind is like a spoiled child. It wants to do what it wants, moving in whatever direction appeals to it. But you cannot understand the nature of mind if you cannot slow it down to look at it, to work with it. So your job is to be the parent, and tame it.

Now, you cannot do anything with the mind if your method of taming is to control it - to tell it to 'stop thinking' - because a) this directive in itself is a thought, and b) you will find that the mind is like mercury; you can't grab it. As soon as you try to capture it, it slips through your trap and sets off thinking of something else.

Focus and equanimity are the starting points for meditation. Instead of forcing yourself in any way, practice accepting what comes up in your mind, while learning how to bring your concentration back from its usual wanderings.

Eventually you will be able to hold your concentration on a single thought and to have the discipline to stay on that thought for as long as you want. Once you start to establish a calmness of mind - once you are able to focus - you can start to thoroughly explore and comprehend, through meditation, the realities that lie at the root of the Buddha's realization - impermanence, selflessness, and emptiness. The ultimate discovery in meditation is the experience of pure mind - clear, luminous and free from fear.