Buddhist meditation is a form of mental concentration.
Buddhist meditation 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).
In China and Japan, an entire school of Buddhism developed
around the practice of sitting meditation: Ch’an or
Zen Buddhism. This article outlines the major types of Buddhist
meditation and provides links to further information on
Buddhist meditation.
Tranquility Meditation (Samatha)
The basic purpose of samatha 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)
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."
Of course, these doctrines are already known to any Buddhist.
After all, they are the central teachings of the Buddha.
But in order to attain liberation, he or she must personally
apprehend and truly understand these important truths. Simple
knowledge of the Buddhist doctrines is not sufficient.
Because vipassana meditation alone produces the understanding
through which liberation takes place, it is considered superior
to tranquility meditation. It is the primary form of meditation
practiced in Theravada Buddhism.
The practice of insight meditation centers around the notion
of mindfulness. Mindfulness is related to, but different
than, concentration. When one is concentrating, one’s
entire focus is on the object of concentration in an almost
trancelike manner - whether the object is a lotus, one’s
own breathing, or a television program. But to be mindful
of something is to think about it and observe it carefully.
It is not only to focus on a television program, but to
comprehend its content. It is not only to block out everything
but breathing; it is to observe what the breathing is like
and attempt to learn something about it.
Gaining the skill of mindfulness is the first step of insight
meditation. The most common methods prescribed to develop
mindfulness are:
walking mindfulness
sitting mindfulness
mindfulness of daily activities
Walking mindfulness is regularly practiced in monasteries
and retreats, especially in the Theravada tradition. But
to practice walking mindfulness anywhere, one finds a quiet
place to walk, takes a moment to relax, then attempts to
focus on the myriad movements and sensations associated
with walking. If the mind strays to other things, this is
to be mindfully noted, then put aside to again focus on
the walking. According to Buddhists who practice this technique,
as one progresses in skill it becomes easy to "lose
oneself" in the activity and walk for a long time without
it feeling like more than a few minutes have passed. This
can be very blissful in itself, but it also brings the practitioner
closer to insight into the fundamental truths of "no-self"
and impermanence.
Sitting meditation is very similar to walking meditation,
except now the focus is on the breath instead of the walking.
The sitting meditator attempts to focus entirely on his
or her own breath as it moves in and out, and the abdomen
as it moves up and down. As in walking meditation, as other
thoughts distract, these are to be mindfully recognized,
then put aside. With practice, the meditator is distracted
less and notices more about the object of observation, the
breath. This practice certainly brings about tranquility,
but again, the ultimate goal is to begin to realize for
oneself the Buddhist truths of no-self, suffering and impermanence.
Finally, the practice of mindfulness in everyday activities
applies the skills learned in walking and sitting meditation
to everything one does: eating, washing dishes, washing,
etc. As this skill is developed, one lives increasinly in
the present moment and participates more fully in everything
he or she does. One Buddhist master who was accomplished
in the practice of mindfulness said simply, "When I
eat, I eat. When I sleep, I sleep."
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." There are, of
course, a variety of ways to practice metta bhavana, but
it generally progresses through three stages:
Specific pervasion
Directional pervasion
Non-specific pervasion
In the first stage, the practitioner focuses on sending
loving-kindness to specific people, in the following order:
Oneself
An admired, respected person (like a spiritual teacher)
A beloved person (like a close friend or family member)
A neutral person – someone familiar but who evokes
no particular feelings (like a person who works in a local
store)
A hostile person (like an enemy or someone who causes the
practitioner difficulty)
Beginning with oneself, the meditator seeks to evoke feelings
of loving-kindness for each person in the above list. Tools
for accomplishing this include:
Visualization – imagine the person looking joyful
and happy
Reflection – reflect on the person’s positive
qualities and acts of kindness they have done
Mantra – repeat silently or out loud a simple mantra
like "loving-kindness"
When this first stage has been accomplished even for hostile
persons, one moves on the next stage, Directional Pervasion.
In this stage, the practitioner systematically projects
feelings of loving-kindness in all geographical directions:
north, south, east and west. This can be done by bringing
to mind friends and like-minded communities in various cities
around the world.
The last stage of metta bhavana is "Non-Specific Pervasion,"
which simply means radiating feelings of universal, unconditional
love in everyday life. This stage is often a natural outcome
of accomplishment of the other stages.