Buddhist meditation - wikipedia Buddhist meditation Monk meditating beside Sirikit Dam in Thailand Part of a series on Buddhism History Timeline Gautama Buddha Councils Later Buddhists Dharma Concepts Four Noble Truths Five Aggregates Impermanence Suffering Non-self Dependent Origination Middle Way Emptiness Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Cosmology Buddhist texts Buddhavacana Tripiṭaka Mahayana Sutras Pāli Canon Tibetan canon Chinese canon Practices Three Jewels Buddhist Paths to liberation Morality Perfections Meditation Philosophical reasoning Mindfulness Wisdom Compassion Aids to Enlightenment Monasticism Laity Nirvāṇa Four Stages Arhat Buddha Bodhisattva Traditions Theravāda Pāli Mahāyāna Hinayana Chinese Vajrayāna Tibetan Navayana Newar Buddhism by country India China Thailand Japan Myanmar Sri Lanka Laos Cambodia Korea Taiwan Tibet Bhutan Mongolia Russia Outline Buddhism portal Part of a series on Mindfulness Buddhism Buddhist meditation Sati Sampajañña Apramada Satipatthana Mindfulness of breathing Vipassanā Vipassana movement Psychology Mindfulness Mindfulness - based stress reduction Mindfulness - based cognitive therapy Acceptance and commitment therapy Other Buddhism and psychology Similar concepts Wakefulness Attention Alertness Prudence Conscientiousness Awareness Consciousness Observation Category : Mindfulness Buddhist meditation refers to the meditative practices of Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher - student transmissions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā and jhāna / dhyāna. Buddhist meditation techniques have become increasingly popular in the wider world, with many non-Buddhists taking them up for a variety of reasons. Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that aim to develop sati ( mindfulness ), samadhi ( concentration ), abhijñā ( supramundane powers ), samatha ( tranquility ), and vipassanā ( insight ). Specific Buddhist meditation techniques have also been used to remove unwholesome qualities thought to be impediments to spiritual liberation, such loving kindness to remove ill - will, hate, and anger, equanimity to remove mental clinging, and patikulamanasikara ( meditations on the parts of the body ) and maraṇasati ( meditation on death and corpses ) to remove sensual lust for the body and cultivate impermanence ( anicca ). Given the large number and diversity of traditional Buddhist meditation practices, this article primarily identifies authoritative contextual frameworks -- both contemporary and canonical -- for the variety of practices. For those seeking school - specific meditation information, it may be more appropriate to simply view the articles listed in the `` See also '' section below. Contents 1 Key Terms 2 Meditation in Buddhist traditions 2.1 In early tradition 2.1. 1 Types of meditation 2.1. 2 Four foundations for mindfulness 2.1. 3 Serenity and insight 2.2 Theravada tradition 2.2. 1 In Contemporary Theravada 2.3 In Mahāyāna Buddhism 2.3. 1 Meditation in the Pure Land school 2.3. 1.1 Mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha 2.3. 1.2 Pure Land Rebirth Dhāraṇī 2.3. 1.3 Visualization methods 2.3. 2 Meditation in the Chán / Zen school 2.3. 2.1 Pointing to the nature of the mind 2.3. 2.2 Contemplating meditation cases 2.3. 3 Meditation in the Tiantai school 2.3. 3.1 Tiantai śamatha - vipaśyanā 2.3. 3.2 Esoteric practices in Japan 2.3. 4 Meditation in Vajrayana Buddhism 3 Therapeutic uses of meditation 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External links Key Terms English Pali Sanskrit Chinese Tibetan mindfulness / awareness sati smṛti 念 ( niàn ) trenpa ( wylie : dran pa ) clear comprehension sampajañña samprajaña 正 知力 ( zhèng zhī lì ) shezhin ( shes bzhin ) vigilance / heedfulness appamada apramāda 不 放 逸 座 ( bù fàng yì zuò ) bakyö ( bag yod ) ardency atappa ātapaḥ 勇猛 ( yǒng měng ) nyima ( nyi ma ) attention / engagement manasikara manaskāraḥ 如 理 作 意 ( rú lǐ zuò yì ) yila jepa ( yid la byed pa ) foundation of mindfulness satipaṭṭhāna smṛtyupasthāna 念 住 ( niànzhù ) trenpa neybar zhagpa ( dran pa nye bar gzhag pa ) mindfulness of breathing ānāpānasati ānāpānasmṛti 安 那 般 那 ( ānnàbānnà ) wūk trenpa ( dbugs dran pa ) calm abiding / cessation samatha śamatha 止 ( zhǐ ) shiney ( zhi gnas ) insight / contemplation vipassanā vipaśyanā 観 ( guān ) lhagthong ( lhag mthong ) meditative concentration samādhi samādhi 三昧 ( sānmèi ) ting - nge - dzin ( ting nge dzin ) meditative absorption jhāna dhyāna 禪 ( chán ) samten ( bsam gtan ) cultivation bhāvanā bhāvanā 修行 ( xiūxíng ) gompa ( sgom pa ) cultivation of analysis Vitakka and Vicāra * vicāra - bhāvanā -- chegom ( dpyad sgom ) cultivation of settling -- * sthāpya - bhāvanā -- jokgom ( ' jog sgom ) Meditation in Buddhist traditions While there are some similar meditative practices -- such as breath meditation and various recollections ( anussati ) -- that are used across Buddhist schools, there is also significant diversity. In the Theravada tradition alone, there are over fifty methods for developing mindfulness and forty for developing concentration, while in Tibetan Buddhism, there are thousands of visualization meditations. Most classical and contemporary Buddhist meditation guides are school specific. Only a few teachers attempt to synthesize, crystallize and categorize practices from multiple Buddhist traditions. In early tradition The earliest tradition of Buddhist practice is preserved in the nikāya / āgamas, and is adhered to by the Theravada lineage. It was also the focus of the other now - extinct early Buddhist schools, and has been incorporated to greater and lesser degrees into the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and many East Asian Mahayana traditions. Types of meditation Meditation on the Buddhist Path Most Buddhist traditions recognize that the path to Enlightenment entails three types of training : virtue ( sīla ) ; meditation ( samadhi ) ; and, wisdom ( paññā ). Thus, meditative prowess alone is not sufficient ; it is but one part of the path. In other words, in Buddhism, in tandem with mental cultivation, ethical development and wise understanding are also necessary for the attainment of the highest goal. In terms of early traditions as found in the vast Pāli Canon and the Āgamas, meditation can be contextualized as part of the Noble Eightfold Path, explicitly in regard to : Right Mindfulness ( samma sati ) -- exemplified by the Buddha 's Four Foundations of Mindfulness ( see Satipatthana Sutta ). Right Concentration ( samma samadhi ) -- culminating in jhanic absorptions through the meditative development of samatha. And implicitly in regard to : Right View ( samma ditthi ) -- embodying wisdom traditionally attained through the meditative development of vipassana founded on samatha. Classic texts in the Pali literature enumerating meditative subjects include the Satipatthana Sutta ( MN 10 ) and the Visuddhimagga 's Part II, `` Concentration '' ( Samadhi ). Four foundations for mindfulness Main article : Satipatthana Sutta Lord Buddha meditating In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha identifies four foundations for mindfulness : the body, feelings, mind states and mental objects. He further enumerates the following objects as bases for the meditative development of mindfulness : Body ( kāyā ) : Breathing ( see Ānāpānasati Sutta ), Postures, Clear Comprehending, Reflections on Repulsiveness of the Body, Reflections on Material Elements, Cemetery Contemplations Feelings ( vedanā ), whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral Mind / consciousness ( cittā ) Mental Contents ( dhammā ) : Hindrances, Aggregates, Sense - Bases, Factors of Enlightenment, and the Four Noble Truths. Meditation on these subjects develops insight. Serenity and insight The Buddha is said to have identified two paramount mental qualities that arise from wholesome meditative practice : `` serenity '' or `` tranquillity '' ( Pali : samatha ) which steadies, composes, unifies and concentrates the mind ; `` insight '' ( Pali : vipassanā ) which enables one to see, explore and discern `` formations '' ( conditioned phenomena based on the five aggregates ). Through the meditative development of serenity, one is able to suppress obscuring hindrances ; and, with the suppression of the hindrances, it is through the meditative development of insight that one gains liberating wisdom. Moreover, the Buddha is said to have extolled serenity and insight as conduits for attaining Nibbana ( Pali ; Skt. : Nirvana ), the unconditioned state as in the `` Kimsuka Tree Sutta '' ( SN 35.245 ), where the Buddha provides an elaborate metaphor in which serenity and insight are `` the swift pair of messengers '' who deliver the message of Nibbana via the Noble Eightfold Path. In the `` Four Ways to Arahantship Sutta '' ( AN 4.170 ), Ven. Ananda reports that people attain arahantship using serenity and insight in one of three ways : they develop serenity and then insight ( Pali : samatha - pubbangamam vipassanam ) they develop insight and then serenity ( Pali : vipassana - pubbangamam samatham ) ( ( While the Nikayas identify that the pursuit of vipassana can precede the pursuit of samatha, a fruitful vipassana - oriented practice must still be based upon the achievement of stabilizing `` access concentration '' ( Pali : upacara samadhi ). ) ) they develop serenity and insight in tandem ( Pali : samatha - vipassanam yuganaddham ) as in, for instance, obtaining the first jhana, and then seeing in the associated aggregates the three marks of existence, before proceeding to the second jhana. In the Pali canon, the Buddha never mentions independent samatha and vipassana meditation practices ; instead, samatha and vipassana are two qualities of mind to be developed through meditation. Nonetheless, some meditation practices ( such as contemplation of a kasina object ) favor the development of samatha, others are conducive to the development of vipassana ( such as contemplation of the aggregates ), while others ( such as mindfulness of breathing ) are classically used for developing both mental qualities. Theravada tradition Main article : Kammaṭṭhāna Buddhaghosa with three copies of Visuddhimagga, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara The oldest material of the Theravada tradition on meditation can be found in the Pali Nikayas and in texts such as the Patisambhidamagga which provide commentary to meditation suttas like the Anapanasati sutta. An early Theravada meditation manual is the Vimuttimagga ( ' Path of Freedom ', 1st or 2nd century ). The most influential presentation though, is that of the 5th Century Visuddhimagga ( ' Path of Purification ' ) of Buddhaghoṣa, which describes forty meditation subjects. Almost all of these are described in the early texts. Buddhaghoṣa also seems to have been influenced by the earlier Vimuttimagga in his presentation. Buddhaghoṣa advises that, for the purpose of developing concentration and consciousness, a person should `` apprehend from among the forty meditation subjects one that suits his own temperament '' with the advice of a `` good friend '' ( kalyāṇa - mittatā ) who is knowledgeable in the different meditation subjects ( Ch. III, § 28 ). Buddhaghoṣa subsequently elaborates on the forty meditation subjects as follows ( Ch. III, § 104 ; Chs. IV - XI ) : ten kasinas : earth, water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, white, light, and `` limited - space ''. ten kinds of foulness : `` the bloated, the livid, the festering, the cut - up, the gnawed, the scattered, the hacked and scattered, the bleeding, the worm - infested, and a skeleton ''. ten recollections : Buddhānussati, the Dhamma, the Sangha, virtue, generosity, the virtues of deities, death ( see the Upajjhatthana Sutta ), the body, the breath ( see anapanasati ), and peace ( see Nibbana ). four divine abodes : mettā, karuṇā, mudita, and upekkha. four immaterial states : boundless space, boundless perception, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. one perception ( of `` repulsiveness in nutriment '' ) one `` defining '' ( that is, the four elements ) When one overlays Buddhaghosa 's 40 meditative subjects for the development of concentration with the Buddha 's foundations of mindfulness, three practices are found to be in common : breath meditation, foulness meditation ( which is similar to the Sattipatthana Sutta 's cemetery contemplations, and to contemplation of bodily repulsiveness ), and contemplation of the four elements. According to Pali commentaries, breath meditation can lead one to the equanimous fourth jhanic absorption. Contemplation of foulness can lead to the attainment of the first jhana, and contemplation of the four elements culminates in pre-jhana access concentration. In contemporary Theravada See also : Vipassana movement Particularly influential from the twentieth century onward has been the `` New Burmese Method '' or `` Vipassanā School '' approach to samatha and vipassanā developed by Mingun Sayadaw and U Nārada and popularized by Mahasi Sayadaw. Here samatha is considered an optional but not necessary component of the practice -- vipassanā is possible without it. Another Burmese method, derived from Ledi Sayadaw via Ba Khin and S.N. Goenka, takes a similar approach. Other Burmese traditions popularized in the west, notably that of Pa Auk Sayadaw, uphold the emphasis on samatha explicit in the commentarial tradition of the Visuddhimagga. These Burmese traditions have been particularly influential on the Western Vipassana movement ( also called `` Insight meditation '' ), which includes American Buddhist teachers such as Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. There are also other less well known Burmese meditation methods, such as the system developed by U Vimala, which focuses on knowledge of dependent origination and cittanupassana ( mindfulness of the mind ). Likewise, Sayadaw U Tejaniya 's method also focuses on mindfulness of the mind. Also influential is the Thai Forest Tradition deriving from Mun Bhuridatta and popularized by Ajahn Chah, which, in contrast, stresses the inseparability of the two practices, and the essential necessity of both practices. Other noted practitioners in this tradition include Ajahn Thate and Ajahn Maha Bua, among others. There are other forms of Thai Buddhist meditation associated with particular teachers, including Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 's presentation of anapanasati, Ajahn Lee 's breath meditation method ( which influenced his American student Thanissaro ) and the `` dynamic meditation '' of Luangpor Teean Cittasubho. There are other less mainstream forms of Theravada meditation practiced in Thailand which include the vijja dhammakaya meditation developed by Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro and the meditation of former supreme patriarch Suk Kai Thuean ( 1733 - 1822 ). Newell notes that these two forms of modern Thai meditation share certain features in common with tantric practices such as the use of visualizations and centrality of maps of the body. A less common type of meditation is practiced in Cambodia and Laos by followers of Borān kammaṭṭhāna ( ' ancient practices ' ) tradition. This form of meditation includes the use of mantras and visualizations. In Mahayana Buddhism Mahāyāna Buddhism includes numerous schools of practice, which each draw upon various Buddhist sūtras, philosophical treatises, and commentaries. Accordingly, each school has its own meditation methods for the purpose of developing samādhi and prajñā, with the goal of ultimately attaining enlightenment. Nevertheless, each has its own emphasis, mode of expression, and philosophical outlook. In his classic book on meditation of the various Chinese Buddhist traditions, Charles Luk writes, `` The Buddha Dharma is useless if it is not put into actual practice, because if we do not have personal experience of it, it will be alien to us and we will never awaken to it in spite of our book learning. '' Nan Huaijin echoed similar sentiments about the importance of meditation by remarking, `` Intellectual reasoning is just another spinning of the sixth consciousness, whereas the practice of meditation is the true entry into the Dharma. '' Meditation in the Pure Land school Mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha In Pure Land Buddhism, repeating the name of Amitābha is traditionally a form of mindfulness of the Buddha ( Skt. buddhānusmṛti ). This term was translated into Chinese as nianfo ( Chinese : 念佛 ), by which it is popularly known in English. The practice is described as calling the buddha to mind by repeating his name, to enable the practitioner to bring all his or her attention upon that buddha ( samādhi ). This may be done vocally or mentally, and with or without the use of Buddhist prayer beads. Those who practice this method often commit to a fixed set of repetitions per day, often from 50,000 to over 500,000. According to tradition, the second patriarch of the Pure Land school, Shandao, is said to have practiced this day and night without interruption, each time emitting light from his mouth. Therefore, he was bestowed with the title `` Great Master of Light '' ( 大師 光明 ) by Emperor Gaozong of Tang ( 高 宗 ). In addition, in Chinese Buddhism there is a related practice called the `` dual path of Chán and Pure Land cultivation '', which is also called the `` dual path of emptiness and existence. '' As taught by Venerable Nan Huaijin, the name of Amitābha Buddha is recited slowly, and the mind is emptied out after each repetition. When idle thoughts arise, the phrase is repeated again to clear them. With constant practice, the mind is able to remain peacefully in emptiness, culminating in the attainment of samādhi. Pure Land rebirth dhāraṇī Repeating the Pure Land Rebirth dhāraṇī is another method in Pure Land Buddhism. Similar to the mindfulness practice of repeating the name of Amitābha Buddha, this dhāraṇī is another method of meditation and recitation in Pure Land Buddhism. The repetition of this dhāraṇī is said to be very popular among traditional Chinese Buddhists. It is traditionally preserved in Sanskrit, and it is said that when a devotee succeeds in realizing singleness of mind by repeating a mantra, its true and profound meaning will be clearly revealed. namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā amṛtabhave amṛtasaṃbhave amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini gagana kīrtīchare svāhā Visualization methods Another practice found in Pure Land Buddhism is meditative contemplation and visualization of Amitābha, his attendant bodhisattvas, and the Pure Land. The basis of this is found in the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra ( `` Amitābha Meditation Sūtra '' ), in which the Buddha describes to Queen Vaidehi the practices of thirteen progressive visualization methods, corresponding to the attainment of various levels of rebirth in the Pure Land. Visualization practises for Amitābha are popular among esoteric Buddhist sects, such as Japanese Shingon Buddhism. Meditation in the Chán / Zen school Main articles : Zen, Chinese Chán, Japanese Zen, and Zen in the United States Members of Kanzeon Zen Center during walking meditation Pointing to the nature of the mind In the earliest traditions of Zen, it is said that there was no formal method of meditation. Instead, the teacher would use various didactic methods to point to the true nature of the mind, also known as Buddha - nature. This method is referred to as the `` Mind Dharma '', and exemplified in the story of Śākyamuni Buddha holding up a flower silently, and Mahākāśyapa smiling as he understood. A traditional formula of this is, `` Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas. '' In the early era of the Chán school, there was no fixed method or ple formula for teaching meditation, and all instructions were simply heuristic methods ; therefore the Chán school was called the `` Gateless Gate. '' Contemplating meditation cases It is said traditionally that when the minds of people in society became more complicated and when they could not make progress so easily, the masters of the Chán school were forced to change their methods. These involved particular words and phrases, shouts, roars of laughter, sighs, gestures, or blows from a staff. These were all meant to awaken the student to the essential truth of the mind, and were later called gōng'àn ( 公案 ), or kōan in Japanese. These didactic phrases and methods were to be contemplated, and example of such a device is a phrase that turns around the practice of mindfulness : `` Who is being mindful of the Buddha ? '' The teachers all instructed their students to give rise to a gentle feeling of doubt at all times while practicing, so as to strip the mind of seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, and ensure its constant rest and undisturbed condition. Charles Luk explains the essential function of contemplating such a meditation case with doubt : Since the student can not stop all his thoughts at one stroke, he is taught to use this poison - against - poison device to realize singleness of thought, which is fundamentally wrong but will disappear when it falls into disuse, and gives way to singleness of mind, which is a precondition of the realization of the self - mind for the perception of self - nature and attainment of Bodhi. Meditation in the Tiantai school Tiantai samatha - vipaśyanā In China it has been traditionally held that the meditation methods used by the Tiantai school are the most systematic and comprehensive of all. In addition to its doctrinal basis in Indian Buddhist texts, the Tiantai school also emphasizes use of its own meditation texts which emphasize the principles of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Of these texts, Zhiyi 's Concise Śamathavipaśyanā ( 小 止観 ), Mohe Zhiguan ( 摩 訶 止観, Sanskrit Mahāśamathavipaśyanā ), and Six Subtle Dharma Gates ( 六 妙法 門 ) are the most widely read in China. Rujun Wu identifies the work Mahā - śamatha - vipaśyanā of Zhiyi as the seminal meditation text of the Tiantai school. Regarding the functions of śamatha and vipaśyanā in meditation, Zhiyi writes in his work Concise Śamatha - vipaśyanā : The attainment of Nirvāṇa is realizable by many methods whose essentials do not go beyond the practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Śamatha is the first step to untie all bonds and vipaśyanā is essential to root out delusion. Śamatha provides nourishment for the preservation of the knowing mind, and vipaśyanā is the skillful art of promoting spiritual understanding. Śamatha is the unsurpassed cause of samādhi, while vipaśyanā begets wisdom. The Tiantai school also places a great emphasis on ānāpānasmṛti, or mindfulness of breathing, in accordance with the principles of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Zhiyi classifies breathing into four main categories : panting ( 喘 ), unhurried breathing ( 風 ), deep and quiet breathing ( 氣 ), and stillness or rest ( 息 ). Zhiyi holds that the first three kinds of breathing are incorrect, while the fourth is correct, and that the breathing should reach stillness and rest. Zhiyi also outlines four kinds of samadhi in his Mohe Zhiguan, and ten modes of practicing vipaśyanā. Esoteric practices in japan One of the adaptations by the Japanese Tendai school was the introduction of Mikkyō ( esoteric practices ) into Buddhism, which was later named Taimitsu by Ennin. Eventually, according to Tendai Taimitsu doctrine, the esoteric rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the exoteric teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, by chanting mantras, maintaining mudras, or performing certain meditations, one is able to see that the sense experiences are the teachings of Buddha, have faith that one is inherently an enlightened being, and one can attain enlightenment within this very body. The origins of Taimitsu are found in China, similar to the lineage that Kūkai encountered in his visit to Tang China and Saichō 's disciples were encouraged to study under Kūkai. Meditation in Vajrayana Buddhism Meditation through the use of complex guided imagery based on Buddhist deities like Tara is a key practice in Vajrayana. Visual aids such as this thangka are often used. Main article : Tantra techniques ( Vajrayana ) Vajrayana Buddhism includes all of the traditional forms of Mahayana meditation and also several unique forms. The central defining form of Vajrayana meditation is Deity Yoga ( devatayoga ). This involves the recitation of mantras, prayers and visualization of the yidam or deity along with the associated mandala of the deity 's Pure Land. Advanced Deity Yoga involves imagining yourself as the deity. Other forms of meditation in Vajrayana include the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings, each taught by the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism respectively. The goal of these is to familiarize oneself with the ultimate nature of mind which underlies all existence, the Dharmakāya. There are also other practices such as Dream Yoga, Tummo, the yoga of the intermediate state ( at death ) or Bardo, sexual yoga and Chöd. The shared preliminary practices of Tibetan Buddhism are called ngöndro, which involves visualization, mantra recitation, and many prostrations. Therapeutic uses of meditation Main article : Mindfulness For a long time people have practiced meditation, based on Buddhist meditation principles, in order to effect mundane and worldly benefit. Buddhist meditation techniques are increasingly being employed by psychologists and psychiatrists to help alleviate a variety of health conditions such as anxiety and depression. As such, mindfulness and other Buddhist meditation techniques are being advocated in the West by innovative psychologists and expert Buddhist meditation teachers such as Thích Nhất Hạnh, Pema Chödrön, Clive Sherlock, Mya Thwin, S.N. Goenka, Jon Kabat - Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Alan Clements, and Sharon Salzberg, who have been widely attributed with playing a significant role in integrating the healing aspects of Buddhist meditation practices with the concept of psychological awareness, healing, and well - being. Although mindfulness meditation has received the most research attention, loving kindness ( metta ) and equanimity ( upekkha ) meditation are beginning to be used in a wide array of research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. The accounts of meditative states in the Buddhist texts are in some regards free of dogma, so much so that the Buddhist scheme has been adopted by Western psychologists attempting to describe the phenomenon of meditation in general. However, it is exceedingly common to encounter the Buddha describing meditative states involving the attainment of such magical powers ( Sanskrit ṛddhi, Pali iddhi ) as the ability to multiply one 's body into many and into one again, appear and vanish at will, pass through solid objects as if space, rise and sink in the ground as if in water, walking on water as if land, fly through the skies, touching anything at any distance ( even the moon or sun ), and travel to other worlds ( like the world of Brahma ) with or without the body, among other things, and for this reason the whole of the Buddhist tradition may not be adaptable to a secular context, unless these magical powers are seen as metaphorical representations of powerful internal states that conceptual descriptions could not do justice to. See also Theravada Buddhist meditation practices : Anapanasati - focusing on the breath Satipatthana - Mindfulness of body, sensations, mind and mental phenomena The Four Immeasurables - including compassion karuna and loving - kindness Metta Kammaṭṭhāna Samatha - calm abiding Vipassana - insight Mahasati Meditation Dhammakaya Meditation Zen Buddhist meditation practices : Shikantaza - just sitting kinhin Zazen Koan Hua Tou Suizen ( historically practiced by the Fuke sect ) Buddhist meditation centers : Insight Meditation Society - Insight meditation, Barre, Massachusetts, USA Dharma Drum Retreat Center - Ch'an / Zen Buddhist meditation center in Pine Bush, New York, USA Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre Triratna center for men in Norfolk, UK Chapin Mill Zen Buddhist meditation center in Rochester, New York, USA Furnace Mountain Zen Buddhist meditation center in Kentucky USA San Francisco Zen Center, USA Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism meditation practices : Deity yoga Ngondro - preliminary practices Tonglen - giving and receiving Phowa - transference of consciousness at the time of death Chöd - cutting through fear by confronting it Mahamudra - the Kagyu version of ' entering the all - pervading Dharmadatu ', the ' nondual state ', or the ' absorption state ' Dzogchen - the natural state, the Nyingma version of Mahamudra The Four Immeasurables, Metta Tantra techniques Related Buddhist practices : Mindfulness - awareness in the present moment Mindfulness ( psychology ) - Western applications of Buddhist ideas Satipatthana chanting and mantra Proper floor - sitting postures and supports while meditating : Floor sitting : cross-legged ( full lotus, half lotus, Burmese ) or seiza Cushions : zafu, zabuton Traditional Buddhist texts on meditation : Anapanasati Sutta Satipatthana Sutta Buddhaghosa 's Visuddhimagga - ' The path of Purification ', used in Theravada Buddhism Kamalashila 's Bhāvanākrama - ' Stages of meditation ', used in Tibetan Buddhism Zhiyi 's Great Concentration and Insight ( Mohe Zhiguan ) - used in the Chinese Tiantai school Seventeen tantras - Major Tibetan Dzogchen texts The Wangchuk Dorje 's `` Ocean of Definitive Meaning '', major text on Mahamudra meditation. Dakpo Tashi Namgyal 's `` Mahamudra : The Moonlight - Quintessence of Mind and Meditation '' Fukan - zazengi - By Dogen, used in the Japanese Soto Zen school Traditional preliminary practices to Buddhist meditation : prostrations ( also see Ngondro ) refuge in the Triple Gem Five Precepts Analog in Vedas : Paramatma Ksirodakasayi Vishnu Notes Jump up ^ For instance, Kamalashila ( 2003 ), p. 4, states that Buddhist meditation `` includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim. '' Likewise, Bodhi ( 1999 ) writes : `` To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation... At the climax of such contemplation the mental eye... shifts its focus to the unconditioned state, Nibbana... '' A similar although in some ways slightly broader definition is provided by Fischer - Schreiber et al. ( 1991 ), p. 142 : `` Meditation -- general term for a multitude of religious practices, often quite different in method, but all having the same goal : to bring the consciousness of the practitioner to a state in which he can come to an experience of ' awakening, ' ' liberation, ' ' enlightenment. ' '' Kamalashila ( 2003 ) further allows that some Buddhist meditations are `` of a more preparatory nature '' ( p. 4 ). Jump up ^ The Pali and Sanskrit word bhāvanā literally means `` development '' as in `` mental development. '' For the association of this term with `` meditation, '' see Epstein ( 1995 ), p. 105 ; and, Fischer - Schreiber et al. ( 1991 ), p. 20. As an example from a well - known discourse of the Pāli Canon, in `` The Greater Exhortation to Rahula '' ( Maha - Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62 ), Sariputta tells Rahula ( in Pali, based on VRI, n.d. ) : ānāp ānassatiṃ, rāhula, bhāvanaṃ bhāvehi. Thanissaro ( 2006 ) translates this as : `` Rahula, develop the meditation ( bhāvana ) of mindfulness of in - & - out breathing. '' ( Square - bracketed Pali word included based on Thanissaro, 2006, end note. ) Jump up ^ See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede ( 1921 - 25 ), entry for `` jhāna '' ; Thanissaro ( 1997 ) ; as well as, Kapleau ( 1989 ), p. 385, for the derivation of the word `` zen '' from Sanskrit `` dhyāna. '' PTS Secretary Dr. Rupert Gethin, in describing the activities of wandering ascetics contemporaneous with the Buddha, wrote : ( T ) here is the cultivation of meditative and contemplative techniques aimed at producing what might, for the lack of a suitable technical term in English, be referred to as ' altered states of consciousness '. In the technical vocabulary of Indian religious texts, such states come to be termed ' meditations ' ( Sanskrit : dhyāna, Pali : jhāna ) or ' concentrations ' ( samādhi ) ; the attainment of such states of consciousness was generally regarded as bringing the practitioner to deeper knowledge and experience of the nature of the world. '' ( Gethin, 1998, p. 10. ) Jump up ^ Goldstein ( 2003 ) writes that, in regard to the Satipatthana Sutta, `` there are more than fifty different practices outlined in this Sutta. The meditations that derive from these foundations of mindfulness are called vipassana..., and in one form or another -- and by whatever name -- are found in all the major Buddhist traditions '' ( p. 92 ). The forty concentrative meditation subjects refer to Visuddhimagga 's oft - referenced enumeration. Regarding Tibetan visualizations, Kamalashila ( 2003 ), writes : `` The Tara meditation... is one example out of thousands of subjects for visualization meditation, each one arising out of some meditator 's visionary experience of enlightened qualities, seen in the form of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas '' ( p. 227 ). Jump up ^ Examples of contemporary school - specific `` classics '' include, from the Theravada tradition, Nyanaponika ( 1996 ) and, from the Zen tradition, Kapleau ( 1989 ). Jump up ^ For instance, from the Pāli Canon, see MN 44 ( Thanissaro, 1998a ) and AN 3 : 88 ( Thanissaro, 1998b ). In Mahayana tradition, the Lotus Sutra lists the Six Perfections ( pāramitā ) which echoes the threefold training with the inclusion of virtue ( śīla ), concentration ( samadhi ) and wisdom ( prajñā ). Jump up ^ For example, Bodhi ( 1999 ), in discussing a latter stage of developing Right View ( that of `` penetrating '' the Four Noble Truths ), states : To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation -- first to strengthen the capacity for sustained concentration, then to develop insight. Jump up ^ These definitions of samatha and vipassana are based on the `` Four Kinds of Persons Sutta '' ( AN 4.94 ). This article 's text is primarily based on Bodhi ( 2005 ), pp. 269 - 70, 440 n. 13. See also Thanissaro ( 1998d ). Jump up ^ Bodhi ( 2000 ), pp. 1251 - 53. See also Thanissaro ( 1998c ) ( where this sutta is identified as SN 35.204 ). See also, for instance, a discourse ( Pali : sutta ) entitled, `` Serenity and Insight '' ( SN 43.2 ), where the Buddha states : `` And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned ? Serenity and insight... '' ( Bodhi, 2000, pp. 1372 - 73 ). Jump up ^ See Thanissaro ( 1997 ) where for instance he underlines : When ( the Pali discourses ) depict the Buddha telling his disciples to go meditate, they never quote him as saying ' go do vipassana, ' but always ' go do jhana. ' And they never equate the word vipassana with any mindfulness techniques. In the few instances where they do mention vipassana, they almost always pair it with samatha -- not as two alternative methods, but as two qualities of mind that a person may ' gain ' or ' be endowed with, ' and that should be developed together. Similarly, referencing MN 151, vv. 13 - 19, and AN IV, 125 - 27, Ajahn Brahm ( who, like Bhikkhu Thanissaro, is of the Thai Forest Tradition ) writes : Some traditions speak of two types of meditation, insight meditation ( vipassana ) and calm meditation ( samatha ). In fact, the two are indivisible facets of the same process. Calm is the peaceful happiness born of meditation ; insight is the clear understanding born of the same meditation. Calm leads to insight and insight leads to calm. ( Brahm, 2006, p. 25. ) Jump up ^ Michael Carrithers, The Buddha, 1983, pages 33 - 34. Found in Founders of Faith, Oxford University Press, 1986. The author is referring to Pali literature. See however B. Alan Wallace, The bridge of quiescence : experiencing Tibetan Buddhist meditation. Carus Publishing Company, 1998, where the author demonstrates similar approaches to analyzing meditation within the Indo - Tibetan and Theravada traditions. References Jump up ^ Dharmacarini Manishini / Alice Collett Kamma in Context : The Mahakammavibhangasutta and the Culakammavibhangasutta, Western Buddhist Review Volume 4 Jump up ^ See, for instance, Bodhi ( 1999 ). Jump up ^ For instance, see Solé - Leris ( 1986 ), p. 75 ; and, Goldstein ( 2003 ), p. 92. Jump up ^ See, for instance, AN 2.30 in Bodhi ( 2005 ), pp. 267 - 68, and Thanissaro ( 1998e ). Jump up ^ Bodhi ( 2005 ), pp. 268, 439 nn. 7, 9, 10. See also Thanissaro ( 1998f ). Jump up ^ See, for instance, Bodhi ( 1999 ) and Nyanaponika ( 1996 ), p. 108. Jump up ^ PV Bapat. Vimuttimagga & Visuddhimagga - A Comparative Study, lv Jump up ^ Sarah Shaw, Buddhist meditation : an anthology of texts from the Pāli canon. Routledge, 2006, pages 6 - 8. A Jataka tale gives a list of 38 of them. ( 1 ). Jump up ^ PV Bapat. Vimuttimagga & Visuddhimagga - A Comparative Study, lvii Jump up ^ Buddhaghosa & Nanamoli ( 1999 ), pp. 85, 90. Jump up ^ Buddhaghoṣa & Nanamoli ( 1999 ), p. 110. Jump up ^ Regarding the jhanic attainments that are possible with different meditation techniques, see Gunaratana ( 1988 ). Jump up ^ Crosby, Kate ( 2013 ). Theravada Buddhism : Continuity, Diversity, and Identity. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118323298 Jump up ^ Tiyavanich K. Forest Recollections : Wandering Monks in Twentieth - Century Thailand. University of Hawaii Press, 1997. Jump up ^ Newell, Catherine. Two Meditation Traditions from Contemporary Thailand : A Summary Overview, Rian Thai : International Journal ofThai Studies Vol. 4 / 2011 Jump up ^ Newell, Catherine. Two Meditation Traditions from Contemporary Thailand : A Summary Overview, Rian Thai : International Journal ofThai Studies Vol. 4 / 2011 Jump up ^ Newell, Catherine. Two Meditation Traditions from Contemporary Thailand : A Summary Overview, Rian Thai : International Journal of Thai Studies Vol. 4 / 2011 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 11 Jump up ^ Nan, Huai - Chin. To Realize Enlightenment : Practice of the Cultivation Path. 1994. p. 1 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 83 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 83 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 84 Jump up ^ Yuan, Margaret. Grass Mountain : A Seven Day Intensive in Ch'an Training with Master Nan Huai - Chin. 1986. p. 55 Jump up ^ Yuan, Margaret. Grass Mountain : A Seven Day Intensive in Ch'an Training with Master Nan Huai - Chin. 1986. p. 55 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 84 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 84 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 85 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 44 Jump up ^ Nan, Huai - Chin. Basic Buddhism : Exploring Buddhism and Zen. 1997. p. 92 Jump up ^ Yuan, Margaret. Grass Mountain : A Seven Day Intensive in Ch'an Training with Master Nan Huai - Chin. 1986. p. 2 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 45 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 45 Jump up ^ Hsuan Hua. The Chan Handbook. 2004. p. 47 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 49 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 48 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 110 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 110 Jump up ^ Wu, Rujun ( 1993 ). T'ien - t'ai Buddhism and Early Mādhyamika. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8248 - 1561 - 5. Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 111 Jump up ^ Luk, Charles. The Secrets of Chinese Meditation. 1964. p. 125 Jump up ^ Abe, Ryūichi ( 2013 ). The Weaving of Mantra : Kūkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Columbia University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978 - 0 - 231 - 52887 - 0. Jump up ^ Power, John ; Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, page 271 Jump up ^ Garson, Nathaniel DeWitt ; Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra : Context and Philosophy in the Mahayoga System of rNying - ma Tantra, 2004, p. 37 Jump up ^ See, for instance, Zongmi 's description of bonpu and gedō zen, described further below. Jump up ^ Cornfield, J. ( 2003 ). Publishers Weekly review of Radical acceptance : embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha ( Editorial Review ). Retrieved April 17, 2009, from ( 2 ) Jump up ^ MARC UCLA Jump up ^ Hutcherson, Cendri ( 2008 - 05 - 19 ). `` Loving - Kindness Meditation Increases Social Connectedness '' ( PDF ). doi : 10.1037 / a0013237. Jump up ^ Brahmana, Metteyya ( 2008 - 05 - 19 ). `` New Equanimity Meditation and Tools from Psychology to Test Its Effectiveness ''. doi : 10.13140 / RG. 2.1. 3810.1365. Jump up ^ Iddhipada - vibhanga Sutta Jump up ^ Samaññaphala Sutta Jump up ^ Kevatta Sutta Bibliography Bodhi, Bhikkhu ( 1999 ). The Noble Eightfold Path : The Way to the End of Suffering. Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html. Bodhi, Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 2000 ). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha : A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. Boston : Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0 - 86171 - 331 - 1. Bodhi, Bhikkhu ( ed. ) ( 2005 ). In the Buddha 's Words : An Anthology of Discourses from the Pāli Canon. Boston : Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0 - 86171 - 491 - 1. Brach, Tara ( ed. ) ( 2003 ) Radical Acceptance : Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha. New York, Bantam Publications. ISBN 0 - 553 - 38099 - 0 Brahm, Ajahn ( 2006 ). Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond : A Meditator 's Handbook. Somerville, MA : Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0 - 86171 - 275 - 7. Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya & Bhikkhu Nanamoli ( trans. ) ( 1999 ), The Path of Purification : Visuddhimagga. Seattle : BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1 - 928706 - 00 - 2. Epstein, Mark ( 1995 ). Thoughts Without a Thinker : Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective. BasicBooks. ISBN 0 - 465 - 03931 - 6 ( cloth ). ISBN 0 - 465 - 08585 - 7 ( paper ). Fischer - Schreiber, Ingrid, Franz - Karl Ehrhard, Michael S. Diener & Michael H. Kohn ( trans. ) ( 1991 ). The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Boston : Shambhala. ISBN 0 - 87773 - 520 - 4 ( French ed. : Monique Thiollet ( trans. ) ( 1989 ). Dictionnaire de la Sagesse Orientale. Paris : Robert Laffont. ISBN 2 - 221 - 05611 - 6. ) Gethin, Rupert ( 1998 ). The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 289223 - 1. Goldstein, Joseph ( 2003 ). One Dharma : The Emerging Western Buddhism. NY : HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0 - 06 - 251701 - 5. Hart, William ( 1987 ). The Art of Living : Vipassana Meditation : As Taught by S.N. Goenka. HarperOne. ISBN 0 - 06 - 063724 - 2 Gunaratana, Henepola ( 1988 ). The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation ( Wheel No. 351 / 353 ). Kandy, Sri Lanka : Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 955 - 24 - 0035 - X. Retrieved 2008 - 07 - 21 from `` Access to Insight '' at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html. Kabat - Zinn, Jon ( 2001 ). Full Catastrophe Living. NY : Dell Publishing. ISBN 0 - 385 - 30312 - 2. Kamalashila ( 1996, 2003 ). Meditation : The Buddhist Art of Tranquility and Insight. Birmingham : Windhorse Publications. ISBN 1 - 899579 - 05 - 2. Available on - line at https://web.archive.org/web/20061101181404/http://kamalashila.co.uk/Meditation_Web/index.htm. Kapleau, Phillip ( 1989 ). The Three Pillars of Zen : Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment. NY : Anchor Books. ISBN 0 - 385 - 26093 - 8. Linehan, Marsha ( 1993 ). Cognitive - Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. NY : Guilford Press. ISBN 0 - 89862 - 183 - 6. Mipham, Sakyong ( 2003 ). Turning the Mind into an Ally. NY : Riverhead Books. ISBN 1 - 57322 - 206 - 2. Nyanaponika Thera ( 1996 ). The Heart of Buddhist Meditation. York Beach, ME : Samuel Weiser, Inc. ISBN 0 - 87728 - 073 - 8. Olendzki, Andrew ( trans. ) ( 2005 ). Sedaka Sutta : The Bamboo Acrobat ( SN 47.19 ). Available at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn47/sn47.019.olen.html. Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede ( eds. ) ( 1921 - 5 ). The Pali Text Society 's Pali -- English Dictionary. Chipstead : Pali Text Society. A general on - line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/. Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, ISBN 0 - 06 - 250834 - 2 Solé - Leris, Amadeo ( 1986 ). Tranquillity & Insight : An Introduction to the Oldest Form of Buddhist Meditation. Boston : Shambhala. ISBN 0 - 87773 - 385 - 6. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( 1997 ). One Tool Among Many : The Place of Vipassana in Buddhist Practice. Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/onetool.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998a ). Culavedalla Sutta : The Shorter Set of Questions - and - Answers ( MN 44 ). Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 22 from `` Access to Insight '' at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.044.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998b ). Sikkha Sutta : Trainings ( 1 ) ( AN 3 : 38 ). Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 22 from `` Access to Insight '' at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.088.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998c ). Kimsuka Sutta : The Riddle Tree ( SN 35.204 ). Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.204.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998d ). Samadhi Sutta : Concentration ( Tranquillity and Insight ) ( AN 4.94 ). Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.094.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998e ). Vijja - bhagiya Sutta : A Share in Clear Knowing ( AN 2.30 ). Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an02/an02.030.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 1998f ). Yuganaddha Sutta : In Tandem ( AN 4.170 ). Available on - line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.170.than.html. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( trans. ) ( 2006 ). Maha - Rahulovada Sutta : The Greater Exhortation to Rahula ( MN 62 ). Retrieved 2007 - 11 - 07 from `` Access to Insight '' at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html. Vipassana Research Institute ( VRI ) ( n.d. ). Bhikkhuvaggo ( second chapter of the second volume of the Majjhima Nikaya ). Retrieved 2007 - 11 - 07 from VRI at http://www.tipitaka.org/romn/cscd/s0202m.mul1.xml. 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Question: what is the goal of meditation for buddhist
Answer: path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana