Sravasti Abbey - US
Category Meditation
Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.
Buddhist Society of Western Australia
Thubten Norbu Ling - Santa Fe
The Art of cultivating stillness
In Asian meditation and movement practices, stillness is not just the absence of movement, it is seen as a powerful presence that infuses movement with depth and significance.
An integral part of the movement
It is truly captivating when Himalayan monks, Noh actor, bugaku dancers or Balinese dancers pause in their performances because the stillness they exhibit is an integral part of the movement itself.
This can be observed in Japanese Noh actors and Sufi dervishes .
Samatha as a preparatory stage for Vipassanā
Samatha meditation is commonly seen as a foundational practice, serving as a preparatory step for more advanced forms of meditation, including Vipassanā. It plays a crucial role in calming the mind and reducing distractions, making it easier for practitioners to progress in their spiritual journey.
Vipassanā, on the other hand, is considered an advanced practice that directly addresses the insight and wisdom components of the Buddhist path.
It is often undertaken after a foundation in .
Tibetan Mandala tantric practices & benefits
Tibetan mandala tantric practices are used to cultivate and generate energy, and to bring about transformation and healing.
Tibetan Mandala as a meditation tool
Mandalas can be created with a variety of materials commonly including sand, paint or fabric (appliqué).
According to the Tibetan teachings the mandala is a tool for working with the energies of the cosmos including :
the bodythe mindthe spirit
In other words, the mandala can help control inner feelings by accessing and channeling .
The Mahamudra Practice – Unveiling the True Nature of the Mind
Mahamudra is a form of Tibetan Buddhism that emphasizes the nature of mind.
In Mahamudra, practitioners aim to see the true nature of their minds, which is said to be empty and open.
Origin of the Mahamudra Practice
The main text of Mahamudra is "The Root Text of the Middle Way" by the Indian master Nagarjuna (not to be confused with the earlier philosopher).
The actual practice and lineage of mahāmudrā can be traced back to wandering mahasiddhas or great .
The Mindfulness Movement – Rooted in the core practice of the Buddha
Mindfulness is gaining a growing popularity as a practice in daily life, apart from Buddhist insight meditation and its application in clinical psychology.
Definition of the Movement
In this context mindfulness is defined as moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterized mainly by "acceptance"—attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong.
Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on its .
Meditation Practices – To train the attention of mind & teach compassion
Meditation can be defined as a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.
Meditation has been practiced since antiquity in numerous religious traditions and beliefs.
The earliest records of meditation (dhyana) are found in the Upanishads of Hindu philosophy, and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative repertoire of Buddhism and Hinduism.
Since the .
Dzogchen practices – Awakening rigpa
Dzogchen ("Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as atiyoga (utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence.
The primordial ground is said to have the qualities of purity (i.e. emptiness), spontaneity (lhun grub, associated with luminous clarity) and compassion (thugs rje).
The goal of Dzogchen is knowledge of this basis, this knowledge is called rigpa (Skt. vidyā).
There are numerous spiritual .
Tibetan Buddhist meditation – Reveling the nature of consciousness
In Tibetan Buddhism, 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 (usually the form of a Buddha or a bodhisattva) along with the associated mandala of the deity's Pure Land.
Advanced Deity Yoga involves imagining yourself as the deity and developing "divine pride", the understanding that oneself and the deity are not separate.
"Yidam" in Tibetan technically means "tight .
Buddhist meditation – The path toward liberation
Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward liberation from defilements (kleshas) and clinging and craving (upādāna), also called awakening, which results in the attainment of Nirvana, and includes a variety of meditation techniques such as:
- asubha bhavana ("reflections on repulsiveness")
- reflection on pratityasamutpada (dependent origination)
- sati (mindfulness) and anussati (recollections), including anapanasati (breath meditation)
- dhyana (developing an alert and luminous mind)
- the Brahma-viharas (loving-kindness and compassion)
These techniques aim to develop equanimity .
Buddhist Mindfulness – People, concepts & teachings
Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention in the present moment without evaluation, a skill one develops through meditation or other training.
Mindfulness derives from sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions, and is based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques.
Though definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist traditions explain what constitutes mindfulness such as how past, present and future moments arise and cease as momentary sense impressions and .