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What is Meditation ? | Standing Meditation | Buddhist Studies Link
In Buddhism the word "Meditation" is translated from the Pali language. The Pali word is "Bhavana," which means to develop, to improve, to cultivate mindfulness and awareness, so the mind becomes healthy and strong. Meditation is the way to cultivate the mind so it becomes calm, clear, peaceful, stable, bright, light and pure. Meditation is the way to psychologically train the mind to develop the tool of insight, or Vipassana enabling meditators to realize Enlightenment, the highest wisdom for ordinary persons to become complete human beings so that human beings can become "noble ones," or ariya puggala (Pali). Meditation is the way to experience peace in one's own mind, a way to experience real happiness. Tibetan Lama Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, in his book published in 1993, A Meditation Handbook, wrote : "The more familiar our mind is with virtue, the calmer and peaceful it becomes. When our mind is peaceful we are free from worries and mental discomfort, and we experience true happiness. If our mind is not peaceful, then even the most pleasant external conditions will not produce a happy mind. However, if we train our mind to become peaceful we shall be happy at any time, even under the most adverse conditions. Therefore, it is important to train our mind through meditation." Meditation can be practiced in many ways to develop the mind and to have the mind relax and become calm. We see in the West today many people who practice meditation by themselves through reading books, without supervisors, teachers, guides or experienced friends to help them. However, it is beneficial to have a trained meditation teacher to guide you in the correct way of practice. There are forty methods or techniques for tranquillity in Buddhist meditation which we do not need to mention in this small booklet. Please read Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice, by P. Vajirnana Mahathera, Ph.D., 1995. Meditation can be applied for different purposes. Some apply meditation in the wrong way and for negative purposes, such as mundane magical power, and so on. In short, meditation is the way to purify the mind from hatred, (Pali: dosa) greed, (Pali: lobha) and ignorance, (Pali: moha) so we can cultivate mindfulness and awareness to see things as they really are. The ways things are impermanent (Pali: aniccam) hard to maintain or suffering (Pali: dukkham) and out of control, non-self or selflessness (Pali: anatta). It is very useful and wonderful to learn, study and practice meditation because living without meditation is very dangerous: it is like driving a car without a road map and with no directions. Living with meditation is just the opposite, providing all the tools you need to get to your destination. Why should we train our minds? The mind is of primary importance, the most important element in human life. All deeds, wholesome or unwholesome, are the result of mental processes. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha said, "Mind is the forerunner of all action, mind is chief; mind made are they. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, suffering follows him/her, even as the wheel of the cart follows the ox that draws the cart." " Mind is the forerunner of all actions, mind is chief, mind made are they. If one speaks or acts with a wholesome mind, happiness follows him (her), even as his (her) own shadow."
By Ven. Chuen Phangcham,Ph.D | ||
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