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Buddhism

History

Timeline· Buddhist councils

Foundations

Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Buddhist Precepts
Nirvana · Three Jewels

Key Concepts

Three marks of existence
Skandha · Cosmology
Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma
Dependent Origination · Karma

Major Figures

Gautama Buddha
Disciples · Later Buddhists

Practices and Attainment

Buddhahood · Bodhisattva
Four Stages of Enlightenment
Paramitas · Meditation · Laity

Countries/Regions

Bhutan · Cambodia · China
India · Indonesia · Japan
Korea · Laos · Malaysia
Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal
Russia· Singapore · Sri Lanka
Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam
Western countries

Branches

Theravāda · Mahāyāna
Vajrayāna
Early and Pre-sectarian

Texts

Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras
Tibetan Canon

Comparative Studies
Culture · List of topics
Portal: Buddhism

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Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. Foundation to the Common Era Some sources give the date of the Buddha's birth as 563 BCE and others as 624 BCE Theravada Buddhist countries tend to use the latter figure Lists and numbering of Buddhist councils vary between and even within schools Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena other than Nirvana, ( sankhara) are marked by three characteristics sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals In Buddhist phenomenology and Soteriology, the five skandhas ( Sanskrit) or khandhas ( Pāli) are five "aggregates" Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates ( Skandhas Dhamma ( Pāli: धम्म or Dharma (धर्म in Buddhism has two primary meanings the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment The doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit paticcasamuppāda; rten Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means "action" or "doing" whatever A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta The four stages of Enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life Theravada Buddhism Theravada Buddhism 's teachings on the paramitas can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms Obtaining exact numbers of practicing Buddhists can be difficult and may be reliant on the definition used Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region There are distinctions between and within the Buddhism practised in various regions including In South Asia Mahayana Buddhism is the State religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 98% of its population. History See also History of Buddhism in Cambodia Unconfirmed Singhalese sources assert that missionaries of King Asohka introduced Buddhism into Chinese Buddhism ( Pinyin fójiào refers collectively to the various schools of Buddhism that have flourished in China proper since ancient times Buddhism is a world religion which arose in Bihar, India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha (literally Among the five official religions of Indonesia, according to the state ideology of Pancasila According to Suharto, Buddhism and Hinduism were Indonesia's classical The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods namely the Nara period (up to 784 the Heian period (794–1185 and the post-Heian period Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia after Islam, with 19 Buddhism in Mongolia is essentially Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school History The history of Buddhism in Burmaextends nearly a millennium Buddha was born in Shakya kingdom which lies in Rupandehi district Lumbini zone of Nepal Historically Buddhism was incorporated into Russian lands as early as the late 16th century, when Russian explorers travelled to and settled in As of 2000 425% of the Singaporeans register themselves as Buddhist by religion General Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada school and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the populationAccording to traditional Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school Nearly 95% of Thailand 's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school though Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Buddhism came to Vietnam in the first century CE By the end of the second century Vietnam developed a major Buddhist centre in the region commonly known as the Luy Lâu Buddhism in the West broadly encompasses the knowledge and practice of Buddhism outside of Asia. The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and The Early Buddhist schools are those schools into which according to most scholars the Buddhist monastic Sangha initially split due originally to differences in The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used by some scholars to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being Buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars Historicity and Background Place in the Canon Various Mahayana Sutras have been included in the Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon. The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of Sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include Buddhist Festivals and Observances Vesak The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Aggañña Sutta Ahimsa Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Mindfulness is concentrated awareness of one's thoughts actions or motivations Samadhi ( Sanskrit: sa समाधि is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation or Samatha ( Pāli) śamatha ( Sanskrit) or orthographically romanized to shamatha and is often translated as 'Calm Abiding' ( Tibetan Vipassanā ( Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना Sanskrit) means Insight into the impermanent nature or Anicca, Core meditation techniques are preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through the millennia of teacher-student transmissions. Buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars

Non-Buddhists use these techniques for the pursuit of physical and mental health as well as for non-Buddhist spiritual aims. [1] Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण [2]

The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā[3] and jhāna (Pāli; Skt.: dhyāna). Bhavana ( Pali and Sanskrit) means "development" In the teaching of the Buddha it is often used in a compound form in such phrases as Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical [4]

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 instruction, it may be more appropriate to simply view the articles listed in the "See also" section below. The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways

Contents

Types of Buddhist meditation

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. Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation Anussati ( Pāli; Sanskrit: Anusmriti) means "recollection" "contemplation" "remembrance" "meditation" and "mindfulness The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways For example, in the Theravada tradition alone, there are over fifty methods for developing mindfulness and forty for developing concentration, while the Tibetan tradition has thousands of visualization meditations. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including [5]

Most classical and contemporary Buddhist meditation guides are school specific. [6] Only a few teachers attempt to synthesize, crystallize and categorize practices from multiple Buddhist traditions.

Western Buddhist Order's "Five Basic Methods"

Western Buddhist Order meditation teacher Kamalashila identifies "Five Basic Methods" as "a traditional set of meditations, each one an antidote to one of the five principal obstructions to Enlightenment. The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO is an association of Buddhists, and others who follow its path of Mindfulness, under the leadership of the Western "[7]

Kamalashila's Five Basic Methods are:[8]

(1) Mindfulness of Breathing[9]
(2) Metta Bhavana (including all four Brahma-viharas)
(3) Contemplation of Impermanence, including:
(4) Six Element Practice (earth, water, fire, air, space, "consciousness")
(5) Contemplation of Conditionality

In addition, he discusses three other meditations as "among the most important" not identified above:[10]

  • Visualization,[11] including:
  • Just Sitting (see Shikantaza)
  • Walking Meditation

An important (although not universally accepted) theme throughout Kamalashila's guide is that the various methods of meditation can be divided into samatha meditation (tranquillity meditation) and vipassana meditation (insight meditation). Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation Mettā meditation the practice of loving-kindness Mettā signifies Friendship and Non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others" The four Brahmavihāras are a series of virtues and Buddhist meditation practices designed to cultivate those virtues The Upajjhatthana Sutta (" Subjects for Contemplation " is a Buddhist discourse ( Pali: sutta; Skt Definitions In the Pali canon, the most basic elements are usually identified as four in number but on occasion a fifth and to an even lesser extent a sixth element The Twelve Nidānas (from Pali nidāna "cause foundation source or origin" are the best-known application of the Buddhist concept of In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Tārā (तारा tārā or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma ( rje btsun sgrol ma) in Tibetan is a female Buddha typically In Buddhism, kasina are a class of basic visual objects of Meditation. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder is a Japanese term for Zazen introduced by Dogen Zenji and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the Samatha ( Pāli) śamatha ( Sanskrit) or orthographically romanized to shamatha and is often translated as 'Calm Abiding' ( Tibetan Vipassanā ( Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना Sanskrit) means Insight into the impermanent nature or Anicca, [12] In such a schema, Kamalashila identifies anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) and mettā bhāvanā (development of loving kindness) as samatha meditations. Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation Mettā meditation the practice of loving-kindness Mettā signifies Friendship and Non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others" The vipassana meditations include contemplation on impermanence, the six element practice, and contemplation on conditionality. Impermanence ( Sanskrit: अनित्य anitya; Pāli: अनिच्चा anicca; Tibetan: མི་​རྟག་​པ་ Related Buddhist concepts Ṣaḍāyatana is the fifth link in the Twelve Nidānas of Pratitya-Samutpada (Dependent Origination and thus likewise The doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit paticcasamuppāda; rten Some meditations (such as Tibetan visualizations) have elements of both samatha and vipassana. Samatha meditations usually precede and prepare for vipassana meditations. [13]

The following table summarizes Kamalashila's Five Basic Methods (with metta bhavana expanded to include all four brahma-viharas). [14]

Meditation type Method Counteracts Develops
Samatha
(tranquility meditations)		 ānāpanasati distraction concentration
four
brahma
viharas		 mettā bhāvanā hatred [and sentimental attachment] loving-kindness
karuna bhāvanā cruelty, sentimental pity and horrified anxiety compassion
mudita bhāvanā resentment, envy and vicarious enjoyment sympathetic joy
upekkhā bhāvanā fixed indifference and apathetic neutrality equanimity
Vipassana
(insight meditations)		 contemplation of impermanence craving inner peace, freedom
six element practice conceit clarity regarding nature of self
contemplation of conditionality ignorance wisdom, compassion

Limitations of Kamalashila's systemization of Buddhist meditation include:

Nonetheless, it should be noted that Kamalashila's explicit aim is not to create an exhaustive systemization of pan-Buddhist meditation practices but to create a useful meditation guide.

Kuei-feng's "Five Types of Zen"

In the early ninth century, Kuei-feng (Chinese; also, Guifeng, Tsung-mi, Zongmi; Jap. Guifeng Zongmi (宗密 圭峰 (780 - 841 ( Wade-Giles: Kuei-feng Tsung-mi Japanese Keiho Shumitsu was a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar-monk installed , Kei-ho) grouped Zen practices into five categories. While this typology is best known to Zen practitioners, it is applicable to all Buddhist meditation practices and is thus used here. [17] According to this typology, the outward appearance of all meditation practitioners is the same, but their substance and purpose differ. [18] Thus, for instance, most who practice mindfulness of breath would have a similar posture, meditative subject and level of concentration. But while some use the practice for mental quietude others use it to transcend all suffering. More specifically, Kuei-feng's five categories of meditative practices are:

  1. "Ordinary" (Chinese, bonpu; Jap. , bonpu or bompu) – meditation pursued for mental and physical well-being without any spiritual goal.
  2. "Outside way" (gedō) – meditation pursued for non-Buddhist purposes, such as in tandem with Hindu yoga or Christian contemplation or for the pursuit of supernatural powers.
  3. "Small vehicle" (shōjō) – the pursuit of self-liberation, nirvana. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण
  4. "Great vehicle" (daijō) – the pursuit of self-realization to experience the unity of all things and working for the benefit for all beings (see kensho). Kenshō (見性 (C Wu) is a Japanese term for enlightenment experiences—most commonly used within the confines of Zen Buddhism.
  5. "Supreme vehicle" (saijōjō) – the realization of buddha-nature as immanent in all beings (see shikantaza). Luminous mind in the Nikayas There is a clear reference in the Anguttara Nikaya to a " Luminous mind " present within all people be they corrupt or pure whether is a Japanese term for Zazen introduced by Dogen Zenji and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the

While the relative merits of the last three categories is open for discussion among various branches of Buddhism,[19] it is useful to see that the same Buddhist meditation practices have been used for many centuries by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, for different ends.

Contemporary Western examples of bonpu meditation include the psychotherapeutic use of Buddhist mindfulness techniques in Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)[20] and Linehan's Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)[21] (see also Buddhism and psychology). Jon Kabat-Zinn (born June 5, 1944) is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT is a psychological method developed by Marsha M Buddhism and psychology overlap in theory and in practice Over the last century three strands of interplay have evolved Descriptive phenomenology Western and Buddhist

From the Pali literature

Meditation on the
Buddhist Path

Most Buddhist traditions recognize that the path to Enlightenment entails three types of training: virtue (sīla); meditation (citta); and, wisdom (paññā). The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment The Buddha identified the threefold training ( sikkhā) as training in higher virtue ( adhisīla-sikkhā) higher In the Pali Canon In the Pali Canon, paññā is defined in a variety of overlapping ways frequently centering on concentrated insight [22] 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. [23]

In terms of the vast Pali canon, meditation can be contextualized as part of the Noble Eightfold Path, explicitly in regard to :

And implicitly in regard to :

Classic texts in the Pali literature enumerating meditative subjects include the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10) and the Visuddhimagga's Part II, "Concentration" (Samadhi). Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language The Majjhima Nikaya (-nikāya "Collection of Middle-length Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the second of the five Nikayas or collections in the Summary It is composed of four parts which discuss 1 Sila (discipline 2 Samadhi (meditative concentration 3 The land of wisdom

The Buddha's four foundations for mindfulness

Main article: Satipatthana Sutta

In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha identifies four foundations for mindfulness: the body, feelings, mind states and mental objects. The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular discourses in the Pali Canon, embraced by both Theravada and He further enumerates the following objects as bases for the meditative development of mindfulness:

  1. Breathing (see Anapanasati Sutta)
  2. Postures
  3. Clear Comprehending
  4. Reflections on Repulsiveness of the Body
  5. Reflections on Material Elements
  6. Cemetery Contemplations
  1. The Hindrances
  2. The Aggregates
  3. The Sense-Bases
  4. The Factors of Enlightenment
  5. The Four Noble Truths

Meditation on these subjects develops insight. The Anapanasati Sutta ( Pāli: "Breath-Mindfulness Discourse" is a discourse ( Sutta) that details the Buddha 's instruction Sampajañña ( Pāli; Skt: samprajaña) means "clear comprehension" "clear knowing" "constant thorough Paṭikkūlamanasikāra (variant paṭikūlamanasikāra) is a Pāli term that is generally translated as "reflections on repulsiveness Vedanā is a word in Sanskrit and Pāli traditionally translated as either "feeling" or "sensation In Buddhism, the five hindrances ( Pali: pañca nīvaraṇāni) are negative mental states that impede success with meditation ( In Buddhist phenomenology and Soteriology, the five skandhas ( Sanskrit) or khandhas ( Pāli) are five "aggregates" Āyatana ( Pāli; Sanskrit) is the Buddhist term for a "sense base" or "sense sphere Canonical sources In the Suttapitaka 's Samyutta Nikaya, the bojjhangas refer to wholesome mundane factors leading to enlightenment Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived [26]

Buddhaghosa's forty meditation subjects

Main article: Kammatthana

In the Visuddhimagga, for the purpose of developing concentration and "consciousness," Buddhaghosa advises that a person should "apprehend from among the forty meditation subjects one that suits his own temperament" with the advice of a "good friend" (kalyana mitta) who is knowledgeable in the different meditation subjects (Ch. In Buddhism, kammaṭṭhāna is a Pali word (Sanskrit karmasthana) which literally means the place of work, figuratively it Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar Kalyāṇa-mittatā ( Pali; Skt: -mitratā) is a Buddhist concept of "spiritual friendship" within Buddhist III, § 28). [27] Buddhaghosa subsequently elaborates on the forty meditation subjects as follows (Ch. III, §104; Chs. IV - XI):[28]

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 related to reflections of bodily repulsiveness), and contemplation of the four elements. Definitions In the Pali canon, the most basic elements are usually identified as four in number but on occasion a fifth and to an even lesser extent a sixth element Of these, according to Pali commentaries, only breath meditation can lead one to the equanimous fourth jhanic absorption. Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language Foulness meditation can lead to the attainment of the first jhana, and contemplation of the four elements culminates in pre-jhana access concentration. [29]

Swift messengers of Nibbana: Serenity and insight

The Buddha is said to have identified two paramount mental qualities that arise from wholesome meditative practice:

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. In Buddhism, the five hindrances ( Pali: pañca nīvaraṇāni) are negative mental states that impede success with meditation ( In the Pali Canon In the Pali Canon, paññā is defined in a variety of overlapping ways frequently centering on concentrated insight [31] Moreover, the Buddha is said to have extolled serenity and insight as conduits for attaining Nibbana (Pali; Skt. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण : Nirvana), the unconditioned state. For example, in the "Kimsuka Tree Sutta" (SN 35. 245), 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. [32]

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:

  1. they develop serenity and then insight (Pali: samatha-pubbangamam vipassanam)
  2. they develop insight and then serenity (Pali: vipassana-pubbangamam samatham)[33]
  3. they develop serenity and insight in tandem (Pali: samatha-vipassanam yuganaddham), for instance, obtaining the first jhana and then seeing in the associated aggregates the three marks of existence, before proceeding to the second jhana. Ānanda was one of many principal disciples and a devout attendant of the Buddha. In the sramanic traditions of ancient India (most notably those of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha) arhat ( Sanskrit) or arahant Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena other than Nirvana, ( sankhara) are marked by three characteristics sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals [34]

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. [35] 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. In Buddhism, kasina are a class of basic visual objects of Meditation. In Buddhist phenomenology and Soteriology, the five skandhas ( Sanskrit) or khandhas ( Pāli) are five "aggregates" Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation [36]

See also

Theravada Buddhist meditation practices:

Zen Buddhist meditation practices:

Vajrayana Buddhist meditation practices:

Related Buddhist practices:

Proper floor-sitting postures & supports while meditating:

Traditional Buddhist texts on meditation:

Traditional preliminary practices to Buddhist meditation:

Notes

  1. ^ See, for instance, Kuei-feng's description of bonpu and gedō zen, described further below. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation Mettā meditation the practice of loving-kindness Mettā signifies Friendship and Non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others" In Buddhism, kammaṭṭhāna is a Pali word (Sanskrit karmasthana) which literally means the place of work, figuratively it Samatha ( Pāli) śamatha ( Sanskrit) or orthographically romanized to shamatha and is often translated as 'Calm Abiding' ( Tibetan Vipassanā ( Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना Sanskrit) means Insight into the impermanent nature or Anicca, Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. is a Japanese term for Zazen introduced by Dogen Zenji and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the Zazen (坐禅 Chinese zuò chán Pinyin or tso-chan Wade-Giles) is at the heart of Zen Buddhist practice Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and Mandala ( Sanskrit maṇḍala मंड "essence" + ल "having" or "containing" Tonglen is Tibetan for giving and taking' (or sending and taking and it refers to a Meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Mindfulness is concentrated awareness of one's thoughts actions or motivations In the Theravada Buddhist tradition satipaṭṭhāna ( Pāli; Skt The lotus position ( Devanāgarī: पद्मासन IAST: padmāsana; Japanese:) is a cross- Legged Seiza (正座 literally "correct sitting" is the traditional formal way of Sitting in Japan. A zafu (座蒲 in Japanese or 蒲团 in Chinese is a round cushion about 35 cm (14 inches in diameter and often about 20 cm (8 inches high when fluffed A zabuton (座布団 is a Japanese cushion for sitting The Kanji characters 座布団 literally translated are "seat-cloth-sphere" Buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars The Anapanasati Sutta ( Pāli: "Breath-Mindfulness Discourse" is a discourse ( Sutta) that details the Buddha 's instruction The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular discourses in the Pali Canon, embraced by both Theravada and Summary It is composed of four parts which discuss 1 Sila (discipline 2 Samadhi (meditative concentration 3 The land of wisdom In Buddhism, a prostration (Pali panipāta, Skt namas-kara, Ch In lay and monastic ordination ceremonies Buddhists take the Three Refuges in the Three Jewels and are said to "take refuge The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge A Buddhist Chant is a form of musical verse or incantation in some ways analogous to Hindu or Christian religious recitations
  2. ^ For instance, Kamalashila (2003), p. 4, states that Buddhist meditation "includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim. Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment " 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. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण . . . " 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).
  3. ^ The Pāli and Sanskrit word bhāvanā literally means "development" as in "mental development. Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical " 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 Pali Canon, in the "The Greater Exhortation to Rahula" (Maha-Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62), Ven. The Majjhima Nikaya (-nikāya "Collection of Middle-length Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the second of the five Nikayas or collections in the Sariputta tells Ven. Śāriputra ( Sanskrit: शारिपुत्र or Sāriputta ( Pāli) was one of two principal disciples of The Buddha. Rahula (in Pali, based on VRI, n.d.): ānāpānassatiṃ, rāhula, bhāvanaṃ bhāvehi. Rāhula (b c 534 BC; was the only son of Siddhartha Gautama (Pāli Siddhattha Gotama and Princess Yasodharā. Thanissaro (2006) translates this as: "Rahula, develop the meditation [bhāvana] of mindfulness of in-&-out breathing. Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation " (Square-bracketed Pali word included based on Thanissaro, 2006, end note. )
  4. ^ See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), entry for "jhāna1"; Thanissaro (1997); as well as, Kapleau (1989), p. 385, for the derivation of the word "zen" from Sanskrit "dhyāna. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical " PTS Secretary Dr. The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by TW Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts" Rupert Gethin, in describing the activities of wandering ascetics contemporaneous with the Buddha, wrote:
    ". A Shramana ( Sanskrit sa श्रमण śramaṇa, Pāli pi शमण samaṇa) is a wandering monk in certain Ascetic . . [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' ([Skt. :] dhyāna / [Pali:] jhāna) or 'concentrations' (samādhi); the attainment of such states of consciousness was generally regarded as bringing the practitioner to some deeper knowledge and experience of the nature of the world. Samadhi ( Sanskrit: sa समाधि is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation or " (Gethin, 1998, p. 10. )
  5. ^ Goldstein (2003) writes that, in regard to the Satipatthana Sutta, "there are more than fifty different practices outlined in this Sutta. The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular discourses in the Pali Canon, embraced by both Theravada and 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. Summary It is composed of four parts which discuss 1 Sila (discipline 2 Samadhi (meditative concentration 3 The land of wisdom 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. In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta 227).
  6. ^ Examples of contemporary school-specific "classics" include, from the Theravada tradition, Nyanaponika (1996) and, from the Zen tradition, Kapleau (1989).
  7. ^ Kamalashila (2003), p. 191. Expanding on what he means by "five principal obstructions," Kamalashila (2003), p. 191, identifies the "five poisons" of the Tibetan tradition: distraction, hatred, craving, conceit, and ignorance. This is similar to but different from the Theravada tradition's "five poisons" (where "poison" is sometimes used as a translation for the Pali word kilesa) defined as lust, hatred, ignorance, pride and envy.
  8. ^ Kamalashila (2003), pp. 191 ff.
  9. ^ Mindfulness of breathing is common to most, if not all, types of Buddhism. For instance, according to the Pali Canon, the Buddha used mindfulness of breathing for the attainment of enlightenment (Bodhi, 2005, p. 264, who cites SN 54. The Samyutta Nikaya (Saṃyutta Nikāya SN, "Connected Discourses" or "Kindred Sayings" is a Buddhist scripture the third of the five Nikayas 11). Additionally, mindfulness of breathing is a core practice of Zen practitioners (see for example Kapleau, 1989) and is used as an introductory practice for many Tibetan Buddhists (see for example Mipham, 2003). Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including
  10. ^ Kamalashila (2003), pp. 224 ff.
  11. ^ Kamalashila (2003), p. 227, notes that visualization meditations are not explicitly referenced in the Pali canon. Kamalashila goes on to point out that many of the Visuddhimagga's forty meditation subjects (see below), including kasina objects and Recollection of the Buddha, have strong visual components; thus, perhaps, paving the way for more complex visualizations related to bodhisattvas and others. Anussati ( Pāli; Sanskrit: Anusmriti) means "recollection" "contemplation" "remembrance" "meditation" and "mindfulness
  12. ^ As is noted in another end note further below, some vehemently oppose dividing meditations into samatha and vipassana types pointing out that such a division is not articulated by the Buddha himself or consistent with actual experience. See, for instance, Brahm (2006) and Thanissaro (1997).
  13. ^ Kamalashila (2003), pp. 88-89, 191-92, 225-26. Kamalashila suggests, as an example, that one start a meditation session by meditating on metta for forty minutes — to develop attainment of the first jhana state — and then meditating on impermanence. See also Bodhi (2005), p. 258, where he writes: ". . . the Nikayas usually treat the development of serenity as the precursor to the development of insight. Nikāya is a word of meaning 'collection' 'assemblage' 'class' or 'group' in both Pali and Sanskrit. However, because the aptitudes of meditators differ, several suttas allow for alternative approaches to this sequence. "
  14. ^ The table in this article is an expansion of the table on Kamalashila (2003), p. 192.
  15. ^ See, for example, Nyanaponika (1996), pp. 111 ff. , or the many vipassana techniques taught by S.N.Goenka or Zen's use of breath meditation. Sri Satya Narayan Goenka (born 1924 is a leading lay teacher of Vipassanā Meditation and a student of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan.
  16. ^ Kamalashila (2003) mentions mantras twice: he briefly discusses the mantra of Avalokitesvara (om mani padme hum) as an example of a non-conceptual "Dharma seed" (p. Avalokiteśvara ( Nepali: अवलोकितेश्वर, lit 186); and, in the context of providing a visualization meditation, he effectively incorporates the Tara mantra (om tare tuttare ture svaha) (p. 225).
  17. ^ For the general applicability of Kuei-feng's typology, see Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 70, in the entry "Five types of Zen," as well as Kapleau (1989)'s broad definition of "Zen" on p. 385. Discussion of this typology can be found in Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 70. and Kapleau (1989), pp. 44-49.
  18. ^ Kapleau (1989), p. 45.
  19. ^ For instance, some say that Rinzai practitioners pursue daijō zen and Soto practitioners pursue saijōjō zen, while others state that both pursuits are essential to both schools (Fischer-Schreiber et al. The Rinzai school ( Japanese: Rinzai-shū, Chinese: línjì zōng) is one of the three Japanese Zen sects. Sōtō-shū ( Japanese: 曹洞宗 Cáodòngzōng is one of the two major Sino - Japanese Zen sects (the other being Rinzai) , 1991, p. 70). Similarly, various Theravada discourses, such as "The Bamboo Acrobat" (SN 47. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation The Samyutta Nikaya (Saṃyutta Nikāya SN, "Connected Discourses" or "Kindred Sayings" is a Buddhist scripture the third of the five Nikayas 19; Olendzki, 2005), maintain that so-called shōjō practices are in fact beneficial for others as well as for the contemplative.
  20. ^ Kabat-Zinn (2001)
  21. ^ Linehan (1993).
  22. ^ For instance, from the Pali Canon, see MN 44 (Thanissaro, 1998a) and AN 3:88 (Thanissaro, 1998b). In Mahayana tradition, the Lotus Sutra lists the Six Perfections (paramita) which echoes the threefold training with the inclusion of virtue (śīla), concentration (dhyāna) and wisdom (prajñā). The Majjhima Nikaya (-nikāya "Collection of Middle-length Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the second of the five Nikayas or collections in the The Anguttara Nikaya (aṅguttaranikāya "Gradual Collection" or "Numerical Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the fourth of the five Nikayas or The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Theravada Buddhism Theravada Buddhism 's teachings on the paramitas can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from In the Pali Canon In the Pali Canon, paññā is defined in a variety of overlapping ways frequently centering on concentrated insight
  23. ^ Dharmacarini Manishini, Western Buddhist Review. Accessed at http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol4/kamma_in_context.html
  24. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (1999).
  25. ^ 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. Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived
  26. ^ For instance, see Solé-Leris (1986), p. 75; and, Goldstein (2003), p. 92.
  27. ^ Buddhaghosa & Nanamoli (1999), pp. 85, 90.
  28. ^ Buddhaghosa & Nanamoli (1999), p. 110.
  29. ^ Regarding the jhanic attainments that are possible with different meditation techniques, see Gunaratana (1988).
  30. ^ These definitions of samatha and vipassana are based on the "Four Kinds of Persons Sutta" (AN 4. The Anguttara Nikaya (aṅguttaranikāya "Gradual Collection" or "Numerical Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the fourth of the five Nikayas or 94). This article's text is primarily based on Bodhi (2005), pp. 269-70, 440 n. 13. See also Thanissaro (1998d).
  31. ^ See, for instance, AN 2. 30 in Bodhi (2005), pp. 267-68, and Thanissaro (1998e).
  32. ^ 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. The Samyutta Nikaya (Saṃyutta Nikāya SN, "Connected Discourses" or "Kindred Sayings" is a Buddhist scripture the third of the five Nikayas 2), where the Buddha states: "And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned? Serenity and insight. A Bhikkhu ( Pāli) or Bhiksu ( Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist Monastic. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण . . . " (Bodhi, 2000, pp. 1372-73).
  33. ^ 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). Samadhi ( Sanskrit: sa समाधि is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation or Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India.
  34. ^ Bodhi (2005), pp. 268, 439 nn. 7, 9, 10. See also Thanissaro (1998f).
  35. ^ 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. The Majjhima Nikaya (-nikāya "Collection of Middle-length Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the second of the five Nikayas or collections in the 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). The Anguttara Nikaya (aṅguttaranikāya "Gradual Collection" or "Numerical Discourses" is a Buddhist scripture the fourth of the five Nikayas or The Thai Forest Tradition is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism, which uses remote wilderness and forest 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. )
  36. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (1999) and Nyanaponika (1996), p. 108.

Bibliography

External links

Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff (1949 -) is an American Buddhist monk of the Thai forest Kammatthana tradition
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