| Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts | | | | foundations towards attaining mindfulness. These four |
| to get beyond the conditioned thinking mind into a | | | | foundations are the body, state of the mind, mental |
| deeper state of relaxation and awareness. Meditation | | | | objects and feelings. Body is divided into breathing, |
| involves turning distracted attention to a single point of | | | | postures, clear comprehending, reflection on |
| reference. Meditation is also one of the medium or | | | | repulsiveness of the body, reflection on material |
| path to attain the ultimate spirituality and enlightenment. | | | | elements and contemplation regarding the cemetery. |
| Buddhism has extensive study and references on | | | | Mental objects are further divided into hindrances, |
| meditation. In Buddhism, meditation is the path to | | | | aggregates, sense-bases, factors of enlightenment |
| achieve the ultimate peace that each soul looks for. | | | | and four noble truths. |
| Buddhist texts have recommended various meditation | | | | Serenity and insight are the two qualities of the mind |
| techniques. Buddhist meditation has expanded and | | | | attained through meditation. They are the two swift |
| evolved for more than thousand years. Some of the | | | | messengers of nibbana. |
| great human virtues like concentration, introspection, | | | | Buddha preached forty methods of meditation. Each |
| tranquility and mindfulness are developed with these | | | | individual needs to select the method that will suit his |
| meditation techniques. | | | | mind. |
| Benefits of Buddhist meditation techniques are availed | | | | Meditation practices from others like Zongmi typology |
| by Buddhists and people from other religion and | | | | are included by Buddhism in its meditation techniques. |
| communities. Buddhism mentions that meditation is a | | | | Though different meditation techniques appear to be |
| path to attain enlightenment and nirvana. | | | | the same externally, they differ internally with respect |
| Non followers of Buddhism pursue meditation for | | | | to the motive and purpose. There are five types of |
| mental and physical well being. Buddhist meditation is | | | | meditative techniques namely Ordinary, Outside Way, |
| used by medical science to treat disorders of human | | | | Small Vehicle, Great Vehicle and Supreme Vehicle. |
| mind. | | | | One of the greatest teachers of the western Buddhist |
| Since Buddhist meditation techniques are free from | | | | order is Kamalashila. He mentioned that there are five |
| any authoritative doctrines, they are widely used | | | | basic methods of meditation. They are mindfulness of |
| across the world. They are used for spiritual and health | | | | breathing, metta bhavana including all four Brahma |
| requirements. | | | | viharas, contemplation of impermanence, contemplation |
| Theravada tradition in Buddhism devised ninety | | | | of conditionality and six element practices. |
| methods of developing concentration and mindfulness. | | | | Contemplation of impermanence is further divided into |
| Similarly, the Tibetan tradition has thousands of | | | | four parts. They are contemplation of decomposing |
| meditation methods developing the visionary qualities in | | | | corpse, reflection on death and reflection of the |
| an individual. | | | | Tibetan book of dead's which is named as 'Root |
| In Buddhism, mindfulness meditation can be obtained by | | | | Verses'. |
| noble eight fold path of Buddha. It will develop right | | | | Buddhist meditation techniques, such as mindfulness |
| concentration, right introspection, right view about things | | | | meditation are widely varied to suit any individual |
| and right mindfulness. | | | | needs. Practicing them will help you attain tranquility of |
| One of the important inferences or suttas in Buddhism | | | | mind, general well being and spiritual blessings. |
| is the Sattipathana sutta. In this Buddha outlined four | | | | |