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Bhavana or Meditation
means the cultivation and development of mind. As a religion
that aims to realize the ultimate truth (Nibbana), meditation
plays an essential role in Buddhism. One main purpose
of practicing meditation is to eliminate negative mental
states and defilements that delude the mind from its purity.
At the same time, meditation is practiced to cultivate
positive mental states that help to purify the mind and
nurture the arising of insights. These insights will ultimately
result in the realization of Nibanna.
Meditation brings in concentration and joy to the mind.
It trains the mind on how to develop mindfulness and clear
comprehension of the natural occurrences of phenomena.
In other words, Buddhist meditation trains its practitioners
to realize the three universal characteristics of existence,
i.e. impermanence, suffering and non-self, in every moment.
With this realization, and when the mind gets purified
along the way, understandings will arise.
Meditation method refers to the tools to cultivate mindfulness
and concentration. They can be classified into two groupings,
Samatha Bhavana (Tranquility Meditation) and Vipassana
Bhavana (Insight Meditation).
Samatha Bhavana refers to methods that focus on cultivating
high levels of concentration (one-pointedness of mind)
and calmness (pleasant state of mind) by making successive
efforts in focusing one's mind on a meditation object.
The purpose of Samatha Bhavana is to cultivate concentration.
As one progresses through various levels of concentration,
different stages of joy and calmness will arise. And this
will temporarily eradicate the three cankers of mind,
i.e. greed, hatred and delusion.
In Vipassana Bhavana, practitioners focus their minds
on ever-changing objects of reality. Their minds investigate
the natural phenomena of the mind and body processes in
every present moment. One main difference between Vipassana
and Samatha bhavana is their meditation objects. The object
of meditation for Vipassana is reality while the object
for Samatha are Concepts.
In the practice of Vipassana Bhavana, the arising and
dissolving nature of the entire mind and body processes
are used as the object of meditation. Practitioners who
are mindful of the mental and physical processes of these
objects will develop clear comprehension of their true
nature. By constant mindful observation, insights will
emerge as a result.
Concentration is also an essential element in Vipassana
practice. The only difference between the concentration
of Samatha and that of Vipassana is that the former is
applied on a fixed meditation object while the latter
on ever-changing objects. In Vipassana, practitioners
concentrate on observing four main objects, i.e. body,
feelings, consciousness and mental object. With the increment
in concentration level, their minds will become sharper
and more balanced. They could observe and experience the
changing nature of mind and body in every moment clearly.
They will then realize the reality of mind and body and
thus, understand that they too are formed by the same
elements that follow the natural karmic law of arising
and dissolving. Practitioners will soon realize the non-existence
of a 'self' or soul. With these understandings, higher
levels of insights become apparent. With the arising of
insight of clear knowing, the mind becomes equanimous.
When the mind is absolutely balanced, at peace, pure,
energetic and mindful, the practitioner will experience
the cessation of all these ever-changing processes and
realize the state of Nibbana, the cessation of all suffering.
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