Getting Into Buddhist Meditation Techniques
In order to reach the state of Nirvana or enlightenment, Buddha himself have gone through meditation. Buddhist monks, in their attempt to be like Buddha ,did and still do the same thing. They have even expanded and formalized the Buddhist meditation techniques.
This all starts with smrti or sati which means mindfulness. This calls for the awakening of the consciousness about oneself. This is based on the ability of the brainpower to regulate one’s life and indulgences including the ability to project positive mental energies towards other people to cause positive effects on them Shamatha and Vipashyana are where the meditations are based upon. Shamatha that means serenity or tranquility, and Vipashyana that means insight or clarity of vision must be developed if the desire is to reach more advanced Buddhist meditation techniques like Samadhi and Dhyanas.
There are several Buddhist meditation techniques that can meet certain specific problems or to promote a kind of mental status. There are actually two frequently used types and these are the so called Mindfulness of Breathing or Anapana Sati and the Loving Kindness Meditation or Metta Bhayana. The conscious separation of oneself from everything- sights, sound, smell- or Anapana Sati is a must to improve focus on breathing. This is achieved by finding a peaceful spot, sitting in an unperturbed manner while maintaining a straight back and hands nestled in the lap, eyes closed, focusing only breathing. The mind need to be purified by erasing thoughts for a while like an empty vessel that is free to filled up again. Metta Bhayana which is done twice to thrice a week is attained by regular practice of Anapana Sati. After attaining the relaxed state, one directs attention to a more advanced stage and says words such as, “May I will be calm today, may I be happy and peaceful, may I be safe and healthy,may I be well and contented, may I be free from stress.” Doing this gives one the positive mental state that tends to spread to other people dealt with during the day. This is eventually translated into a habitual thing leading to improved relations and reflected in having more friends and acquaintances.
Despite being Eastern in origin, Buddhist meditation techniques are widely used even by westerners for the benefits that they visibly bring particularly serenity and insight.
Related articles
- Take Time With Natural Anti Aging Remedies (goarticles.com)
- How to lose your Lovehandles (weightlossdietforum.com)
