The Vitakkasanthāna Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya and its parallels in Chinese translation recommend the practicing monk to ‘restrain his thought with his mind, to coerce and torment it’. One example of these non-Buddhist meditative methods found in the early sources is outlined by Bronkhorst: Īccording to Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst, "the teaching of the Buddha as presented in the early canon contains a number of contradictions," presenting "a variety of methods that do not always agree with each other," containing "views and practices that are sometimes accepted and sometimes rejected." These contradictions are due to the influence of non-Buddhist traditions on early Buddhism. Modern Buddhist studies have attempted to reconstruct the meditation practices of early Buddhism, mainly through philological and text critical methods using the early canonical texts. Possible influence from pre-Buddhist India The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā (mental development) and jhāna/dhyāna. In Tibetan Buddhism, deity yoga includes visualisations, which precede the realization of sunyata ("emptiness"). Chinese and Japanese Buddhism also preserved a wide range of meditation techniques, which go back to early Buddhism, and were transmitted via Sarvastivada Buddhism. In both traditions, breath meditation is a central practice. In the Theravada tradition, emphasizing vipassana, these are seen as opposing techniques, while Mahayana Buddhism stresses the interplay between samatha and vipassana. A basic classification of meditation techniques is samatha (calming the mind) and vipassana (gaining insight). While these techniques are used across Buddhist schools, there is also significant diversity. These meditation techniques are preceded by and combined with practices which aid this development, such as moral restraint and right effort to develop wholesome states of mind. samatha (tranquility) and vipassanā (insight) and are also said to lead to abhijñā (supramundane powers). These techniques aim to develop equanimity and sati (mindfulness) samadhi (unification of mind) c.q. ![]() Other techniques include asubha bhavana ("reflections on repulsiveness") reflection on pratityasamutpada (dependent origination) anussati (recollections, including anapanasati) and sati (mindfulness), culminating in dhyana (developing an alert and luminous mind) and the Brahma-viharas (loving-kindness and compassion). īuddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward liberation from defilements ( kleshas) and clinging and craving ( upādāna), also called awakening, which results in the attainment of Nirvana, and includes a variety of meditation techniques, most notably anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing). The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā ("mental development") and jhāna/dhyāna (mental training resulting in a calm and luminous mind). Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in Buddhism.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |