Meditation

Meditation is a practice as well as belief of the religion Buddhism and is regarded as one of the basic fundamentals in the Buddhist practice. It is a relaxation process of transforming the mind to relieve anxiety, unhappiness and frustration. Sleep deprivation could also be apart of this combination. In the Buddhist practice, meditation is seen as a vital component into reaching enlightenment. The teaching of meditation is split into three components; Samantha, Vipassana and Metta Bhavana.

Samantha is the first element in meditation and is translated to mean peace or tranquility; it is carried out by concentrating on one’s breathing. Whilst in this teaching of meditation, the person falls into states of happiness but does not reach enlightenment. In this type of meditation one is still and contemplates the meaning of love, hatred and dislike. 

The following teaching is called Vipassana meaning insight as the purpose is to give the mediator insight into life. This allows the mind to free itself from hatred or dislike. This affects the personal judgment of any issues involving various types of dislike. To accomplish this type of meditation concentration and acceptance of truth is needed. “When concentrating, one’s entire focus is on the object of concentration in an almost trancelike manner”.[1]

These two components can also become one which is classified as Metta Bhavana. Loving kindness is the feature of this type of meditation which sweetens the mind to develop a mental compassion for others as well as yourself.

It is culturally accepted as a form of relaxation with classes being held to express the teachings. These classes vary from Buddhist temples to Gym sessions where the relaxation process is deeply concentrated on.  Naturopaths also use this method to relieve tension in one’s lifestyle to provide relaxation.

People use meditation as a marketing mechanism to earn money. This is due to the tension in one’s lifestyle as they look for appropriate ways in order to relax and relieve tension. It is also exploited as it has become not just a traditional value but a commonplace in daily routine whether it is practiced in the morning or at night.

[1] www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices/meditation.html, viewed February 10th 2009