Buddhist Meditation Essay

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was

The first dimension used to understand a religion is based off its rituals. Buddhist perform rituals as a way to offer respect to the Buddha and find peace from within. The common ritual practiced by Buddhists is meditation. Meditation is all about focusing and purifying the mind. In meditation, Buddhists go through the steps called Samadhi (calming of the mind) and Vipassana (self-contemplation). During these steps they must adjust their body, breath, and mind, in order to achieve the goal of meditation. The rituals are an important part of Buddhism.

Mindfulness is another way of meditation. Meditation was used to seek to improve one’s psychological or physical health, or spiritual growth. (Brantley, 2007). The history of Mindfulness comes from Buddhism and his search for enlightenment and a foundation of the four noble truths. The Buddha teaching focus on the four noble truths which consist of knowing suffering exists, there is a cause of suffering, there is cessation of suffering and there is a path that leads to the cessation of suffering. (Van Gordon, 2015). The four noble truths were not only there to represent the Buddha’s experiential understanding of suffering, but also to express the truth (Van Gordon, 2015). Studies of Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths teach us that there is always going to be suffering in our life but to find ways to overcome suffering (Tsering, 2005).

All the books in the Meditations discuss existence, reason, duty, mortality, virtues, social relationships and those with the gods, and death. The Meditations are essentially thoughts, ideas and way on how to be happpier and how to have a better, more fulfilling life

According to me, it is a system of concentration or distraction of human mind and body used to reach a higher level of awareness, physical performance, concentration or relaxation generally created from an internal source. The meditation can be practiced for stress management, anger management, control over anxiety, improved awareness and improvement of cognitive skills. To meditate, first find a quite area, then sit cross legged, back

In the practice of Buddhism meditation is the primary means of purifying ones soul and letting go of all worldly desires. Elimination of the desire to cling to works of the world such as judgments, possessions or pleasure by gaining wisdom serves to free the mind and gives one sense of peace. It is the clinging that limits the ability to be at peace. Buddhist who has obtained enlightenment are free from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth and have transcended. It is thru the process of this intense meditation that the ultimate goal of Buddhism can be reach, the achievement of Nirvana.

Buddhists meditate to improve their physical and mental health, improved relaxation and happiness. Through meditation Buddhists show their reverence and respect towards Buddha. Buddhists express their religious and cultural beliefs through meditation because meditation is one of their central practices. Buddhists express their religious beliefs and culture through meditation because meditation is one of their practices that is key to their beliefs. Through meditation Buddhists express their religion and culture because meditation is one of of their unique practices and it demonstrates their culture and beliefs. Religious expression contributes to community because religious expression helps us express our different beliefs and culture and it creates a sense of identity and acknowledgement within the community. Buddhists believe that through meditation they can achieve enlightenment and with meditation they have something to unify and bring them together. By practicing meditation with a group of people it can create a sense of unity and

mindfulness meditation basically is deeply acknowledging what you are doing, how, and why. The first noble truth is “dukkha” which means suffering. The Samudaya is the truth of the origin of suffering. Nirodha is the truth of the ending suffering. Lastly, Magga is the truth of the path that allows one to be free of suffering.

“Meditation is a means of transforming the mind” (The Buddhist Centre 2015). Buddhists practice and teach meditation to help enhance the concentration, clarity, positivity, and find a calming sense of the mind (The Buddhist Centre 2015). Buddhists believe that we have full control and power over our minds meaning that we have the power to change how we think and feel during situations through meditation. (ReligionFacts 2015). Buddhist’s believe dedicated meditation can encourage people to have a clearer, more positive, and peaceful world view. Buddhist’s believe people can alter negative perceptions of themselves and turn it into something positive through meditation/ (The Buddhist Centre 2015).

Meditation causes you to think on God and his Excellencies, which can possibly change your life, all by itself.

Buddhist practices, like meditation are ways of changing yourself in order to develop qualities of awareness, wisdom and kindness. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path, a path which ultimately leads to enlightenment or Buddhahood. An enlightened person sees the nature of reality clearly, just as it is, and lives fully and organically in accordance with that revelation. This is the goal of the Buddhist spiritual life, representing the end of suffering for anyone who attains

Main practice throughout Buddhism is Meditation, the practice of possessing inner peace through finding in ones self. Most types of meditation depend mostly on the local cultural traditions.

The concept of mindfulness comes from the eastern religions of Buddhism. The definition of mindfulness used for this study was developed by Kabat-Zinn (2005), “Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally”(p. 4). Mindfulness is a state of consciousness (Hanh, 1976). Paying attention and being aware are key functions to mindfulness (Good, Lyddy, Glomb, Bono, Brown, Duffy, Baer, Brewer, Lazar, 2016).

Instead of seeing a "soul" or a "mind" as the seat of personal identity, in Buddhism, the self is to be found in processes. Meditation, then, has the therapeutic effect of disengaging the practitioner from self-consciousness, freeing the mind. The view of the world without the construct of a permanent essence enables one to "experience reality as it really is" (3). It is important to note that Buddhism does not distinguish mental processes from other senses. Just as seeing takes a visual object, the mind takes a mental object (1). Just as the eye is free to take in different visual objects, the mind is free, as well. While meditation aims to develop "single-pointedness of mind," it is ultimately to free it from external objects. The focus is on the process of breathing, in Zen, and, eventually, one can reach a state where one is not considering anything (2). Zen considers the "blank-mind" stage to be a higher form of consciousness because it is free from attachments.

Although the Four Nobel Truths are great concepts of Buddhism there are many other aspects that make up Buddhism. Daily practice of meditation helps develop one's sense of awareness, to grow, and develops compassion and loving kindness (Buddhanet). Following the laws of Karma and following right speech are also integral to Buddhism.