Meditate
Meditation is an ancient technique for developing the mind, is commonly practiced in different forms among all spiritual traditions, and is one of the central elements of Buddhist practice.
Buddhist meditation is a powerful tool for understanding the mind, uprooting habits that harm ourselves and others, and cultivating positive mind states and good qualities. For centuries this style of meditation has provided tranquility and contentment to practitioners, helping them to find meaning in their lives and move forward on the path to enlightenment.
In the Tibetan tradition, a complete meditation session is arranged in four parts:
- Setting a positive motivation that establishes a clear and beneficial direction for the session.
- Settling comfortably into the body and focusing the mind through śamatha (concentration) meditation.
- Bringing one’s focus to an analytical meditation, which explores one or more aspects of the lamrim (stages on the path to enlightenment).
- Dedicating the merit (positive potential) of the session to the ultimate happiness of all sentient beings.
This type of meditation can also include visualizing enlightened beings and reciting mantras.
