Why do you want to meditate and what does it do?

Meditation is the practice of concentration.

It is the practice of the last three branches of the Noble Eightfold Path that enables us to develop the qualities of being diligent and self-motivated in the work of stopping evil and doing good. Mindfulness, the quality of mindfulness, awareness and understanding of one's own body and mind and external environment, not forgetting to lose and not letting go; The qualities of inner stability, calmness, joy, love, and not being easily shaken by suffering and happiness - righteousness.

Meditation, which means "nurturing of the mind" in Hindi, is the cultivation of a good state in the mind. Its practical method is to focus on the study of the "Noble Eightfold Path", supplemented by the compassion and joy of the four Brahmanas; The thoughts, the choice of the law, the diligent progress, the concentration, and so on.

The Theravada Buddhist path enables both those who live a monastic life and those who live a home life to practice the Noble Eightfold Path according to their own lifestyles to improve their life and gradually reduce the troubles of afflictions and the shackles of greed, anger and foolishness. Gradually, let the mind be purified and liberated, so that you can move forward in the direction of goodness and enlightenment.

Anyone who dedicates himself to the practice will gradually experience the most meaningful and valuable enlightened truth from these ordinary practices.

The Noble Eightfold Path is the practice of the eight branches of the Noble Path, which are of different natures: correct view, correct thinking, right speech, right karma, right life, right diligence, right mindfulness, and right concentration, and can be divided into three different areas of practice: "precept and wisdom."

Right Concentration. Positive concentration in the Noble Eightfold Path mainly refers to the four levels of concentration of the first meditation, the second meditation, the third meditation, and the four meditations, and is called positive concentration because it corresponds to the four noble truths.

Determination is the last of the Noble Eightfold Paths, and like the other Paths, they are simple but profound practices. If a bhikshu has completed all the contents of all the eight noble paths, he will be able to break all the bonds and attain the attainment of the arhat fruit.

Those who live at home are amateur students, but they are able to follow the content of each of the righteous paths and practice them as best they can, so that they can live a happy, meaningful, purified life, and a life that leads to enlightenment and liberation.

Ordinary people cannot practice Zen Buddhism for the following reasons:

The method of cultivating the mind in Zen Buddhism is not easy, and requires many conditions, such as having to keep the precepts, if you don't keep the precepts, it is difficult to go deeper, and if you go deeper, it may be more troublesome; It takes a quiet environment and a long period of perseverance, and it's very difficult for us to have these conditions in our family, so it's even more difficult to practice meditation at home, and it's not as easy as the Pure Land method.

Although it is best to keep the vows in the practice of the Pure Land Method, not taking the vows will not affect the rebirth in the Elysian World, because the Pure Land Method only requires the practitioner to be convinced that he or she is willing to wish for the Pure Land of the Buddha, and even if he or she is a person who is reciting the Buddha with sincerity and sincerity at the end of his life, he can bring his karma to the Elysian World.

The special culture of Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is one of the most influential Buddhist sects in China, and there are too many popular stories that have attracted countless people to practice Zen Buddhism, including many in the family, especially in today's noisy world, the Zen practice method that can make the mind quiet is what people desire, so many meditation classes have emerged at home and abroad, and meditation is a fashionable thing.

Many of us only see the wonderful realm of Zen Buddhism, but we don't know or ignore that the practice of Zen Buddhism is very difficult, and those who are not the root of the Zen master must practice Zen for many lives and eons in order to gain something, and it is almost impossible to live and get rid of death here.

1.What is meditation.

Meditation, also known as meditation and meditation, is a practice that uses meditation to train the mind and achieve inner balance. Meditation originated in ancient India and later spread to China, Japan and other countries, becoming one of the cultural traditions. Through meditation, one can stabilize one's thoughts and feelings, and thus attain a high level of transcendence of matter and self-knowledge.

2.The purpose of meditation.

The purpose of meditation is to restore inner peace and self-awareness by breaking the shackles and distractions of the mind. The essence of meditation is awakening, and through meditation, people can open their inner wisdom like an icebreaker, and gain transcendence and understanding of the Dharma in the world of meditation.

3.Benefits of meditation.

With meditation, one can reap a lot of benefits. For example, meditation allows people to balance their emotions, relieve anxiety, physical and mental pain, and enhance their self-knowledge and ability to experience sensuality. In addition, through meditation, people can also discover the commonalities between themselves and others, enhance the power of great love, and cultivate compassion and wisdom.

4.How to practice meditation.

The practice of meditation basically consists of the following steps: find a quiet place, sit on a cushion or chair, keep your back straight, release your arms, and let your shoulders sink naturally. Next, regulate the state of your body and mind through breathing, and feel your body, thoughts, and feelings in the rhythm of your breathing.

If your thoughts are wandering a lot, don't be in a hurry, you can gently guide them back to the breath feeling. From each zazen session, I learn to gradually let go of my obsessions and worries.

5.Precautions for meditation.

There are some dos and don'ts to follow during the meditation process. First of all, find a relatively quiet place to meditate, not in a crowded and noisy place. At the same time, choose a relatively comfortable sitting position for long periods of meditation.

When sitting in meditation, keep your breathing smooth and relaxed, and don't force your breathing to be controlled. Finally, it is not advisable to eat or act immediately before or after meditation, as this may affect the effectiveness of meditation.

6.Common misconceptions about meditation.

In the process of meditation, there are some common mistakes to avoid. For example, think that meditation is relaxation, slowing down. In fact, meditation is not a "braided Zen", but by cultivating the stability of spiritual essence, people can transcend themselves and thus attain the state of awakening.

In addition, meditation is not a magical kung fu that can overcome calamity in an instant, nor is it a "black technology" that can take people away from the real world, and the benefits of meditation need to be persisted for a long time to be gradually experienced.

7.Conclusion At this point, we have learned about the definition, purpose, benefits, practice methods, precautions and common misconceptions of meditation. Meditation allows us to re-understand ourselves, break through the shackles and troubles of the mind, and thus attain the state of awakening.

If you're interested in meditation, try to start with a simple practice and experience what it's like to meditate on the basis of long-term persistence.