| The aim of the majority of people that practice | | | | you can obtain a real insight. |
| Buddhist meditation in our era is to relieve stress and | | | | Buddhist meditation is aimed at clarifying the mind and |
| concentrate their attention on another goal besides | | | | sharpening the meditator's perception. The difference |
| fast paced ones that modern society is focused on. | | | | in Buddhist meditation and some forms of mediation |
| Another goal of today's meditating person is to be | | | | is that the meditator's goal is to have certain visions. |
| more acutely aware of the environment they are | | | | These visions are involved in his religious beliefs |
| in-the city or countryside around them-wherever | | | | concerning particular objects. Practitioners of Buddhist |
| they are located. | | | | mediation can achieve this vision state but it isn't |
| They are seeking a better understanding and mind's | | | | what this form of mediation is really about. |
| view into the loveliness and natural beauty in | | | | To the Buddhist practitioner this achievement is really |
| surroundings. They are trying to de-focus from the | | | | an obstacle to his or her true goal. They consider it |
| violence, aggression, and dog-eat-dog ways of the | | | | an unreal-delusive feeling of satisfaction. It is a |
| world. They are pursuing the meditative art of | | | | falseness making one think he has fulfilled the |
| peacefulness; they are trying to discover this inside | | | | purpose of his religious endeavors. This meditator |
| of their beings. | | | | understands that the only thing that has been done is |
| Similar to other kind of meditation, Buddhist | | | | to make an objectification of something he had in his |
| meditation has one focus on an object or function-an | | | | mind. |
| ordinary object or function. This technique re-focuses | | | | So what is the purpose of Buddhist mediation in the |
| the mind on one thing like breathing. The | | | | stricter sense? It is to expel or eject from one's self |
| concentration is on breathing that is flowing with | | | | the erroneous derivation of pleasures-in the place |
| rhythm, that is deep, that causes one to exhale | | | | where pain exists. It is to teach the practitioner to |
| slowly. The idea is to think about breathing so the | | | | dispel the sense of things being permanent, when |
| person meditating isn't distracted by random thoughts | | | | things are actually not permanent. And if reality |
| that pop into the mind. | | | | ceases to be-to have an understanding of the |
| Another important aspect is the posture while | | | | situation-that it is not real. |
| meditating. Posture has an effect on how effectively | | | | Conclusion |
| you breathe and somehow it contributes to or | | | | The person practicing Buddhist meditation today may |
| detracts from your ability to free up your thinking | | | | only be seeking to relax and de-focus from the |
| and spirit. Some of the postures used by different | | | | stress of the modern hectic lifestyles. This person |
| teachers are: seated, cross-legged, kneeling, and lying. | | | | may want to be more attentive to his world and the |
| Buddhist meditation says that you can find your real | | | | beauty in it and seeks to de-emphasize the ugliness |
| soul by practicing it. This is different than some of | | | | in the world. |
| the generic meditation that is popular. Buddhists think | | | | |