Buddhist meditation

one of the principal teachings of the Buddha

upright=1.35|thumb|Thangka painting of Manjuvajra mandala upright=1.35|thumb|The Womb Realm mandala. The center square represents the young stage of Vairocana. He is surrounded by eight Buddhas and [[bodhisattvas (clockwise from top: Ratnasambhava, Samantabhadra, Saṅkusumitarāja, Manjushri, Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Amoghasiddhi and Maitreya)]]

thumb|An image of the Buddha in samadhi from Gal Vihara, [[Sri Lanka]] thumb|Statue of a meditating Shiva, [[Rishikesh]]

Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through exercises, of sustaining metacognitive awareness towards the contents of one's own mind and bodily sensations in the present moment. The term mindfulness derives from the Pali word sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions, and the practice is based on ānāpānasati, Chan, and Tibetan meditation techniques.

in Buddhism, training of the mind through meditation, concentration, mindfulness etc.

cross-legged sitting meditation pose

Yogachara () is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). Yogachara was one of the two most influential traditions of Mahayana Buddhism in India, along with Madhyamaka.

thumb|Kodo Sawaki practicing zazen

' (Pali: ') is a Sanskrit term that refers to benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others. The term appears in various ancient and medieval Indian texts, such as the Upanishads, Jain Sutras and Buddhist Suttas. Within Buddhism, it is notably the first of the four sublime states (), one of the ten of Theravāda Buddhism, and expounded upon in the Metta Sutta.

The ' (sublime attitudes, lit. "abodes of Brahma") is a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. They are also known as the four immeasurables (Pāli: ) or four infinite minds' (Chinese: ). The are: loving-kindness or benevolence () compassion () empathetic joy () equanimity ()

300px|thumb|Buddhist sādhanā (Buddhism in Japan|Japan) thumb|Shugendō sādhanā (Japan)

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meditation practice

Himalayan metal bowl that is generally struck or rubbed with a padded mallet

The Visuddhimagga (Pali; English: The Path of Purification; ; Sinhala: විශුද්ධි මාර්ගය), is the 'great treatise' on Buddhist practice and Theravāda Abhidhamma written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th century in Sri Lanka. It is a manual condensing and systematizing the 5th century understanding and interpretation of the Buddhist path as maintained by the elders of the Mahavihara Monastery in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

thumb|250px|Chinese Nianfo carving

concentration (dhyāna, jhāna); concept of mindfulness or awareness, a spiritual or psychological faculty (indriya) that forms an essential part of Buddhist practice

thumb|right|Gomukhasana

in Buddhism, mental obstacles to meditation and well-being in daily life

Vedanā (Pāli and Sanskrit: वेदना) is an ancient term traditionally translated as either "feeling" or "sensation." In general, vedanā refers to the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our internal sense organs come into contact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness. Vedanā is identified as valence or "hedonic tone" in psychology.

Satipatthana (; ) is a central practice in the Buddha's teachings, meaning "the establishment of mindfulness" or "presence of mindfulness", or alternatively "foundations of mindfulness", aiding the development of a wholesome state of mind. In Theravada Buddhism, applying mindful attention to four domains, the body, feelings, the mind, and key principles or categories of the Buddha's teaching (dhammās), is thought to aid the elimination of the five hindrances and the development of the seven aspects of wakefulness.

thumb|upright=1.35|Siddhasana Siddhasana (; ) or Accomplished Pose is an ancient seated asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise suitable for meditation. The names Muktasana (, Liberated Pose) and Burmese position are sometimes given to the same pose, sometimes to an easier variant, Ardha Siddhasana. Svastikasana has each foot tucked as snugly as possible into the fold of the opposite knee.

thumb|upright=1.25|Balasana or Child Pose

In Buddhism, '''' (, ) literally means place of work''. Its original meaning was someone's occupation (farming, trading, cattle-tending, etc.) but this meaning has developed into several distinct but related usages all having to do with Buddhist meditation.

In Zen Buddhism, is the practice of "just sitting." It is Dōgen's Japanese translation of the Chinese phrase zhǐguǎn dǎzuò (). The phrase was used by Dōgen's teacher Rujing, a monk of the Caodong school of Chan Buddhism, to refer to the meditation practice called "silent illumination" (mozhao, ), or "serene reflection," famously taught by the Caodong master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157).

set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist practices

Bhāvanā (Pali; Sanskrit: भावना, also bhāvanā) literally means "development" or "cultivating" or "producing" in the sense of "calling into existence". It is an important concept in Buddhist practice (Patipatti). The word bhavana normally appears in conjunction with another word forming a compound phrase such as citta-bhavana (the development or cultivation of the heart/mind) or metta-bhavana (the development/cultivation of loving-kindness). When used on its own, bhavana signifies contemplation and 'spiritual cultivation' generally.

Walking Meditation in Zen Buddhism

A sesshin (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) retreat in a Japanese Zen monastery, or in a Zen monastery or Zen center that belongs to one of the Japanese Zen traditions outside of Japan. thumb|Outside of the meditation hall of a traditional zen monastery in Japanthumb|Inside of the meditation hall of a traditional zen monastery in Japan (Bairin-ji (Kurume)|Bairin-ji)

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Paṭik(k)ūlamanasikāra is a Pāli term that is generally translated as "reflections on repulsiveness". It refers to a traditional Buddhist meditation whereby thirty-one parts of the body are contemplated in a variety of ways. In addition to developing sati (mindfulness) and samādhi (concentration), this form of meditation is considered conducive to overcoming desire and lust. Along with cemetery contemplations such as the contemplation of the nine stages of decay, this type of meditation is one of the two meditations on "the foul" or "unattractive" (Pāli: asubha).

Tibetan meditation practice

'''''' (Pāli; ; ; ) means "recollection," "contemplation," "remembrance," "meditation", and "mindfulness". It refers to specific Buddhist meditational or devotional practices, such as recollecting the sublime qualities of the Buddha, which lead to mental tranquillity and abiding joy. In various contexts, the Pali literature and Sanskrit Mahayana sutras emphasise and identify different enumerations of recollections.

buddhist practices for higher virtue, mind, and wisdom

Lamdré is a meditative system in Tibetan Buddhism rooted in the view that the result of its practice is contained within the path. The name "lamdré" means the "path" () with its fruit ). In Tibet, the lamdré teachings are considered the summum bonum of the Sakya school.

Zen school of Korean Buddhism

Thai Buddhist monk

Sampajañña (Pāli; Skt.: saṃprajña, samprajñatā, Tib: shes bzhin) is a term of central importance for meditative practice in all Buddhist traditions. It refers to "The mental process by which one continuously monitors one's own body and mind. In the practice of śamatha, its principal function is to note the occurrence of laxity and excitation." It is very often found in the pair 'mindfulness and introspection' or 'mindfulness and clear comprehension) (Pali: Sati sampajañña, Skt.: smṛti saṃprajña).

Japanese painting with Buddhist theme

Ekaggatā (Pali; Sanskrit: ekāgratā, एकाग्रता, "one-pointedness") is a Pali Buddhist term, meaning tranquility of mind or one-pointedness, but also "unification of mind."

' (Pāli samatha Sanskrit: śamatha शमथ; ), "calm," "serenity," "tranquility of awareness," and ' (Pāli vipassanā; Sanskrit: vipaśyanā विपश्यना; Sinhala: ), literally "special, super (), seeing ()", are two qualities of the mind developed in tandem in Buddhist practice.

The kuji-in () or jiǔzìyìn (), also known as Nine Hand Seals, is a system of mudras and associated mantras that consist of nine syllables. The mantras are referred to as kuji (), which literally translates as nine characters. The syllables used in kuji are numerous, especially within Mikkyō (Japanese Esoteric Buddhism).

Passaddhi is a Pali noun (Sanskrit: prasrabhi, Tibetan: ཤིན་ཏུ་སྦྱང་བ་, Tibetan Wylie: shin tu sbyang ba) that has been translated as "calmness", "tranquillity", "repose" and "serenity." The associated verb is passambhati (to calm down, to be quiet).

Thai Buddhist meditation method

Buddhist meditation master

Thai Buddhist monk

Buddhānusmṛti (Sanskrit; Pali: Buddhānussati), meaning "Buddha-mindfulness", is a common Buddhist meditation practice in all Buddhist traditions which involves meditating on a Buddha. The term can be translated as "remembrance, commemoration, recollection or mental contemplation of the Buddha." It is also one of the various recollections (anusmṛti) taught by the Buddha in the sutras.