Meditation

Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mental clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. The earliest records of meditation (dhyana) are found in the Upanishads, and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative repertoire of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism.Since the 19th century, Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health. Meditation may significantly reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, and enhance peace, perception,self-concept, and well-being. Research is ongoing to better understand the effects of meditation on health (psychological, neurological, and cardiovascular) and other areas.

(A statue of the Buddha sitting in a semi-meditative position and a meditation seal at the Gal Viharaya Temple, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.)

Practical meditation has different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since ancient times as part of many traditional religions and beliefs. It usually involves an internal human effort to self-regulate the mind in some way. Meditation includes a large number of activities including techniques designed to promote relaxation, build inner energy or life force (qi, prana, etc.) love, patience, tolerance and forgiveness. A great ambition of meditation is to focus on easy concentration to maintain complete focus on reality, that is, for meditators to enjoy an unbreakable sense of well-being while engaging in whatever it is. any activity in life.

This is a term used by many religions to refer to different methods of practice, but with a single purpose: to experience "Awakening", "Liberation", "Enlightenment". In the schools of tantric practice — "secret" (en. esoteric) here means the practice to experience self-awareness, not paying attention to the external frills of religion, which can be called "esoteric" — forefathers have researched and developed different paths suitable to each person's personality and foundation to reach the above-mentioned valuable experience. If one understands "Religion" as the answer to the "imperfections", "incompleteness", "diseases" of people, then Zen is the medicine to treat those diseases.

The hallmark of all forms of Zen practice is guiding one to a concentrated, calm state of mind, like a pool of water that can only be seen to the bottom if the surface of the water is undisturbed. This peaceful, calm state of mind can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as practicing Haṭhayoga (vehicle control ), focusing on a picture, a Thangka, or a sound like Mantra, a koan...

British psychologist and Zen Master David Fontana writes a very good summary of what is Zen and what is non-Zen:
“Meditation does not mean falling asleep; let the mind sink into a coma; shun, away from the world; selfish, thinking only of themselves; do something unnatural; to fall into delusion; forget where I am. Meditation is: keeping the mind alert, flexible; attention, concentration; see the world as clearly as it is; cultivate humanity; I know who I am and where I am.".