About Meditation

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue.

Meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue. The more familiar our mind is with virtue, the calmer and more peaceful it becomes. When our mind is peaceful we are free from worries and mental discomfort, and we experience true happiness.

If we train our mind to become peaceful we will be happy all the time, even in the most adverse conditions. But if our mind is not peaceful, even if we have the most pleasant external conditions we will not be happy. Therefore it is important to train our mind through meditation.

Engaging in Meditation

There are two types of meditation: analytical meditation and placement meditation. When we contemplate the mean- ing of a Dharma instruction that we have heard or read we are doing analytical meditation. By deeply contemplating the instruction, eventually we reach a conclusion or cause a specific virtuous state of mind to arise. This is the object of placement meditation. Having found our object through analytical meditation, we then concentrate on it single-pointedly for as long as possible to become deeply acquainted with it. This single-pointed concentration is placement meditation. Often, analytical meditation is called simply `contemplation’, and placement meditation simply `meditation’. Placement meditation depends upon contemplation, and contemplation depends upon listening to or reading Dharma instructions.

Find a meditation center

Meditation Center Map

Enter town, city, country or center name

Site search

Find answers to questions on a number of dedicated meditation and Buddhism sites

How to Solve Our Human Problems

How to Solve Our Human Problems

In How to Solve Our Human Problems, Geshe Kelsang explains with characteristic clarity how we can easily apply the Four Noble Truths to our modern day lives and begin to experience the taste of true, lasting happiness…

More info | More books...

Subscribe to our newsletter





Notifications:



Bookmark and Share

© 2007 About Meditation. All rights reserved worldwide.

All quotations from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's books copyright The New Kadampa Tradition - International Buddhist Union, all rights reserved worldwide. For more information on Geshe Kelsang's books visit Tharpa Publications.