What is Meditation Really? The Ultimate Answer
The true purpose of meditation is to acquaint mind with virtue. When mind concentrates on virtue, it becomes quiet and peaceful. With that peace follows freedom from worries and mental noise. This state is the true state of bliss. When mind is at peace, we can remain happy even in the worst of times. But if mind is not peaceful and occupied by disoriented thoughts, the most pleasant situations can’t make us happy. Meditation is very significant practice to gain control over the mind.
When we enter meditation, we are concentrating our mind on virtuous object that becomes responsible for our inner peace in the future. Normally we live in the world of delusion our entire lives. That doesn’t allow us to experience mental peace. Nonetheless, once in a while every one of us feels true inner peace naturally as we must have concentrated on virtuous objects somewhere in our previous lives. Virtue is an object; concentration on it causes us to experience peace of mind. Similarly an object that causes un-peaceful state such as anger or greed, are the non-virtuous objects.
Keeping this Buddhist philosophy in mind, we can divide meditation practice in two categories viz. Analytical meditation and placement meditation. Analytical meditation aims at contemplating on the inner meaning of a spiritual instruction or statement we have read or heard. By reflecting upon these instructions deeply, we can induce a virtuous state of mind. Now we have got basics set for placement meditation. Conclusion derived from analytical meditation becomes object of placement meditation. Purpose of placement meditation involves single-pointed attention on the virtuous state originated from contemplation.
In Buddhist tradition, analytical meditation is referred as contemplation and placement meditation is called meditation in general. There are various techniques of Buddhist meditation for beginners which can be divided into these two types like Vipassana, loving kindness meditation and Mindfulness meditation.
Apart from its spiritual significance, meditation has many other health related benefits too. It is the most effective remedy for natural anxiety relief, it helps restoring balance between mind and body and achieving perfect wellness.
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