Meditation question

ocos

My daughter is doing a junior cert project on buddhism.

She needs to know why meditation is so important in the buddhism religion.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks

pkr_ennis

Meditation is the gateway to realising the 'true' self. Buddhists/meditators can gain the experience of their inate nature through stabalising the mind without grasping onto thoughts or emotions, which allows a lot of space in our mind and finally for our true nature to be able to be experienced or sensed in our conciousness/real world experience.

Our true nature or Buddha nature is the conciousness that is carried to the afterlife, which has to be recognised in this life in order to be able to break the cycle of life and death and become a Buddha/being that lives without suffering.


Meditation has many other positive effects on our life, but this is the reason it's so important in buddhism.

bou

Wikipedia is a good source of reference material, though it can be intimidating with terminology. See Buddhist_meditation. Read a few of these topics and don't be intimidated by unfamiliar words. Best is to read a few extracts of sutras (discourses) given by the Buddha. They are very inspiring and their language is simple and direct.

I'd agree largely with pkr_ennis. I thought I'd add some elaboration.

The teaching of the Four Noble Truths by the Buddha says there is suffering; there are causes of suffering; there is possibility of an end of suffering; there is a way to arrive at the cessation of suffering.

The causes of suffering are karma (effects of past actions), mistaken perception and negative emotions leading to negative actions which continue the cycle of suffering. The basic reason for suffering is that we perceive things in a wrong way; we don't see them as they really are. This mistaken perception, called ignorance, leads to attachment, aversion. It produces suffering and more negative karma. By removing the causes of suffering there is an end to suffering. The root cause is ignorance, this mis-perception of the way things are.

Ignorance manifests as the self-centered clever and manipulating ego which is always busy scheming and doing. We are so caught up with thinking and doing, based on a false way of looking, that we don't see the nature of the world we perceive or the nature of our own being.

All buddhist effort is directed towards removing ignorance to uncover our innate wisdom which knows the way things really are. Meditation is central to this effort. It begins to settle the busy mind allowing some space where clarity and insight can be found. The nature of mind, perceptions, thoughts and emotions are slowly uncovered or rather, the mis-perceptions are slowly released. Ignorance is gradually dissolved. Wisdom is revealed. As understanding and realization develop, the way we see things and act in the world also changes and the cycle of suffering is gradually cut through.

Without mediation, there isn't the development of clarity and wisdom so although we might act in positive ways creating positive karma, there isn't the discernment that cuts through mistaken perception. Ignorance is not removed and the cycle of suffering is not stopped.

ocos

Thanks to you both for taking the time out to reply.

bou

Thanks to this question, I've just read the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. It's very inspiring.

The discourse starts with:

This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the disappearance of pain & distress, for the attainment of the right method, & for the realization of Unbinding — in other words, the four frames of reference. Which four?

"There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings... mind... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.

It goes on to talk in detail about meditation on the "Four Frames of Reference": Body, Feelings, Mind, Mental Qualities".

It follows with the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path, culminating with how the Four Frames of Reference provide the basis for everything on the path.

The last paragraph underlines the point that meditation is core to the path:

This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the disappearance of pain & distress, for the attainment of the right method, & for the realization of Unbinding — in other words, the four frames of reference.' Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.