Overview of Buddhist Meditation

When the Buddha incarnated to this earth and taught his disciples, he taught in various ways to ensure that his disciples would understand the essence of teachings and realizations. These teachings and realizations were to progress the development of his students step by step towards enlightenment and liberation from suffering. The teachings were catered to the level of understanding his disciples had at the time they came to see him. Had the Buddha taught only expansive and very deep teachings, few people would have been able to enter the path of Buddhism. Most people would not have been able to understand the teachings and practice meditation. The Buddha taught in a way that allowed a person to develop spiritually and progress gradually towards Enlightenment.

The Buddha’s teachings can be understood as three (3) levels – Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. These levels of teachings allow for a person to benefit from what he or she can understand. Although on the surface these teachings look like 3 separate levels, in absolute reality these teachings are all being directed towards the same goal – Enlightenment. Therefore, in absolute reality, there is really only one level of teachings.

Understanding the Buddha’s teachings, philosophies and meditation in Buddhism is referred to as the “Dharma”. In each of the 3 levels, Buddha gave teachings and also instructions how to meditate within each level. Following these teachings and meditations allowed for each student to progress in the path of Buddhism.

The first level is called, Hinayana. This is a very important set of teachings and meditations especially since it can be offered to large numbers of people who have a limited understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. Without these teachings and understanding of these teachings, it is virtually impossible to progress on to the other 2 levels, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The Hinayana teachings are the first step of Buddhist teachings. In this level, Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths which are:

Buddha taught these 4 Noble Truths to point out the truth of how things actually are in this world. By doing this, Buddha was able to help people understand their mistakes, delusions, illusions and errors and how to eliminate them. Causes of suffering are understood to be caused by using our body, our speech and/or our mind inappropriately. By eliminating these, causes of people’s suffering and misery could be eliminated and progressively they could progress to great wisdom and Enlightenment.  Negative thinking and actions creates negative karma.  Decreasing negative thinking and actions decreases negative karma.  Increasing positive thinking and actions increases good karma.  Development of strong noble qualities (i.e. compassion, loving kindness, generosity, morality, wisdom) of the mind creates a correct view of living and progresses one towards Enlightenment.  These first teachings of Buddha enabled him to help people become established on the path of Enlightenment.

After teaching these 4 Noble Truths, Buddha then taught specific meditational practices that would allow attachment to this world to be cut, and therefore, allow for one to not be involved in worldly affairs which continually create causes of suffering over and over again. Meditational practices that the Buddha taught in the Hinayana level include: meditating on the impermanence of this world; meditating on the nature of suffering in this world; meditating on realizing that what one thinks of as “mine” within ourselves and “that which belongs to me” has no validity; and meditating on the idea that the “self” as itself, as “solid” entity is a delusion. Buddha also taught specific meditation techniques for the realization of the 4 noble truths. By practicing the Hinayana path, people are able to use the 4 Noble Truths as “vows” or “commitments” to help stop unvirtuous actions and propagate virtuous actions. By following this way of life, a person is able to develop discipline in his/her life which allows increased happiness and a desire for liberation from suffering.

The second level of the Buddha’s teachings are the Mahayana. These teachings involve much motivation and meditational practice. The one who practices this level has cultivated a desire for good and virtuous things for themselves and others. There is also a desire not to be harmful to others. The Mayayana level cultivates unbiased love and compassion for all humans and non humans. In this level, the Buddha taught the 4 Immeasurables and how to meditate on each one. The 4 Immeasurables are:

Buddha also taught what is called “Bodhicitta” in this level of teachings. Bodhicitta is the development of our minds from being attached, selfish, biased and judgemental to a pure mind that is the blend of love, compassion and wisdom that is unbiased. This Bodhicitta mind is unbiased and desires to help everyone be free from the suffering of this world. When a person has a Bodhicitta mind, that person’s actions become like a nectar that brings healing, love, compassion, calmness and peace to all around him or her.

The idea of “Interdependent Origination” is also a main teaching in this level. Buddha taught that there is an interdependence of phenomena in this world (seen and unseen). Things are manifesting because of their dependence on other things. Our minds are continually labeling, categorizing and recognizing phenomena in our world according to how we individually see things. This implies an external view of phenomena. Defining things as good, bad or indifferent depends on how we are individually seeing these phenomena. Therefore, we label these phenomena as “real” based on the way they manifest to us and we think they have a reality for us. This is actually relative existence – it is based on the mind of the person observing his/her life. This creates attachment to these things and we then create negative habits that perpetuate suffering.

Buddha also taught about “Emptiness” which dovetails with Interdependent Origination. All phenomena are empty but within that emptiness all things manifest because of the process of interdependent origination. Emptiness is often misunderstood. It is not a void and things are not inherently empty or nonexistent. It is the absolute reality, not relative reality like Interdependent Origination. It is through turning our mind inward, not outward to the conditions around us, that we can discover emptiness.

Situations externally can change by understanding the emptiness of phenomena in this world. The mind’s labeling and categorizing is based on viewing the interdependence of phenomena. Turning the mind inward on itself, allows the realization that these labels do not have a solid basis to exist as a solid entity. For example, a friend hurts our feelings deeply and now we consider this person is no longer a friend and has become one we do not like anymore. If we hold to this, we continue to suffer from our hurt feelings and we create a negative mental situation for us by thinking bad about this person which also continues our suffering. By examining our mind, we can understand labels, judgments, opinions as phenomena that developed during the negative experience with our friend. By realizing these were developed by the relative experience, we can recognize that they do not exist as solid and we can change the view to forgiveness, compassion and love. This way, our suffering over the situation has abated, the suffering we were causing with negative thoughts to ourself and our friend has abated, and, if we choose, the friendship can resume.

The teachings on Emptiness in the Mahayana path also include teachings on the “wisdom aspect” or “Luminosity”. Clarity is the nature of emptiness and wisdom allows for everything to be seen clearly. Therefore, wisdom and emptiness are taught together – one does not exist without the other. The arising of wisdom and emptiness is what creates Buddha Nature. This Buddha Nature leads to Buddhahood and is present in everyone. Although it is present in each person, it may not be manifested due to negative patterns and habits, negative karmas and a lack of motivation to cease one’s sufferings and others’ sufferings in life.

Buddha taught the main meditation practices around the “6 Paramitas” that are to be cultivated and practiced. The 6 Paramitas are:

Buddha gave very specific meditation teachings called the “Mahamudra Teachings” to follow in this level. There are different levels within these teachings to progress the student on the path. Once again, persons following this level are to not just listen to teachings and do meditation but apply both into the every action’s of daily life. These teachings are to be given to a student by a highly qualified teacher and are mostly given by Buddhist Lamas.

The third level of teachings that the Buddha gave was called the Vajrayana. The level of Vajrayana is the tantric teachings. The teachings focus on understanding the absolute level of essence or the changeless essence. Tantric teachings are applied as a way of meditating to reach Enlightenment. The meditation concentrates on “resting” deep within the mind. The meditation is divided into the creation stage and the completion stage. In the creation stage, the focus is to transform our perceptions into pure appearances. In the Vajrayana path, it is necessary to have a qualified teacher or Guru that has received transmitted blessings from an intact and true Buddhist lineage path. Buddha transmitted his blessings to his students and his students, as teachers, transmitted the Buddha’s blessings from themselves to their students. In this way, lineages have provided the vehicle for the Buddha’s blessing to pass from generation to generation of teachers without become impure or spoiled.

There is a meditation practiced called Guru Yoga that is practiced in Vajrayana. In this practice, the Guru (teacher) is seen the same as the Buddha himself. This full realization needs to be cultivated through the practice of Guru Yoga. A Guru will often give the student a “Yidam” to meditate on. This Yidam is decided by the Guru and a mantra is often recited while the practicing with the Yidam. The Yidam is a pure form such as Green Tara or Vajrasattva. They can be peaceful or wrathful or the male aspect of skillful means and the female aspect of wisdom. The Yidam also gives the blessings of “Siddhis” or spiritual powers. In meditation, a person visualizes the appearance and real presence of the Yidam and identifies with the Yidam. Benefit is gained by a person since the person can eventually realize the pure nature of this Yidam and in time realize this truth inherently exists within themselves and everywhere else. The instructions and methods for doing these meditation practices are called “Sadhanas”. Examples include the Green Tara Sadhana, Chenrezig Sadhana, and Medicine Buddha Sadhana.

Meditation in Vajrayana principally works on the mind. The outer world is not a focus in this level. One is trying to understand the very essence or nature of mind. It is discovering the true essence that has been covered by delusions, illusions and error. Meditation is aimed as uncovering these delusions, illusions, and errors which have clouded the clarity of the mind. It is the mind looking at itself.

Meditation teachers speak about 5-7 points that are important for the posture of the body before starting meditation when sitting for meditation:

“Samatha” meditation is a form of meditation that brings a calmness and peace of mind which helps the mind to become more stable. Another meditation form is called “Vipasyana” which means to gain insight into the universal essence. These are specific techniques taught by teachers. They can be used in Hinayana or Vajrayana levels although the use and purpose will be different for each level.

Keep in mind that when we practice meditation it is inevitable that we will experience obstacles which include sluggishness, overexcitement by an overstimulated mind, desire of wanting too much, having an agitated mind, not having a clear mind or sticking to regret about something in our past that comes up again and again in meditation. This is why it is of benefit to receive teachings and meditations from qualified teachers to help go around or get over the obstacle. In addition, being around or practicing meditation with like minded individuals in a group benefits us as well. In Buddhism, people that are sharing the same path as you and support one another is called a “Sangha.”

At the Drukpa Mila Center, Lama Karma predominately practices and teaches about the Mahayana level. Teachers highly realized in the Mahayana level are also brought to the Center to teach. However, teaching is available for person’s that would benefit from the Hinayana level. Vajrayana is also practiced at the center and highly evolved qualified Lama teachers are brought to the Center to teach Vajrayana teachings.

This has only been a very brief introduction to the levels of teachings and meditations in Buddhism. It is by the blessings of Buddha and his teachings that we have the opportunity to share this overview.

Please feel free to contact the Center if you wish to learn more about meditation or attend regular meditation practices.

May everything and everyone benefit from the realization of truth that liberates all to attain enlightenment.

The following book was referred to for writing this document: Much thanks to Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche for expressing such beautiful wisdom:

“ The Three Vehicles of Buddhist Practice”, (1998) Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Namo Buddha Seminar: Boulder, CO.