Two Types of Meditation

Many people assume meditation is about attaining a particular "state" such as bliss, fulfillment, relaxation, or contentment. Some people become "bliss junkies" always seeking the next meditative "high."

This type of meditation is called samadhi or jnana, often translated as concentration or absorption. In India one hears stories of yogis who go into an altered state or trance and are buried for several days, without food or water and with minimal oxygen, and emerge unscathed. This is the extreme example of samadhi.

From a Buddhist point of view any "state" is only temporary, and therefore unsatisfactory. The crown jewel of Buddhist meditation is vipassana, or insight meditation. Zen is a form of vipassana. Mahamudra, although a vajrayana method, is also, in my opinion, a specialized form of vipassana.

Vipassana is not about a state, but about penetrating insight into the impermanent nature of experience. Vipassana is about fully experiencing the moment, without resistance.

For more information about vipassana go to www.leominster-meditation.com