Goals of meditations

  • All meditations stress concentration of mind
    • Relaxed and tranquil state called jhana
  • Vipassana meditation: jhana is the a stepping stone. The goal is awareness
  • 3 factors in Buddhist meditation: morality, concentration, wisdom
    • Influences each other, can’t be separated
    • Morality:
      • lowest level: adhere to rules, need no meditation
      • Next level: adhere to rules even no one is watching, requires a little mind control
      • 3rd level: ethics, requires mindfulness, wisdom and compassion
  • euphoria/bliss is not a goal, but a side effect. You can only experience it if you don’t chase it
 
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Different meditation methods