Meditation
Why Meditate?
Is it possible to never suffer again? Is it possible to rid our mind of all negativity and only experience positive emotions such as overwhelming happiness, love and compassion? Can we transform the way we experience the world? Buddha says that we can, and the method to achieve this is called meditation.
Gom, the Tibetan word for “meditation”, means “to become familiar”. The states of mind, which are most familiar to us, arise automatically and without any effort. Because we are generally more familiar with the negativity, we constantly fall under its control and end up suffering.
By using sophisticated meditation techniques we first learn to experience and observe what is going on in our mind. We then learn to recognize the roots of our suffering and to eliminate them one by one by replacing them with more healthy, positive states of mind. We do it until we are only left with unconditional, unlimited happiness, which in Buddhist terms is called enlightenment or liberation.
And those, who are not ready to start their long journey to Liberation just yet, can use meditation to find more peace and balance in their everyday life.
What types of meditation are there?
In the Tibetan tradition there are many different kinds of meditation, but they can all be summarised into two general types: placement and analytical meditation.
In placement or stabilizing meditation the task is to choose one object of focus and to bring our mind back to this object, whenever it wanders away. This type of meditation serves the purpose of developing concentration, the ability to keep our mind concentrated on one thing.
The second kind of meditation is called analytical meditation. With this kind of meditation we use the mind’s ability to analyze, think about, or explore a particular object of meditation. The general purpose of this meditation is to become more familiar with the positive states of mind and to develop the correct view of reality.
Ideally we should combine placement and analytical meditation in order to develop a powerful practice, which will bring about the transformation of our mind in the most effective and reliable way.
How do I start to practice meditation?
Spiritual practice is a very rewarding, but also a challenging experience. It is therefore advisable to make your first steps using a proven method and to have trusted teachers and friends to support you on this journey.
At Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center we practice meditation according to the reliable methods, which have been successfully applied by countless students, since they were first introduced by Shakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago. We are guided by experienced, reputable teachers, who belong to the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) .
If you are interested to discover Buddhism and to practice meditation with our group, please contact us or come to one of our events. We welcome beginners and newcomers anytime and we will be happy to provide you the necessary information and support to get you started.
