Metta signifies friendship and non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others." Though it refers to many seemingly disparate ideas, Metta is in fact a very specific form of love—a caring for another independent of all self-interest—and thus is likened to one's love for one's child or parent. Understandably, this energy is often difficult to describe in words; however, in the practice of Metta meditation, one recites specific words and phrases in order to evoke this "boundless warm-hearted feeling." The strength of thi ...

See also:

Mettā, Mettā - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Mettā - Six stages, Mettā - Source

Read more here: » Mettā: Encyclopedia II - Mettā - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Buddhism, Meditation - Christianity, Meditation - Judaism, Meditation - Hinduism, Meditation - Sufism, Meditation - Sikhism, Meditation - Taoism, Meditation - Transcendental Meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Types of meditation

The purposes for which people meditate vary almost as widely as practices. Meditation may serve simply as a means of relaxation from a busy daily routine; as a technique for cultivating mental discipline; or as a means of gaining insight into the nature of reality, or of communing with one's God. Many report improved concentration, awareness, self-discipline and equanimity through meditation. Many authorities avoid emphasizing the effects of meditation — sometimes out of modesty, sometimes for fear that the expectation of results mi ...

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Buddhism, Meditation - Christianity, Meditation - Judaism, Meditation - Hinduism, Meditation - Sufism, Meditation - Sikhism, Meditation - Taoism, Meditation - Transcendental Meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation

Meditation like yoga originated in Vedic Hinduism many centuries ago, it was much later adopted into a wide variety of practices of religious and non-religious formats which emphasize mental activity or quiesscence. The English word comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, but which later could perhaps be better translated as "contemplation." This usage is found in Christian spirituality, for example, when one "meditates" on the sufferings of Christ; as w ...

Including:

• Meditation - Overview
• Meditation - Types of meditation
• Meditation - Meditation in context
• Meditation - Physical postures
• Meditation - Frequency and duration
• Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation
• Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness
• Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation
• Meditation - Meditation and the brain
• Meditation - Meditation and EEG's
• Meditation - Adverse effects
• Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia - Meditation

Metta Bhavna is a Pali word meaning meditation of loving kindness. The Buddha taught this meditation in Metta Sutta to 500 monks to cure them of their ailments and to protect them from evil spirits.

Metta Bhavna is also practised to purify our mind of defilements like anger, jealousy, hatred and self-pity. We cannot stop the suffering of the world. We can only stop it in our mind, because we know our minds and we generate anger, hatred, and jealousy in our own mind. The only way we can still our minds is by practising Metta Bhavna.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Christ and Budda: Jesus Through Buddhist Eyes

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, speaking to a capacity audience in the Albert Hall in 1984 united his listeners instantly with one simple statement: "All beings want to be happy; they want to avoid pain and suffering." I was impressed at how he was able to touch what we share as human beings. He affirmed our common humanity, without in any way dismissing the obvious differences.

When invited to look at 'Jesus through Buddhist eyes', I had imagined that I would use a 'compare and contrast' approach, rather like a school essay. I was brought us as a Christian and turned to Buddhism in my early thirties, so of course I have ideas about both traditions: the one I grew up in and turned aside from, and the one I adopted and continue to practise within. But after re-reading some of the gospel stories, I would like to meet Jesus again with fresh eyes, and to examine the extent to which he and the Buddha were in fact offering the same guidance, even though the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism can appear in the surface to be rather different.

Read more here: » Christ and Budda: Jesus Through Buddhist Eyes

Buddhism is a religion with millions of followers in the United States, including traditionally Buddhist Asian Americans as well as non-Asian converts. The U.S. presents a strikingly new and different environment for Buddhists, leading to a unique history and a continuing process of development as Buddhism and America come to grips with each other. Buddhism in the United States - Early history. Occasional intersections between Western civilization and the Buddhist world have been occurring for thousands of years. ...

Including:

• Buddhism in the United States - Early history
• Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Import Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Export Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Demographics of Buddhism in the United States
• Buddhism in the United States - Ethnic divide
• Buddhism in the United States - Trends in American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Engaged Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Buddhist education in the United States

Read more here: » Buddhism in the United States

Mettā (मेत्ता in Devanagari) is a Pali word meaning unconditional loving-kindness. The Sanskrit is maitrī. It is one of the ten pāramitās of the Theravada school of Buddhism. The mettā bhāvanā (cultivation of mettā) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism, practiced with mindfulness of breath, which provides concentration, so as to prevent the loss of compassion. The object of mettā meditation is to cultivate goodwill and compassion towards all sentient beings. The practice usually ...

Including:

• Mettā - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness
• Mettā - Six stages
• Mettā - Source

Read more here: » Mettā: Encyclopedia - Mettā

Brahmaviharā (Pali and Sanskrit) can be translated as Sublime Attitudes or Abodes of God. They form a sequence of Buddhism meditations recommended in the Pali Brahmavihara Sutta and the Sanskrit Brahmavihara Sutra. Metta/Maitri: lovingkindness towards all; the hope that a person will be well Karuna: compassion; the hope that a person's sufferings will diminish Mudita: altruistic joy in the accomplishments of a person, oneself or other Upekkha/Upeksha: equanimity, or learning to accept both loss and gain, praise and blame, success and failure with det ...

Including:

• Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in Early Buddhism
• Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
• Brahmavihara - Literature

Read more here: » Brahmavihara: Encyclopedia - Brahmavihara

Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. These developed in India during the century subsequent to the death of the Buddha. The name of the school means "Teachings of the Elders" which implies that this was the most conservative school of Buddhism, a school that has attempted to conserve the original teachings of the Buddha. Adherents trace their lineage back to the Sthaviras (Pali: Theras; "Elders") of the First Buddhist Council when 500 arahants, including Mahakasyapa chose a position of orthodoxy to keep all the ...

Including:

• Theravada - History
• Theravada - Philosophy
• Theravada - Praxis
• Theravada - Lay and Monastic Life
• Theravada - Meditation
• Theravada - Levels of Attainment
• Theravada - Festivals and customs
• Theravada - Temporary Ordination
• Theravada - Buddhist orders within Theravada
• Theravada - Criticisms

Read more here: » Theravada: Encyclopedia - Theravada

Samadhi is a term used in Hindu and Buddhist yogic meditation. Samadhi is also the Hindi word for a cenotaph, a structure commemorating the dead (akin to a tomb, but without remains). Samadhi - The Hindu tradition. Samadhi (IPA: [sɑ ma dʰi] is Sanskrit term for the practice which produces complete meditation (among "normal" one). According to Vyasa, "yoga is samadhi" deciphered as complete control (samadhana) over the functi ...

Including:

• Samadhi - The Hindu tradition
• Samadhi - The Buddhist tradition

Read more here: » Samadhi: Encyclopedia - Samadhi

Buddhism is a religion with millions of followers in the United States, including traditionally Buddhist Asian Americans as well as non-Asian converts. The U.S. presents a strikingly new and different environment for Buddhists, leading to a unique history and a continuing process of development as Buddhism and America come to grips with each other. Buddhism in the United States - Early history. Occasional intersections between Western civilization and the Buddhist world have been occurring for thousands of years. ...

Including:

• Buddhism in the United States - Early history
• Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Immigrant Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Import Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Export Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Demographics of Buddhism in the United States
• Buddhism in the United States - Ethnic divide
• Buddhism in the United States - Trends in American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Engaged Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Buddhist education in the United States

Read more here: » Buddhism in the United States: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in the United States

The diversity of Buddhist thought has sometimes led to criticism of Theravada by other schools, although it is important to note that such criticism is far from universal, and that Buddhists of different schools often interact on terms of mutual respect. Common critiques of Theravada made by Mahayana Buddhists are that Theravada monks aim to achieve enlightenment only for themselves, and that they lack compassion. However, supporters of Theravada emphasize that their religion does not recognize a self at all—famously, as noted in the canon ...

See also:

Theravada, Theravada - History, Theravada - Philosophy, Theravada - Praxis, Theravada - Lay and Monastic Life, Theravada - Meditation, Theravada - Levels of Attainment, Theravada - Festivals and customs, Theravada - Temporary Ordination, Theravada - Buddhist orders within Theravada, Theravada - Criticisms

Read more here: » Theravada: Encyclopedia II - Theravada - Criticisms

Because it draws on the whole of the Buddhist tradition there are a wide variety of practices current in the FWBO. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Meditation. Many meditation practices are current within the FWBO. Sangharakshita has described the way he teaches meditation as having four phases, and the practices fall roughly into these four phases. The first two are, broadly speaking, calming or samatha practices, and the last two are insight or vipassana practices. Integration ...

See also:

Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - The Western Buddhist Order, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Distinctive emphases of the FWBO, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Activities, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Practice, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Meditation, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Ritual, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Retreats, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Confession, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Right livelihood, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Communities, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Diversity, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - The FWBO post Sangharakshita, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Chronology, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Criticism of the FWBO

Read more here: » Friends of the Western Buddhist Order: Encyclopedia II - Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Practice

Samadhi (IPA: [sɑ ma dʰi] is Sanskrit term for the practice which produces complete meditation (among "normal" one). According to Vyasa, "yoga is samadhi" deciphered as complete control (samadhana) over the functions of consciousness (better is it so Higher control, that it it Release...). The exact meaning and usage of the term varies among the Indian religious traditions (such as Hinduism and Buddhism) but its meaning is from 'sam', with (into), together + 'a' towards + 'dha' to bring (to get, to hold). The result is various degrees of veridic ...

See also:

Samadhi, Samadhi - The Hindu tradition, Samadhi - The Buddhist tradition

Read more here: » Samadhi: Encyclopedia II - Samadhi - The Hindu tradition

Some scholars, such as Charles Prebish, have suggested that the social phenomenon of Buddhism in America can be seen to be comprised of three broad types. The oldest and largest of these is “immigrant” or “ethnic Buddhism”, those Buddhist traditions that arrived in America along with immigrants who were already believers and that largely remained with those immigrants and their descendants. The next oldest and arguably the most visible and best-heralded type is referred to as “import Buddhism”, because it came to America largely ...

See also:

Buddhism in the United States, Buddhism in the United States - Early history, Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Immigrant Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Import Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Export Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Demographics of Buddhism in the United States, Buddhism in the United States - Ethnic divide, Buddhism in the United States - Trends in American Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Engaged Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Buddhist education in the United States

Read more here: » Buddhism in the United States: Encyclopedia II - Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism

In the recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson et.al, 2001). Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are areas of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a ...

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Buddhism, Meditation - Christianity, Meditation - Judaism, Meditation - Hinduism, Meditation - Sufism, Meditation - Sikhism, Meditation - Taoism, Meditation - Transcendental Meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation

In the recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson et.al, 2001). Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are areas of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a ...

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation

These vary so much that it is difficult to venture any general comments. On one extreme there exist monks and nuns whose whole lives are ordered around meditation; on the other hand, one-minute meditations are not out of the question. Twenty or thirty minutes is probably a typical duration. Experienced meditators often find their sessions growing in length of their own accord. Observing the advice and instructions of one's spiritual teacher is generally held to be most beneficial. Many traditions stress regular practice. Accordingly, many meditators experience guilt or frustration upon failing to do so. Poss ...

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Buddhism, Meditation - Christianity, Meditation - Judaism, Meditation - Hinduism, Meditation - Sufism, Meditation - Sikhism, Meditation - Taoism, Meditation - Transcendental Meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Frequency and duration

The English word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, then later evolved into the more specific meaning "contemplation." This usage is found in Christian spirituality, for example, "meditations on the sufferings of Christ"; as well as Western philosophy, as in Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, a set of six mental exercises which system ...

See also:

Meditation, Meditation - Overview, Meditation - Types of meditation, Meditation - Buddhism, Meditation - Christianity, Meditation - Judaism, Meditation - Hinduism, Meditation - Sufism, Meditation - Sikhism, Meditation - Taoism, Meditation - Transcendental Meditation, Meditation - Meditation in context, Meditation - Physical postures, Meditation - Frequency and duration, Meditation - Purposes and effects of meditation, Meditation - Metta meditation: the practice of loving-kindness, Meditation - Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, Meditation - Meditation and the brain, Meditation - Meditation and EEG's, Meditation - Adverse effects, Meditation - Meditation and drugs

Read more here: » Meditation: Encyclopedia II - Meditation - Overview