Buddhist Meditation

As prayer is to the Christian life, so meditation is the very heart of Buddhist life. With enlightenment, or the state of Nirvana, as its goal, meditation also serves to foster spiritual development, alleviate pain, soothe the mind, and reveal the truth of existence. This introduction explains the meaning and purpose of meditation. Its series of devotional exercises include instructions on maintaining mental and physical awareness during meditation, with advice on postures, breathing, repudiation of the sensory world, remembrance of mortality, disdain for corporal existence, attaining a trance state, and recollecting the goal: Nirvana. Written by a distinguished Western scholar, it offers informative and direct explanations of Buddhist wisdom.