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July 18,
2024
A
Steady Foundation and a Welcome Reward
To those unfamiliar with
Buddhism, tranquility may seem like the ultimate goal of
meditation. While it is a worthy goal itself, it is also one of
the seven factors of awakening—the wholesome qualities that are
a crucial part of the Buddhist path and essential to escaping
the cycle of samsara. The way to develop tranquility is the
core Buddhist practice known as samatha,
or calm abiding, which goes hand in hand with Vipassana, or
clear seeing. Samatha entails focusing on an object, most
commonly the breath, to steady the mind and achieve samadhi, or concentration.
While Vipassana, which leads to insight, has become a
widespread practice, samatha is equally integral. Tranquility
is a key support to and benefit of practice for beginners and
advanced Buddhist practitioners alike. The former may use
tranquility to help quiet their thoughts and quell anxiety. The
latter to reach deep levels of concentration known as jhana. In both cases, tranquility aids
practice and practitioner, serving as a steady foundation for
going further and a welcome reward.
Some practice Vipassana and samatha in succession, with samatha
offering the stabilization to practice or achieve Vipassana. As
meditation teacher Narayan Helen Liebenson explains, “With
calmness as our foundation, as the mental chatter begins to
calm itself and cease, wisdom has a greater chance of emerging,
of thriving, of growing.” But they can also be viewed as
complementary practices or aims to engage in together. As
author and meditation teacher Lama Rod Owens explains, “In the
Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism, the goal is to practice calm
abiding and insight in union and, ultimately, realize the true
nature of mind.”
This week’s Three Teachings
explains a method for developing tranquility and why it’s both
a necessity for and a boon of Buddhist practice.
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