Learn How to Meditate Correctly

When learning meditation, the first and most important thing is that we get rid of all ideas that we have of meditation. Perhaps we’ve joined some classes outside and have gotten some concept or understanding of meditation. It is not that they are useless. But for now, we have to put that aside. Otherwise, we will mix what we learn in this class and our own ideas of meditation. We will get confused because we don’t have complete understanding.

The ultimate goal of meditation is to see true nature or true reality of one’s own mind. Basically, true nature of oneself is nirvana. Our innate nature is enlightenment. When we see the true nature of oneself as it is, we have achieved enlightenment, achieved nirvana. And the way to reach there is meditation. Realizing Dharmakaya is the ultimate goal of meditation in long term.

We have to practice calm abiding meditation to train the mind not to be distracted, to be able to focus single-pointedly, to habituate our mind to focus, and to not be distracted.
At the same time we train our mind to be able to see and become aware of the reality of our mind. This is called Samatha & Vipassana meditation.

By training our mind in Samatha & Vipassana meditation just like what Buddha taught, we actually accumulating virtues, purifying bad karma and obscurations.

By doing meditation, we gain real inner peace, we have sense of discriminating wisdom and calm abiding mind. These two can bring profound inner peace. Our mind mostly filled with suffering and fear. Suffering comes from strong clinging, attachment and other negative emotions. If we forcefully stop thinking about them, it also doesn’t work. It is discriminating wisdom and calm abiding mind that will bring inner peace.