The Secret To Enlightenment With Buddhist Meditation
Meditation is a mental exercise found in all religions. In many types of meditation such as prayer or reciting mantras, the goal is to achieve an altered state of consciousness with an intention of connecting with a higher force.
But Buddhist meditation takes a different approach.
Buddhism uses meditation as a way to achieve enlightenment. Instead of seeking a connection with a deity or seeking the cause of “what is,” Buddhists approach the human condition in a straightforward way based on observation.
Most of life is defined by pain and suffering. Those, unfortunately, are the driving forces behind much of what we do (avoiding pain and suffering, and willingly or not inflicting it on others). We feel separate and create the concept of “others.” And we deal with the world by creating illusory mental images that form our unique versions of reality.
But trying to be separate and holding on to other “separate” things (including people) leads to more suffering because nothing is permanent and life is a continual cycle of loss and rebirth. Relationships change; people die or move away; objects deteriorate, and so on.
EVERYTHING IS TRANSITORY but because of our fear of being alone and separate, we cling desperately to what we know, to what is familiar, even as we intuitively understand it may not be there tomorrow.
The Four Noble Truths (Buddhist Tradition)
1. Life is painful and frustrating.
Even if things are okay at the moment, they won’t always be great. We all go through painful and frustrating moments. All you have to do is look at the state of the world around you to see this!
2. Suffering has a cause.
The cause is our attachment to the familiar, the known.
3. The cause of suffering can be ended by releasing expectations and attachments.
We can still have meaningful relationships but without that needy, clingy attachment based on fear of loss and fear of being alone and separate.