Samatha Meditation

Samatha Meditation means Tranquility Meditation. S   amatha    is the concentrated, unshaken, peaceful, and therefore undefiled state of mind. Tranquility, or concentration of mind, according to   Sankhepavannana    (Commentary to  Abhidhammatthasangaha  ), bestows a threefold blessing: favourable rebirth, present happy life, and purity of mind which is the condition of insight. Concentration (   samadhi    ) is the indispensable foundation and precondition of insight by purifying the mind from the 5 mental defilements or hindrances (    nivarana    ). The Buddha therefore says: “May you develop the mental concentration, O monks; for who is mentally concentrated, sees things according to reality” (S. XXII, 5). And in Mil, it is said: “Just as when a lighted lamp is brought into a dark chamber, the lamp-light will destroy the darkness and produce and spread the light, just so will insight, once arisen, destroy the darkness of ignorance and produce the light of knowledge.” Vis.M. III-XI gives full directions how to attain full concentration and the absorptions (   jhana    )

  In Theravada Buddhism there are forty Tranquility Meditation subjects (    kammatthana    ) They are:

  Ten kasinas- Meditation      (   Kasina   )   are: Earth(   p athavi )   , Water(   apo   ), Fire(   tejo   ), Air(   vayo   ), Blue(   nila   ), Yellow(   pita   ), Red(   lohita )    , White(odata), Space(   akasa   ), and Light(   aloka   ). These produce the 4 absorptions.

 Ten Loathsome subjects (  Asubha) are: a bloated (corpse), a discoloured (corpse), a festering, (corpse), a dissected (corpse), an eaten (corpse), a scattered-in-pieces (corpse), a mutilated and scattered-in-pieces (corpse), a bloody (corpse), a worm-infested (corpse), and a skeleton. These produce the 1st absorption.

  Ten Recollection (   '    anussati    '   ) of      : Buddha (    buddhanussati    ), Doctrine (    dhammanussati    ),   Sangha   (    sanghanussati    ), morality,(   siila   ) Liberality (caga), Deities (   devata   ), Death (    maranasati    ), Contemplation body (    kayagatasati    ), In-and-out breathing (   anapanasati   ) and Peace (    upasamanussati    ). Among these, the recollection (or mindfulness) of in and- out breathing may produce all the 4 absorptions, that of the body the 1st absorption, the rest only neighbourhood- concentration (  upacara-samadhi   ).

  Four Sublime Abodes (    brahma-vihara    )     :Loving-kindness (   metta   ), compassion (   karu.na   ), Appreciative joy (   mudita    ), equanimity (    upekkha    ). Of these, the first 3 exercises may produce 3 absorptions, the last one the 4th Absorption only.

  Four Immaterial base Absorption      (    arupayatana     Jhana     ): Base infinite space base (   akasanancayatana   ), Base of infinite-consciousness (   vinnancayatana   ), Base of nothingness (   akincanayatana   ), Base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception (neva   -sanna-na- sannayatana   ) These are based upon the 4th absorption (    jhana    ).

  One perception of the loathsomeness of nutriment      (    aharepatikkula-sanna    ), which may produce neighbourhood concentration.

'  One analysis of the Four Elements (   '   catudhatu-vavatthana     ) which may produce neighbourhood- concentration.    References '

1. Bodhi, Bhikkhu. Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Colombo: Buddhist Publication Society, 1999.

2. Tiloka, Nyana. Buddhist Dictionary, Colombo: BPS, 1980.

Revised on 

28th Sept. 2011

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