Samatha Meditation
Samatha (Pāli), (Sanskrit: शमथ, śamatha; also romanized to shamatha, Tib. ཞི་གནས་, shyiné; Wylie: zhi gnas; English: "calm" or "tranquility") refers to that dimension of Buddhist spiritual cultivation (bhavana) concerned with the calming of the mind (citta) and its 'formations' (sankhara). When calm the mind is capable of stillness (samadhi) and is put into a suitable frame for the arising of insight (vipassana) and thus wisdom (pañña). In Buddhism, calmness and stillness of mind are considered to be dependent on the presence of morality (Śīla) in a person's life. With morality as the foundation, calming of the mind (samatha) and the arising of insight (vipassana) are summed up as the quintessence of Buddhist spiritual cultivation (bhavana).
In Sri Lanka samatha includes all the meditations directed at static objects. In Burma, samatha comprises all concentration practices, aimed at calming the mind. The Thai Forest tradition deriving from Ajahn Mun and popularized by Ajahn Chah stresses the inseparability of samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is commonly used in Theravada Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and various branches of the Pure Land tradition.
Read more about Samatha Meditation: Etymology, Overview, Application, Origins, Contemporary Theravāda Interpretations, Similar Practices in Other Religions, See Also
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