Dhyana: Meditation Techniques
Overview of various techniques to train the mind
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Practice a simple form of meditation, ideally on a daily basis, for however much time feels comfortable. If you have a practice already, return to a simple form that you might share with your students. If you have little experience, try a 3-minute breathing practice: simply notice your breath without changing it. Remember that getting used to the practice of meditation takes time, and our ideas about what it is and how it works will change over time. Aspire to have humility no matter how advanced your practice—meditation can be a profound tool on the path of wisdom, and it’s best if each student finds their own affinity by being introduced to it gradually over time in an open, relaxed and pressure-free environment.
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Reflect on your experiences practicing different types of meditation.
Understanding
Students will understand...Thoughts and emotions can cloud our perception of reality. Taming the mind through meditation and study helps us identify and clear away those obscurations, increasing awareness, insight, wisdom, and contentment.
Action
Students are able to...Compare and contrast multiple Buddhist meditation techniques (shamatha, vipassana, loving-kindness, walking meditation), analyze how each method addresses specific mental states and obstacles, and design appropriate meditation practices for different situations and temperaments.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Dhyana (Sanskrit), or meditation, is one of the paramitas that is essential on the path to awakening. Dhyana is the practice of meditation itself, while the related term, samadhi (Sanskrit)—meaning “concentration” or “bringing together”—refers to the meditative state, and is often described as absorption or a sense of “oneness.”
Samadhi is one element of what is called the threefold training or trishiksha—shila or moral conduct; samadhi or meditative concentration; and prajna or wisdom. These three point to progressive development on the path—shila is the discipline and altruistic commitment that provides for samadhi to develop; and it is the meditative concentration of samadhi that gives rise to the wisdom of prajna.
Within Buddhism, there are many techniques for working with and familiarizing oneself with one’s mind, many applications of dhyana. This is because there are many types of people with different habits and preferences. What works for one person might not work as well for another.
The two main forms of Buddhist meditation are shamata and vipassana. All forms of Buddhist meditation can be classified into one or sometimes both of these categories.
Techniques include focusing on the breath or another object (shamata); contemplating the teachings (conceptual vipassana); open awareness; meditation on loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity (the four immeasurables); walking meditation; zazen; visualization; and meditation through artistic practices.
While Buddhist meditation is practiced primarily to tame the mind and develop insight into the nature of reality, scientific research has identified numerous additional benefits of meditation, including enhancing attention span, boosting the immune system, alleviating insomnia, and reducing stress and anxiety.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Practice multiple meditation techniques systematically while keeping detailed logs that record effects, challenges, and preferences across various methods. Research meditation applications for specific mental states and create personalized practice plans tailored to different temperaments and life situations. Assess the effectiveness of different techniques through structured self-experiments and peer practice sessions with mutual feedback. Develop beginner-friendly meditation instruction materials and test their clarity through teaching practicum with novice practitioners. Form advanced contemplative practice partnerships that involve mutual guidance and exploration of sophisticated techniques.
Assessment Ideas
Maintain detailed logs of your meditation practice, assessing consistency, honest self-assessment, and understanding of how different techniques work and their uses. Create personalized meditation plans for specific situations, evaluated on how practical and well-understood they are. Conduct structured comparison studies of techniques with peers, focusing on careful observation, constructive feedback, and openness to guidance. Develop and test meditation teaching materials through teaching practicum, assessing student understanding and clarity of instruction. Engage in advanced practice partnerships, evaluated on mutual guidance and the development of sophisticated techniques.
