Dalai Lama on Buddhist Meditation
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is visiting San Francisco this April '07. It is surprising how much he travels all over the world raising constant awareness for his people.
While we had our special meeting with him at a Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, I squeezed in a final question for him at the end. Since I have a deep interest in Eastern philosophy, particularly meditation practices, I asked him to explain how he stays focused with so much going on around him. Following was the brief dialogue:
Me: When you meditate, how do you stay focused?
His Holiness: (chuckles) That is my problem! (The whole group and His Holiness laughing)...
Me: Sometimes I have that problem too.
His Holiness: I have to train simple point in mind. I use analytical meditation. According to Buddhist practice, there are two types of meditation: Samadhi and Vipassana. Samadhi is simple point in mind. Vipassana is analytical meditation. Everybodys do that, in different fields. When your mind analyzes, concentrated, involved fully and focused in analytical meditation, then other minds may not be very active... Your mind fully concentrated on other subjects like that. So that is very useful. I feel analytical meditation, or Vipassana is more important than Samadhi. Samadhi is just something like relaxed, your mind is focusing on one point and nothing else. So it is useful, important, but as far as changing our concepts, training of our mind or shaping new shapes of our emotions, analytical meditation is much better, much stronger!
Me: Thank you.
His Holiness: Good?!
