Meditation in Mahayana Buddhism: A Deeper State of Awareness

Résumé ou Introduction

As human beings we have the constant struggle of working, eating a balanced diet,
exercising, having a social life, spending time with one’s family, staying current with today’s
news and receiving at least eight hours of sleep. Our agendas are naturally stocked so there is no
doubt that we all come across the evil seed that is stress, from time to time. Our bodies unburden
stressful situations by releasing feelings of anxiety, tension and nervousness. We do not have to
be doctors to know that these feelings are not the most beneficial regarding what is good for our
bodies. In order to reduce, prevent and cope with these emotional reactions one can practice the
stress relieving buddhist ritual of meditation. The two most common and useful types of
meditation are Loving Kindness Meditation, known as Metta Bhavana, and Mindfulness of
Breathing, known as Anapanasati (Vana 27). In this paper one will perceive an overview about
the two most useful types of meditation mentioned previously, explore the benefits that come
with regularly practicing meditation and read about different cases that prove the effects of this
buddhist custom.