Imagine you are driving a car from Point A to Point B. You get into the car, and suddenly it starts raining. You can’t see clearly because the car wipers aren’t working. As you can’t see the view clearly, you can’t drive. Even if the wipers start working, you aren’t able to view the other vehicles clearly, so you still can’t drive the car. As you aren’t able to see either the details or a clear way. 2 Buddhist meditation types enable you to have a clear and detailed view. Both of the meditation types are interconnected, as without a clear view, you can’t drive. Or without a detailed view, you could have an accident. Read the article to discover the 2 main Buddhist meditation types.
What are Buddhist Meditation Types?
Buddhist meditation techniques are based on practical methods that can be implemented in real life. Buddhist meditation allows you to know about yourself and the reality of nature. These techniques are based on practical practices like breathing, which allows you to focus on the present, and concentrating on positivity throughout the day, and developing the loving-kind meditation for couples. the main objective of Buddhist meditation is to live in the present and focus live to positivity.
Can I do the Buddhist Meditation?
Yes, you can do Buddhist meditation without belonging to Buddhism, because meditation is being performed in different areas of the world. However, sometimes the meditation techniques differ from one area to another. If you could have a look at the Indian meditation techniques, those techniques are somewhat different from Buddhist meditation. You should try the different meditation techniques to find out the meditation technique that works for you.
1st Buddhist Meditation type: Samatha Meditation (calmness)
Samatha meditation allows you to rest your mind, calm your feelings, and provide peace to your mind. When you perform Samatha meditation, you make it habitual not to worry about things because worrying about them only costs you peace of mind. This meditation method is best for you if you are a beginner and want to have calmness or enhance concentration. The practices need to focus on 1 object among breathing, visual objective, and mantra. Once you become the master of Samatha meditation, your concentration in the other practices will be more in-depth.
Budh said, “When your mind becomes peaceful, serene serene and calm, then it will help to see the reality”.
Which means that, when you perform the Samath meditation, you wear glasses that help you to see things as they are! This reality of the world helps us to stay calm and peaceful in tough situations, and react to the situation based on the reality. Not driven by emotions. Samatha is a tool to help you realise the reality and act accordingly.
Why do you need to practice Samatha Meditation?
Samatha meditation allows you to open the door to calmness, peacefulness, and clarity of real life. Below are the to-the-point benefits of Samatha meditation:
- your mind becomes clear
- You have more control over emotions
- You can see the reality
- You become stress-free
2nd Buddhist meditation type: Vipassana Meditation (Insight)
The word Vipassana means to see through, so that’s why Buddhists call Vipassana meditation insight meditation. This meditation type helps you to view the situation or problem in detail. Like in the above Car example, the absence of the detail view could lead to an accident. These meditation types will help you gain deeper insight into your life.
For example, a meditation is to run your thoughts freely about yourself, without any judgments. Once the thoughts become slow. Then start connecting the thoughts to form the insight and a connected view of your life.
Why should you do Vipassana meditation?
Vipassana meditation allows you to have an insightful view of your life
- Where is your life going?
- How are you doing in your life?
- What can you do in your life?
How are both meditations connected?
Samatha and Vipassana aren’t two separate journeys. They are two wheels of the same car.
Just like the car example—if your view is blurred, you can’t drive. And if you don’t have detailed awareness of the road, you might crash. That’s exactly how these two meditations work together. Samatha gives you a calm and clear mind—like cleaning the windshield. Vipassana gives you detailed insight—like seeing every turn, every bump, and every signboard on the road of life.
You can’t do Vipassana properly without a calm mind. And you can’t reach deeper calmness if you don’t start understanding your thoughts and life clearly. That’s why many monks begin with Samatha and gradually shift into Vipassana. It’s not about choosing one—it’s about building a bridge between calmness and clarity.
Once you understand this connection, your meditation doesn’t remain just a practice—it becomes a way to drive your life with awareness, peace, and purpose.
So next time you sit for meditation, remember—you’re not just closing your eyes. You’re learning how to drive. Calmly. Consciously. Clearly.
Conclusion
Meditation isn’t just about sitting still—it’s about learning how to see. Samatha helps you wipe the fog off the windshield. Vipassana helps you notice the curves, the signs, and the road ahead. One gives you clarity, the other gives you depth.
And just like you wouldn’t drive blindfolded or without checking the mirrors, you shouldn’t move through life without both calmness and insight. These two Buddhist meditation types aren’t ancient rituals for monks in the mountains—they’re practical tools for your everyday journey.
So whether you’re at a crossroads in life or simply trying to navigate a stressful day, use Samatha to calm the storm and Vipassana to read the map. That’s how you go from just living to driving with awareness—one breath at a time.
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