Meditation is one of the spiritual arts held in high esteem by Buddhists. This helpful resource of teachings on this practice is divided into three sections: What is meditation? Why meditate? How to meditate. The last one covers posture, breathing, walking, driving, eating, using mantras, listening, visualization, feelings and metta, and problems in meditating.
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines meditation as "stopping and being present"; Gary Snyder sums it up as "attention: deliberate stillness and silence." For all of these practitioners, meditation is the path to personal transformation. According to Thich Nhat Hanh, it is a discipline that enables us to bring forth deep insight and awakening. At his Plum Village community in France, this Vietnamese teacher suggests that each time drivers see a stop sign they can give thanks for it as a bodhisattva helping them return to the present moment. One conference participant went home and wrote the following letter to Thich Nhat Hanh: "Thay, practicing in Paris was very easy. Not only did I practice with red lights and stop signs, but every time a car stopped in front of me, I saw the eyes of the Buddha blinking at me. I had to smile at those blinking eyes." This is a good example of how meditation opens us to a greater appreciation of the present moment.
