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Buddhist meditation is a family of techniques, not one practice, and the two best known branches do different jobs. Samatha steadies the mind on a single object. Vipassana examines experience as it changes. Most instruction starts with the breath because it serves both.
The main techniques and what each one asks of you
| Practice | Object of attention | Purpose as taught |
|---|---|---|
| Anapanasati | The breath at the nostrils or abdomen | Collect and steady attention |
| Vipassana | Whatever arises, moment by moment | See change, and the nature of experience |
| Metta | Repeated phrases of goodwill | Cultivate kindness toward self and others |
| Body scan | Sensation swept through the body | Ground attention in physical experience |
| Walking meditation | The soles of the feet, step by step | Sustain practice while moving |
| Shikantaza | Open awareness, no chosen object | Sitting itself, in the Zen framing |
How a breath session is usually taught
- Take a posture you can hold. Cross legged on a cushion, kneeling on a bench, or a chair with feet flat. Spine upright, hands resting.
- Lower the gaze or close the eyes. Zen instruction often keeps eyes half open toward the floor; Theravada instruction usually closes them.
- Find the breath somewhere specific. The rim of the nostrils, or the rise and fall of the abdomen. Pick one spot and stay there.
- Count if it helps. One on the out breath, up to ten, then start again. Losing count is normal and is not a failure.
- Note the wandering. When you notice the mind has left, that noticing is the moment the practice actually happens. Return without commentary.
- End deliberately. Open the eyes, take a moment before standing, carry the attention into the next thing you do.
Where the schools genuinely differ
Lumping all of this together as Buddhist meditation hides real differences in method and emphasis.
- Theravada. Emphasizes the breath, the body, and insight into impermanence, often with detailed staged instruction.
- Zen. Centers on zazen. Some lineages work with koans, questions that cannot be resolved by ordinary reasoning; others practice just sitting.
- Tibetan traditions. Include analytic meditation, visualization of figures and mandalas, and mantra recitation alongside calm abiding.
- Pure Land. Centers on recitation of a buddha’s name rather than silent attention work.
Getting started without a teacher, and when to find one
Short daily breath practice is widely considered safe to begin on your own, and free guided recordings from established centers are easy to find. Where teachers matter is in longer retreats, in koan work, and in the Tibetan visualization practices, all of which are traditionally transmitted in person rather than learned from text.
One expectation worth adjusting early. The aim is not a blank mind or a pleasant state. In the instructions, a session full of distraction that you kept returning from is doing the work exactly as designed.
