Why Should One Meditate?

Everybody in life seeks happiness and peace. In search of happiness many times people fall into sufferings only because they do not have the clarity of the right path. The life realities like old age, sickness, death keep on in constant fear and anxiety. Struggle for existence creates stress and impatience. The relationships within the family or with the society many times create deep depressions and problems. How to come out of these day to day situations?

The supremely Enlightened Buddha, having realized the true nature of the world in its entirety and also having found out the path of release from all kinds of suffering of samsara ( the cycle of birth and death,stress,tension,fear,worry,anger,hatred,greed, etc..) taught the Dhamma to the world out of his infinite compassion. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path form the sum and substance of the teaching given by the Supreme Buddha. When a person fully understands these things by direct knowledge, then that person transcends the level of worldly beings (Puthujjana) and becomes a Noble One (Ariya),who has directly experienced the Nibbana.

To reach this level, there is a step-by-step clear guideline laid down by the Buddha himself,which a sincere practitioner must follow. The steps are: Sila (Morality), Samadhi (Meditation) and finally Panya (Wisdom). When a person, after having established himself/ herself in the moral conduct, practises meditation with the support of mindfulness, then the wisdom about the real nature of world automatically springs up in the heart and he/she quickly make progress towards liberation. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for a follower of the Buddha to practise meditation, as taught by the Supremely Enlightened one.

Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru, founded and developed by the Most Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita Bada Bhanteji, is engaged for last 64 years in imparting the noble teachings of the Buddha to one and all. It has undertaken many activities to propagate the Dhamma to the maximum numbers of people, both in India and abroad. One of its ventures is the Mahabodhi Meditation Center at Dhammaduta Buddha Vihara, a place for moral and spiritual training, situated in the outskirts of Bengaluru. Besides learning meditation, the practitioners will also get the opportunity to learn the basics of Dhamma.

This is a great opportunity for all Dhamma practitioners to come and meditate in this ideal place and make progress towards liberation. You will learn and gain the following from this retreat.

Correct knowledge of the Life of the Buddha.
The fundamental teaching of the Buddha.
The different techniques of meditation taught by the Buddha.
Ways of practicing Dhamma in daily life for peaceful living.
To overcome negativities like depression, anger, worry, tension, greed, stress, bad behaviour and relationships, etc and develop noble qualities in the mind like love, compassion, patience, understanding, forgiving, relaxation, harmony, joy and open heartedness.
Harmonious living within the family and with the society.
Dealing with one’s own mind and developing it towards wisdom.
Liberating the mind ultimately from all bondages.