On this blog, I’ll be doing a lot of comparison between ideas expressed in Avatar: the Last Airbender and the meditative practices with which I am familiar. The world of meditation is huge, so I thought this page could serve as a brief explanation of the world of meditation I’m engaging with. This is influenced mostly from Buddhism, specifically Theravada, as well as the Pragmatic Dharma subculture.
This does not present the basics of how to meditate. For that, I’d recommend this booklet or these videos.
The traditional terms used here are in Pali, the language of scripture used by Theravada Buddhists, rather than Sanskrit (or any other language).
Types of meditation
Meditation practices can be broken up into two broad categories, concentration/tranquility practice on the one hand, and insight meditation on ideal. There are ways describe each category, but the boundaries between the two can often be fuzzy and hotly debated. Some traditions, such as Zen, hold no distinction between the two.
Concentration or Tranquility practice — Samatha
Concentration practice is a way of clearing the mind through focus on a single object. Most commonly this is done by focusing on the breath, but other practices include focusing on a mental image, a physical object (known as a kasina), or a mantra, such as in loving-kindness meditation (mettā). The object of meditation is a conceptual object, not the direct sensory experience. Even in the case of meditation on physical phenomena, such as the breath, the single-pointed attention reifies the many sensations into a single physical object. Concentration practice generally feels good, bringing calm and peacefulness. With high degrees of concentration, one is able to enter jhāna, a state of meditative absorption characterized by pleasure and unwavering attention. As refined as one’s mental state may become using concentration meditation, true awakening requires insight meditation.
Insight meditation — Vipassanā
Insight meditation is a way of seeing reality as it really is. By focusing on the bare sensations of reality, including the five senses as well as mental sensations, we can directly grasp the nature of the word around us. In particular, we learn to see how quickly all phenomena arise and pass away, that no phenomenon we experience is our self, and how dissatisfaction inevitably arises from our clinging. The methods for insight meditation vary, but often focus first on physical sensation, such as using body scan techniques or following the breath from the belly. Through insight meditation, aided by training in concentration, one is able to reach awakening.
Noting
“Noting” often refers to the specific type of practice developed and popularized by the 20th century Burmese master Mahasi Sayadaw. It is a form of insight practice in which the practitioner uses a series of one-word mantras to note in their mind their experience moment-to-moment. For example, one when feels an ache, one might night “ache” or “feeling,” saying that word to oneself in one’s head. Sometimes “noting” just refers to being aware of a specific phenomenon, though I will usually use other terms for that, such as “noticing”.
Loving-Kindness — Mettā
Loving-kindness is a popular type of concentration meditation, in which one focuses on and fosters a feeling of love for all sentient beings. One recites a mantra wishing peace, happiness, and well-being, beginning with oneself and expanding to more distant beings. By wishing genuine goodwill for others, one grows happier oneself. Personally, I find loving-kindness meditation to be major life hack, being the form of meditation that most quickly yields results in day-to-day life.
Awakening
Awakening refers to a permanent shift in perception that comes from seeing experience as it really is, resulting in a reduction (or elimination) of suffering. Historically, this has been known in the West as “enlightenment,” but the term “awakening” is growing in favor, due to being less tied up with the Enlightenment Era in Western history, and being a more literal translation of the word bodhi. Naturally, awakening is a controversial topic, and definitions of what constitutes awakening vary immensely. The Theravada tradition maps awakening into four stages. One who has reached the first level of awakening is known as a sotāpanna, or stream enterer, attained after one experiences the state of pure peace, nibbana, if only for the briefest of moments. A point emphasized in many meditative traditions is that awakening is real and attainable. Through dedicated practice, a layperson can awaken, at least attaining stream entry.
Avatar Path 