You sit down to meditate. Two breaths in, you’re replaying an argument from second grade. 🫠
In Episode 48 of Vibe with Venerables, Venerable Thubten Chodron (@sravastiabbey) leads the Higher Training in Concentration by clearing up a common misunderstanding: concentration (samādhi) is not a mystical state reserved for advanced practitioners. We all have it. The work is learning to sustain it. She walks through why ethical conduct has to come first, how to choose a meditation object, and what to do when the mind inevitably wanders off to pizza, politics, and old grudges.
In this episode, learn about:
- Why concentration is only part of the Buddhism path.
- What shamatha (calm abiding) actually is, and why it’s not the same as bliss.
- Why trying to develop concentration before ethical conduct is like starting maths with calculus.
- How to choose a meditation object, such as the breath and a visualized image.
- The five obstacles that hijack every meditation session, and their antidotes.
- The Nine Stages of Sustained Attention, and how to tell if you’re making progress.
Stay for the young man who came to the Abbey demanding bliss, and the alternative he was given instead.🍎
Additional Resources
Book: Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps. The Library of Wisdom and Compassion | Volume 4.
Donation
This series is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to the teaching Venerable, Venerable Chodron, and Sravasti Abbey, you may make a donation to Sravasti Abbey (https://sravastiabbey.org/donation/). We thank you for dāna, the practice of cultivating generosity.
Overview of the Series
Part 1: Higher Training in Ethical Conduct
We start with ethics, and keep coming back to it
Episode 43: Series Overview: Ethics, Concentration and Wisdom
Episode 44: The Five Buddhist Rules That Will Instantly Improve Your Life
Episode 45: Ten Non-Virtues: How Our Actions, Speech, and Thoughts Create Suffering
Episode 46: How to Deal with Anger: Buddhist Ways to Stay Calm
Part 2: Higher Training in Concentration
With a grounded ethical foundation, the monastics guided us into the art of meditation, showing us the prerequisites for deep concentration and how to avoid the trap of “rushing” our practice.
Episode 47: The Higher Training in Concentration Explained
Episode 48: Higher Training in Concentration: Why You Can’t Rush Samadhi
Episode 49: How to Prepare for Meditation: Six Preparatory Practices
Part 3: Higher Training in Wisdom
In the final stretch, we explored the ultimate goal of the path: developing the wisdom that frees us from cyclic existence by understanding the true nature of reality and the self.
Episode 50: The Three Types of Buddhist Wisdom: Hearing, Reflecting, and Meditating
