What do you do in buddist meditation?

Answer 1

There are many types of Buddhist meditation, but the basic approach in all of them is to direct your attention toward something. Often the basic technique is to direct your attention to your breath. When you notice that you are distracted or thinking, you would recognize that and simply return the attention to the breath. The approach would be that thinking is not "bad" but that the practice of meditation is to let yourself be present simply with the breath. Generally you begin by taking a good posture, such as sitting on a cushion cross-legged with a straight back (it may take getting used to, but it should not be painful).

The reason for this practice is to be more present, relax with things as they are, and to feel less controlled by your thoughts and emotions. Thoughts can seem very solid, but we can develop a sense of humor by seeing that thoughts really just come and go like clouds in the sky. That way we can appreciate our existence and those around us without always judging everything based on hopes and fears.

This is the basic approach and reason for most Buddhist meditation techniques.