Welcome to this deck on Buddhist meditation. Meditation is one of the most important practices in Buddhism, and the AQA specification requires you to know three distinct types: Samatha, Vipassana, and visualisation. These are not just different techniques — they have different aims, different methods, and they belong to different parts of the Buddhist path. By the end of this deck you will be able to define each type clearly, explain how and why Buddhists practise them, and use this knowledge to build strong exam answers. The distinction between Samatha and Vipassana is particularly important because it comes up frequently in exam questions, so we will spend time making sure you can explain both with precision.

Let us begin with Samatha meditation. The word Samatha comes from Pali and means calm or tranquillity. It is sometimes translated as concentration meditation, because its central aim is to train the mind to focus on a single object until the mind becomes completely still and undistracted. Think of the ordinary untrained mind as a pool of water constantly disturbed by ripples. Samatha meditation aims to let those ripples settle until the water is perfectly clear and still. When the mind reaches this state of deep calm, Buddhists believe it becomes capable of seeing things as they truly are. Samatha is part of the samadhi, or meditation, section of the Noble Eightfold Path, and it corresponds to right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. It is foundational to Buddhist practice across all traditions.

The most widely practised method of Samatha meditation is called anapanasati, which means mindfulness of breathing in Pali. The meditator sits in a stable, upright posture and directs their full attention to the breath — often to the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils, or to the rise and fall of the abdomen. Whenever the mind wanders, which it will do constantly at first, the meditator gently and without frustration brings attention back to the breath. Over time, through repeated practice, the mind becomes less and less distracted. The breath is used as the object of concentration because it is always present, it is natural, and it anchors the mind in the present moment. Anapanasati is described in the Pali Canon and is one of the oldest documented meditation practices in Buddhism. It is practised by Theravada Buddhists in particular, though it is found across many traditions.