Hinduism and Meditation
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation April 4, 2019 Gavin Flood 1 citation
Meditation in Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions often involves visual contemplation of a subtle body with a vertical axis, along which different levels of experience correspond to levels of the cosmos. Practitioners aim to awaken power rising through these levels to achieve liberation, pleasure, or power. This visualization supports the soul leaving the body at death, while some traditions emphasize non-visual pure awareness. The essay examines these practices in major Hindu tantric traditions focused on Śiva, with references to Goddess, Viṣṇu, and Buddhist traditions, noting their influence on later Yoga and modern Western transformations.