Exploring Buddhist Mantra Meditation And Tm: What's The Difference?

Buddhist meditation and Transcendental Meditation (TM) are two distinct practices with different goals and techniques. Buddhist meditation, which includes Zen meditation and mindfulness meditation, often involves active awareness of the mind and refocusing one's attention on the present moment. It can be learned through books, informal classes, or clinical programs. On the other hand, TM is a passive and relaxing process that uses a mantra to help the mind transcend thought. TM instruction is provided by certified teachers and involves a standardised seven-step course over six days. While TM has a set of specific mantras assigned by teachers, mantra meditation allows practitioners to create their own. TM is practised for 20 minutes twice per day, and its goal is to reach a state of relaxed awareness and higher consciousness.

TM is a passive process, while Buddhist meditation is active

TM, or Transcendental Meditation, is a passive process that involves no concentration, control, or training. It is counter-productive to try to force the mind to go somewhere it already wants to go naturally. TM allows the mind to transcend surface-level thinking and move towards silence, the source of thought. It is a wakeful hypometabolic physiologic state.

TM is based on the ancient Vedic tradition and utilises a mantra assigned by a teacher. The mantra is a vehicle that allows the individual's attention to travel naturally to a less active, quieter style of mental functioning. The mantra is repeated with "gentle effortlessness" and without any special yoga position. The technique is practised for 20 minutes twice per day while sitting comfortably with closed eyes.

On the other hand, Buddhist meditation is an active process. It involves active awareness of the mind as it wanders and repeatedly refocuses the awareness on the present moment. The work of mindfulness meditation is to reclaim the mind, always bringing it back when the meditator notices that it has wandered. This process is more active than TM, which allows the mind to roam freely.

Buddhist meditation includes mindfulness-based techniques, where all experiences are allowed to pass through awareness without manipulation or control. The mind is trained to return to the present moment by using an object, breath, or body as an anchor.

TM uses a mantra assigned by a teacher, Buddhist meditation may use a mantra but this is not always the case

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a technique that uses a private mantra and is practised for 20 minutes twice per day while sitting comfortably with closed eyes. TM instruction encourages students to be not alarmed by random thoughts which arise and to easily return to the mantra once aware of them. The mantra is chosen by the teacher and is based on the student's personal interview, age and gender. TM teachers caution their students not to be alarmed by random thoughts and to "attend" to the mantra.

Buddhist meditation may use a mantra but this is not always the case. Mantra meditation, which encompasses TM, involves repeating a phrase throughout the meditation practice. In mantra meditation, the meditator is free to create their own mantra. This can be “continually repeating a chosen word, phrase or set of syllables”. The mantra is usually short, making it easy to remember and repeat. The mantra is the object of concentration during the meditation and is said repeatedly. It is used as a tool to help the meditator override linguistic thought and stay focused on the practice.

TM is taught exclusively by certified teachers, Buddhist meditation can be learned through reading, attending classes or clinical programs

TM, or Transcendental Meditation, is taught exclusively by certified teachers. The training and knowledge imparted to these teachers are kept private. The TM technique is taught in a standardised seven-step course over six days. The course includes private and group instruction, with the first day being a one-hour "introductory lecture" intended to prepare the student for subsequent steps. The second day is a 45-minute "preparatory lecture", and the third day is a ten-minute personal interview with the teacher. The fourth day is when the student receives their mantra and begins to meditate. The final two days are "teaching sessions" to verify the correctness of the practice and provide further instruction.

On the other hand, Buddhist meditation can be learned through reading a book or attending an informal or community-run meditation class. It can also be learned through participation in a clinical program, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

TM instruction encourages students not to be alarmed by random thoughts and to easily return to the mantra once aware of them. The mantra is said to be a vehicle that allows the individual's attention to travel naturally to a less active, quieter style of mental functioning. TM teachers caution their students not to be alarmed by random thoughts and to "attend" to the mantra.

Buddhist meditation, specifically Zen meditation, focuses on discipline and attention control for the achievement of a specific state of mind. It originates from Zen Buddhism and aims to help practitioners understand the world differently. In Zen meditation, the practitioner learns to regulate their attention and dismiss all thoughts to clear their mind.

TM is a form of dhyan meditation, Buddhist meditation includes many types of meditation

TM, or Transcendental Meditation, is a form of dhyan meditation that uses a mantra. Dhyan Buddhists left India a thousand years ago, and their practice eventually became known as Zen Buddhism. TM is a standardised and simplified form of dhyan meditation, taught as a secular method by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s.

Buddhist meditation includes many types of meditation, including Zen meditation, which originates from Zen Buddhism. Zen meditation has the purpose of helping practitioners understand the world differently, with a focus on strict discipline and attention control.

TM is a passive and relaxing process, where a mantra is used to help the mind transcend thought itself. In contrast, Zen meditation is an active process, where all thoughts are dismissed, and the mind is cleared.

TM is taught exclusively by certified teachers, while Zen meditation can be learned through reading a book, attending an informal class, or through clinical programs.

TM is a simple, non-concentrative practice, Buddhist meditation may involve concentration

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a passive and relaxing process that does not require concentration. During TM, a mantra is used as a vehicle to guide the mind towards subtler regions of thought, eventually transcending thought itself and entering a state of transcendental consciousness. The process is simple and effortless, and the mantra is chosen by a certified teacher based on the student's personal characteristics. The mantra is repeated gently and effortlessly, without any attempt to control or train the mind.

On the other hand, Buddhist meditation may involve concentration techniques. While there are various types of Buddhist meditation, some practices, such as Zen meditation, require strict discipline and attention control to achieve a specific state of mind. In Zen meditation, the practitioner aims to eliminate all thoughts and clear the mind, which requires sustained effort and concentration. Other forms of Buddhist meditation, such as mindfulness meditation, involve actively bringing the mind back to the present moment when it wanders. This process of reclaiming the wandering mind and cultivating present-moment awareness can be considered a form of concentration.

TM, therefore, differs from Buddhist meditation in that it is a simple, non-concentrative practice. While Buddhist meditation may involve various techniques, including concentration and mindfulness, TM is primarily a form of automatic self-transcending that allows the mind to go beyond surface-level thinking without any effort or control.

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