Part 4 - Practical Aspect

Next, we have the fourth aspect, i.e. the practical aspect of Buddhism. We must practise meditation so that we can deliver ourselves from defilements and, as a result, attain the cessation of all kinds of suffering. Here, we practise two kinds of meditation which make up the practical aspect of Buddhism - one to enable us to attain deep concentration, and the other to enable us to attain the cessation of suffering through the realization of mentality and physicality in their true nature. The Buddha stressed the second type of meditation - Vipassana meditation. When we practise Vipassana meditation, we have to follow the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, the discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. If we apply mindfulness to all our mind body processes, we are sure to attain the cessation of suffering. The Buddha described the four Foundations of Mindfulness when he gave the discourse on Maha Satipatthana Sutta in Kuru province.