The Moon
intense use of the mind. It is unfortunate that this very
active mind practice has itself come under the general
label of meditation here in the West.
Sitting and Looking
Having pointed this out, it may be helpful to clarify and
describe what it is that the Tibetan Buddhists (and other
groups, also) do, when they sit down on their cushions.
In general, if you ask them what they are doing on their
cushions, the answer will be that they are "practicing",
or that they are "sitting". Indeed, this is what takes place.
They sit and observe.
There are many Tibetan words for the different kinds of
mind practice that are possible, while in the West we
have just the one word: meditation. What, then, is mind
practice?
The most important difference between mind practice
(sitting practice) and meditation as it is understood in