Did the Buddha only teach

techie

meditation on breathing?

Because most of the time I see only anapanasati ... I believe this means awareness of breath? So this is just a question to those who've read a lot of suttas and stuff. Did the Buddha teach other meditation techniques at all?

rohit

Yes, he taught Vippasana. But he was not the first to invent this technique.

BhikkhuJayasara

This depends greatly on what type of suttas you are talking about.

From the Nikayas/Agamas, which are the oldest extant pre sectarian discourses, the Buddha taught that mindfulness of breathing is a basis from which to develop clear sight, seeing things as they truly are (aka vipassana).

Vipassana is not a "technique" in the Nikayas, it is a state of mind which occurs from the practice.

"vipassana(insight)" the word itself is actually not much seen in the Pali, and when it is it is almost always paired with Samatha(serenity) like so :

(11) “Bhikkhus, these two things pertain to true knowledge. 249 What two? Serenity and insight. When serenity is developed, what benefit does one experience? The mind is developed. When the mind is developed, what benefit does one experience? Lust is abandoned. When insight is developed, what benefit does one experience? Wisdom is developed. When wisdom is developed, what benefit does one experience? Ignorance is abandoned. 250 “A mind defiled by lust is not liberated, and wisdom defiled by ignorance is not developed. Thus, bhikkhus, through the fading away of lust there is liberation of mind, and through the fading away of ignorance there is liberation by wisdom.”251

this paragraph from Thanissaro Bhikkhu might be helpful:

So, to answer the question with which we began: Vipassana is not a meditation technique. It's a quality of mind — the ability to see events clearly in the present moment. Although mindfulness is helpful in fostering vipassana, it's not enough for developing vipassana to the point of total release. Other techniques and approaches are needed as well. In particular, vipassana needs to be teamed with samatha — the ability to settle the mind comfortably in the present — so as to master the attainment of strong states of absorption, or jhana. Based on this mastery, samatha and vipassana are then applied to a skillful program of questioning, called appropriate attention, directed at all experience: exploring events not in terms of me/not me, or being/not being, but in terms of the four noble truths. The meditator pursues this program until it leads to a fivefold understanding of all events: in terms of their arising, their passing away, their drawbacks, their allure, and the escape from them. Only then can the mind taste release.

I highly suggest reading the article where this is from, it will clear up a lot - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/onetool.html

DairyLama

@techie said:
meditation on breathing?

Because most of the time I see only anapanasati ... I believe this means awareness of breath? So this is just a question to those who've read a lot of suttas and stuff. Did the Buddha teach other meditation techniques at all?

There are traditionally 40 meditation objects for developing concentration, the breath is the most popular.

lobster

^^. This list has two missing?
http://opcoa.st/PGl9T

Also not sure if Amazon Dharma supplies dead bodies ...

DairyLama

@lobster said:
^^. This list has two missing?
http://opcoa.st/PGl9T

>

They have left off the ice-cream options, which have probably melted.

lobster

I really like @Jayantha answer.
I would suggest most practical systems and traditions all start with familiarisation and focus. 'Right Concentration' in Dharma. What we focus on can be: breath, god realms, Purelands, elements, colours, letters of the alphabet, precious objects such as umbrellas or fish etc.

Focus, which includes the discipline of regular practice may then meld into meditation and the type of breath awareness and every day mindfulness that @Jayantha mentions.

DairyLama

@Jayantha said:> Vipassana is not a "technique" in the Nikayas, it is a state of mind which occurs from the practice.

Yes, samatha and vipassana are qualities of mind to be developed, though people often associate them with methods.

Having said that, the second enlightenment factor is investigation ( dhamma vicaya ) and the fourth frame of Satipatthana includes various strategies for exploring experience.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Enlightenment
And of course there any many suttas on the 3 marks, which are a popular subject for insight practice ( anicca, dukkha and anatta ).

DairyLama

Make your own kasina disc! I have a blue one, which I made from an old cutting board.
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Kasina-Meditation

RuddyDuck9

@SpinyNorman said:
Make your own kasina disc! I have a blue one, which I made from an old cutting board.
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Kasina-Meditation

this practice appears like scrying in the article you have linked. is there a type of buddhist scrying? this is a foreign concept to me. i was right there with the article until the step which depicted the lady staring rudely at a "bird" image.

lobster

In scrying meaning is ascribed to the arising. As every day is auspicious, I have no time for astrology or scaring ourselves with scrying ... Some ignorant monks and magical dharmas offer spookiness by spirit possession, for example the Tibetan theocracy use of State Oracle but hey not every Dharma practice is skilful in all situations ...
http://opcoa.st/PGV8G

Ay caramba. I thought Trumpism was insanity ...

DairyLama

@RuddyDuck9 said:

@SpinyNorman said:
Make your own kasina disc! I have a blue one, which I made from an old cutting board.
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Kasina-Meditation

this practice appears like scrying in the article you have linked. is there a type of buddhist scrying? this is a foreign concept to me. i was right there with the article until the step which depicted the lady staring rudely at a "bird" image.

I didn't get that bit, I never saw chip-stealing sea-gulls. Kasina is basically a samatha practice.

RuddyDuck9

@SpinyNorman She's very serious about her Kasina!!! Thanks for the clarification.

DairyLama

Yeah, that is a weird illustration, it looks like she is projecting a death ray at a parrot.