The Explainer The Secret to Real Meditation 01/08/2025

The text presents a dialogue between a **Master** and a **Disciple** about **Dhyana**, or **meditation**, provided by the Australian Buddhist Practice Association. **Master Bennie** explains that Dhyana is not about thinking of nothing, but rather a profound understanding of **body and mind** as obstacles, as described in the **Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment**. The Master emphasizes that recognizing the **body and mind** as hindrances is a crucial first step to achieving a state of **tranquility** (khinh an), also known as **first dhyana**. The exchange also clarifies concepts such as **Sojna-varana** (the obstruction of knowledge) and **Klesa-varana** (the obstruction of defilements, such as greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt), which are barriers that prevent sentient beings from achieving the **wisdom and virtues of the Tathagata**. To overcome these obstacles, practitioners need to observe and clearly understand the origin and nature of the **body and mind**, thereby eliminating them and progressing toward **great compassion and tranquility** (Đại bi khinh an).