This compendium of 23 papers, presented at the 6th Biennial International Conference, organized by K. J. Somaiya Centre for Buddhist Studies, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, attempts to examine the different aspects of Buddhist meditation. It explores how the Theravada school of Buddhism has little formal divisions within it, apart from monastic fraternities with slightly different traditions, and yet there are significant differences with regard to intellectual approach and practice.

Discussing the textual sources of the Vipassana meditation, it deals with the Mahasi Sayadaw method of Vipassana meditation, the Buddhist meditation practice based on the blessing discource, Vipassana in Burma, and meditation in Thailand. It also describes the Sarvastivada doctrine of adhimukti, mental illness in Buddhist perspective, the meditation practice in the mendicant sect, the contribution of Kumarajiva to the transmission and development of Madhyamika philosophy of China, the Tiantai meditation system, and Santideva’s theory of meditation.