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Meditation (Hinduism)

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

Absorption; Bhāvanā; Concentration; Contemplation; Dhyāna; Samādhi; Upāsana

Meditation in Hinduism denotes a form of mental or spiritual practice that leads to a transformation of consciousness or identity and to a state of spiritual liberation from the cycle of rebirth. In different paths and traditions, the body may be either utilized in acts of meditation or transcended. The primary terms to denote acts of meditation include dhyāna, samādhi, upāsana, and bhāvanā. The outcomes of meditation can include special knowledge, deep absorption, transcendent awareness, powers, and liberation (mokṣa).

Vedic Meditation

The story of meditation in Hinduism begins with the ṛṣis, the poets or mystic seers of the Vedas. These ṛṣis were first associated with states of ecstatic communication with the divine realm. Within ritual context the ṛṣis entered altered states in which they spoke or revealed the divine word. This connection between truth-producing states of consciousness and special...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), University of London, London, UK

    Karen O’Brien-Kop

Authors
  1. Karen O’Brien-Kop
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Correspondence to Karen O’Brien-Kop .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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O’Brien-Kop, K. (2018). Meditation (Hinduism). In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_592-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_592-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

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