Shamatha with Support
Calm abiding meditation using an object of focus.
Shamatha with support uses an external object (like the breath or an image) or internal object (visualization) to develop concentration. This creates the stable foundation needed for insight.
Without the horse of shamatha, vipassana cannot run.
Shamatha is the necessary foundation for all advanced practices.
Various
Written about in
- What Tibetan Buddhism says about habit and discipline
Calm abiding begins with an object — the breath, an image, a visualisation — because a mind handed nothing to hold will wander. The stock image is that insight cannot run without shamatha as its horse: stability is the prerequisite, not the prize.