Importance of Meditation

Each day, the Dalai Lama wakes up at 3 a.m. to meditate for at least four to five hours. Buddhist monks meditate frequently, but the Dalai Lama takes this practice as serious as a medicine regiment. Over the course of their week together, the Dalai Lama even taught Archbishop Tutu how to meditate, and Abrams was relieved to notice the Dalai Lama scratch his head during the session; "I felt relieved that he was not some sort of austere ascetic who would deny his itches and aches" (178), a tribute to the Dalai Lama's humble and realistic nature. The Dalai Lama practices several different forms of meditation, each with their own distinct focus or goal; these range from death meditation, to analytic meditation, to joy meditation. While it is inherently a Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama praises its proven scientific benefits, meaning it has a universal benefit as well.