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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

meditate [meditation]

sgom pa/ 

p. bsgoms/  f. bsgom/  imp. sgoms/ 

Biblical: to contemplate, consider, think about: nyin mtshan med par sgom zhig meditate on [the Law] day and night (Jos. 1:8), khyed nyid kyi byams thugs nged cags gis sgom par byed/  we meditate on your unfailing love (Ps. 48:9), khyed kyi phyags las kun la sgom bya zhing /,,khyed kyi mdzad pa rnams ngas bsam blo gtong /  I will meditate on all your works and consider your mighty deeds (Ps. 77:12).

Buddhist: Several types of mental activity are important in Bst. practice: chos mthar phyin pa byed pa la thos bsam sgom gsum ga gal chen po red/  for perfecting the [practice of] religion, learning, reflection, and meditation are important (TRC 164). Meditation is of two basic types: zhi gnas kyi phyogs sgom pa/  placement or "calm abiding" meditation, intended to pacify or settle the mind on one point; and lhag mthong gi phyogs sgom pa/  or insight meditation (TRC 185). Within these types are analytic meditation or dpyad sgom/  and fixative meditation or 'jog sgom/  . Analytic meditation investigates its object, while fixative meditation concentrates the mind on a single object without conceptual thought (TRC 187) and is thus farthest from the Biblical concept of meditation.

Cognates: 1) sgom pa/  meditation: nga'i kha'i zhu gleng dang ni snying gis sgom pa de/,,khyed kyi spyan gi drung du thugs su 'bab par shog may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight (Ps. 19:14); 2) sgom spang /  delusion (TRI 58).