Meditation

This is one of the richest fields of making merit. There are two  types of meditations, namely, Tranquility (samatha), i.e. concentration (samadhi), and Insight (vipassana), i.e. wisdom (pañña). One can develop Tranquility first and then Insight, or use mindfulness out of which also grows Insight.

Both types have, as the goal, the experience of Insight and the growth of wisdom. One meditates to calm the grosser mental defilements and develop the mind in such a way that it gains real wisdom, which is not the result of mere book learning. It is the wisdom with which realization of Nibbana is possible. 

If at the least, for instance, one meditates upon his generosity or upon his virtue (sila), on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by greed, hatred and delusion; his mind gains rectitude. So when he has suppressed the mental hindrances (nivaraõa), the jhana factors arise and he can reach up to access concentration (upacara-samadhi). He experiences thus much happiness and gladness. And if he penetrates no higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.

Tranquility or concentration bestows hence a threefold blessing: favourable rebirth, present happy life and purity of mind which are the preconditions of Insight by purifying the mind from the five mental hindrances (nivaraõa) to spiritual progress; whilst Insight produces the four supramundane stages and deliverances of mind so that one can see things according to reality. As the Buddha said:

"He who is mentally concentrated, sees things according to reality."

The good intention that arises in one who meditates, for example, upon the in- and outbreath or upon Kasiõa etc. and attains jhanas by the path of Tranquility Meditation, or the good intention in one who meditates upon the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind and other sense and mental objects as impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and not-self (anatta) by the path of Insight Meditation – all such intentions or volitions are the way of making merit in meditation.