Who Founded Meditation?

Discover who founded meditation and how they influenced people during their time.

Selfpause Affirmation App

Download the app to get 1,000’s of affirmation meditations and everything you need to write, record and listen to your own.

If you’re wondering who founded meditation, you’re not alone. There are a number of famous people who have influenced the practice. These include Confucius, Lao-Tze, Dosho, and Siddhartha. However, which one is the most influential? There’s no right answer to this question, but there are some common themes that link these figures.

Lao-Tze

Lao-Tze

The practice of meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Buddhist texts often mention various forms of meditation, and Buddhism itself seeks to spread these practices to the general public. Lao-Tze is also known as the Old Teacher and Lao-Tzu. Although many people today associate meditation with the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao-Tze himself did not develop it. He was merely one of many enlightened teachers who spread the value of meditation.

In the fifth century B.C.E., Laozi’s sayings made their way into Chinese philosophical discourse. While it’s hard to tell when they entered writing, archaeological evidence suggests that they were originally transmitted orally. The writings may also reflect later interpolations. This means that the original author of the Laozi may not have lived in the fifth century B.C.E. However, there is no way of knowing for sure if Laozi was a single person.

Lao-Tze was also the founder of the Taoist religion. This philosophy originated in China, and Lao-Tze’s work, the Tao-te-Ching, is considered an exemplar of Taoist philosophy. It contains many references to meditation, as well as the concept of wisdom gained through silence. Lao-Tze’s ideas about meditation have influenced countless Westerners since then.

Lao-Tze had an extensive library of writings at his disposal and synthesized them into his own style. His influence spanned the globe during his lifetime. In fact, he may have been the Buddha’s direct mentor. His colorful narratives about his life and his experiences have enriched the canon of Taoism.

Dosho

Dosho

The practice of meditation first became popular in the East in the early 8th century, and Japanese monk Dosho founded the first meditation room in Japan. The practice of meditation later spread throughout Asia, and Dosho was credited as the founder of Zen Buddhism. During the 12th century, it became an integral part of Islamic mysticism, with practitioners repeating sacred words and breathing deeply to achieve a state of meditation.

Dosho studied Buddhism under the great master Hsuan Tsang in the 7th century. He then founded a meditation hall in Japan to spread the form of sitting meditation known as zazen. This practice was subsequently adopted by generations of Japanese nuns and monks. The practice has spread worldwide.

The practice was initially associated with hippie culture but shifted to mainstream status in the 1990s when it merged with science. The practice is now known as Transcendental Meditation. The practice has become popular with the Beatles, who have called it a “drugless high.” Mia Farrow, a divorcee, embraced the practice after being divorced.

Research on meditation showed that it changed people’s biochemical and physical states. This changed the way people viewed meditation and led to further research. Its benefits in reducing anxiety, reducing stress, and enhancing cognitive functioning have been studied by scientists.

Confucius

Confucius

Practicing meditation is a good way to increase concentration, develop compassion, and develop insight. It also develops peace of mind. Regardless of your goals, practicing meditation can help you achieve them. The benefits of meditation are numerous, and there are many styles of meditation. There are even some that are practiced during the process of daily life.

Confucius’s teachings on virtue and meditation were based on his understanding of the moral qualities that distinguish superior men from inferior ones. He stressed that a superior person must be tranquil and have good character. He also emphasized the importance of the study of the arts and sciences. Confucius was concerned with maintaining society’s harmony and preventing social upheaval.

Confucius was born in Shandong province and was known by his family name Kung. The name was derived from the Chinese word for “master” and means “master Kung.” He married at age 19, worked as a temple clerk, and learned the rituals of elders. He later served as a police commissioner and an imperial ambassador to a peace conference.

The practice of meditation has a long history in China. There are references to it in the ancient texts Zhuangzi and the Neiye. Though no one can be sure of its exact origins, several cultures and religions reference meditative-like practices.

Siddharta

Siddharta

The Buddhist philosophy of meditation dates back to the first millennium BCE when Siddharta Gautama first achieved Enlightenment. His teachings on meditation soon spread throughout Asia, including the West. Later on, the practice of meditation gained worldwide popularity, and its forms and styles have been practiced ever since.

Siddhartha’s life was dramatically changed by an experience he had at a young age. He devoted himself to enlightenment and became a powerful religious leader. Although he had been able to travel to many countries, he continued to study with religious leaders. Eventually, he met an Indian ascetic, who encouraged him to live an extreme life.

According to Siddhartha’s story, he practiced meditation for six years. During this time, he believed that freedom meant denying pleasure. Therefore, he underwent extreme austerity in northern India for six years. During this period, he suffered great physical and mental exhaustion, but eventually, he accepted nourishment. Ultimately, Siddhartha changed the way humans seek enlightenment.

Siddhartha’s visions of the world influenced his understanding of meditation. During this time, he witnessed the suffering of the ill and old. He was also shocked by the sight of a dead corpse. His visions triggered his search for truth, and he became an ascetic.

Johannes Schultz

Johannes Schultz

Meditation is a practice that helps people learn how to relax and improve their quality of life. It is based on the theory that through passive concentration one can influence the autonomic nervous system to balance both mind and body. This can lead to increased health and vitality and prevent premature aging. It can also help people clear negative thought patterns and use their full potential.

Johannes Schultz was a German psychiatrist who developed a self-help technique for deep relaxation. He found that autogenic training (also known as autogenic training) can help people reach a deeply relaxed state. This technique can be used for treating stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other problems.

In the mid-1970s, meditation became mainstream medicine, particularly in the United States. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist at Harvard Medical School, published The Relaxation Response, which detailed the benefits of transcendental meditation. He found that individuals with high blood pressure could reduce it in a matter of weeks when practicing meditation regularly. Several years later, Herbert Benson’s research helped make meditation more widely available.

Meditation is a spiritual practice that helps people to achieve a higher state of awareness and reduce their stress. It has influenced various cultures and religions around the world. It has also been used to improve performance in academic, business, and sports settings.




Herbert Benson

Herbert Benson

Herbert Benson is the founder of meditation, the Mind/Body Medical Institute, and the author of many books and research papers. He is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He developed a technique for meditation that induces the body to experience a “relaxation response.”

In 1981, Dr. Benson went to India to study the practice. While there, he studied the vital signs of senior monks who practiced tummo, a type of meditative exercise. Western medicine believed that this physiological response was an involuntary reaction to cold air. He believed that these physiological changes could be controlled with the mind, and thus, continued to research the technique.

Meditation can help individuals overcome stress and anxiety. It works by altering the activity of genes in the body. During periods of stress, these genes become active, but during times of relaxation, they are turned off. These changes are reflected in the way individuals respond to stressful situations. Meditation is a method of relaxing and reducing stress through repeated actions.

Herbert Benson’s breakthrough research reveals that meditation techniques can reduce blood pressure and reduce stress levels. These changes are associated with the relaxation response, which is opposite to the “fight or flight” response. He and his research team have demonstrated that meditation can even alter the DNA.

Our Top FAQ's

The practice of meditation has a long history and can be traced back to ancient spiritual traditions, so it is difficult to identify a single person as the founder of meditation. In some traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, the practice of meditation is an integral part of the religious philosophy and is seen as a means of attaining spiritual enlightenment or self-realization. In other traditions, such as Taoism and various spiritual practices from the Eastern and Western world, meditation is seen as a way of calming the mind and achieving a state of inner peace and tranquility.

The origins of the practice of meditation can be traced back to ancient spiritual traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. In the Hindu tradition, meditation is considered one of the six astika or “orthodox” schools of Hindu philosophy, and is believed to have originated with the ancient sage Patanjali. In the Buddhist tradition, meditation is seen as a key practice for achieving enlightenment and is often associated with the teachings of the Buddha.

Over time, the practice of meditation has evolved and taken on many different forms, with different traditions and schools of thought placing a unique emphasis on different aspects of the practice. In some traditions, such as Zen Buddhism, the focus is on achieving a state of “no-mind” or emptiness, while in other traditions, such as Hinduism and Yoga, the focus is on cultivating concentration and control over the mind. Despite these differences, the core principles of meditation remain largely the same across traditions, with a focus on achieving a state of inner calm and mindfulness.

The principles and beliefs associated with the practice of meditation vary across different traditions and schools of thought. In general, however, meditation is seen as a means of attaining greater awareness, insight, and understanding of one’s own mind and the world around us. This is often achieved through the cultivation of concentration, mindfulness, and other mental states that allow the practitioner to quiet the mind and connect with their inner self. In some traditions, meditation is also seen as a way of achieving spiritual enlightenment or self-realization, by transcending the ego and the limitations of the material world.

The benefits or goals of practicing meditation are numerous and varied, and depend on the individual and their specific goals or motivations for practicing. Some common benefits of meditation include increased focus and concentration, reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood and overall well-being, and increased self-awareness and insight. Additionally, some practitioners of meditation believe that the practice can help to cultivate a sense of inner peace and calm, and can provide a sense of connection to one’s own inner self and to a higher spiritual power.