Devotees gathered at NEO Centre Johor Bahru for the weekly Wednesday Meditation and listening to Ven. Gavesi.

On Wednesday 23 September, devotees gathered at NEO Centre Johor Bahru for the weekly Wednesday Meditation, where Ven. Gavesi gave a Dhamma teaching on the practice of meditation.

Ven. Gavesi explained the two main types of meditation — Samatha and Vipassanā. Samatha develops calmness, tranquillity and concentration, while Vipassanā develops insight by observing the body and mind as they truly are, leading to wisdom and ultimately liberation from suffering.

Members of NEO Centre Johor Bahru welcomed Ven. Gavesi.

Everyone listening to Ven. Gavesi with respect.

Central to both practices is mindfulness (sati). Ven. Gavesi emphasised that mindfulness must be clear, alert and sustained. Without strong mindfulness, practitioners may drift into thinking or imagination, become attached to peaceful experiences, or mistake them for progress.

In Vipassanā, practitioners should learn to observe without getting involved. When anger arises, for example, we observe the anger itself instead of becoming caught up in the reasons or stories behind it. Likewise, in mettā meditation, we should observe whether genuine goodwill is truly present rather than merely repeating phrases.

Ven. Gavesi reminded devotees that meditation is a gradual training of the mind which requires proper guidance, patience, consistency and determination. With mindfulness as our foundation, we can cultivate not only a calmer mind, but also greater clarity, insight and wisdom.