Śamatha (Calm Abiding)

This is a modern, pragmatic take on the Elephant Path practice of śamatha (calm abiding) as taught in The Mind Illuminated (2015).

About the tradition

This system of meditation describes progressive stages of meditative development, from the very beginning of establishing the practice all the way through to effortlessly stable attention, unification of mind, and tranquility. These teachings are drawn from Indo-Tibetan teachings of Asanga and Kamalaśīla, adapted for modern audiences by using practical, plain language.

What can attendees expect?

This series of guided meditations will progressively explore the stages of śamatha (calm abiding) practice. In this meditation technique, participants will develop stable attention on the breath and bright, open awareness. This detailed, practical approach will help practitioners to cultivate the qualities of calm abiding through developing an understanding of how attention works, the method used to train attention, and how to use stable attention to reach states of tranquility.

About the teacher

Kynan Tan

Kynan Tan is a Sydney-based meditation teacher who takes a collaborative and student-centered approach to help students find consistency and motivation, overcome obstacles, and explore the path of meditation. He started a consistent meditation practice after a period of difficulty and poor mental health and found the benefits of the practice to be transformative.

Kynan is passionate about articulating the teachings in a way that makes them approachable and engaging for modern practitioners. He brings his experience as an artist, musician, and programmer into sharing Dharma teachings in a way that is clear, practical, and creative. Kynan has a PhD in Media Art from the University of New South Wales. Kynan is authorised to teach by Dr Tucker Peck, a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher.

Further resources