The word "Buddha" does not refer to just one specific person. "Buddha" means awakened, and as a designation, it is used to describe a stage of spiritual achievement attainable by all of us. It was Siddhartha Gautama in 5th century BCE India who, after long-term practice, preached the path that explains the causes of life's suffering as well as the way to liberation from them. In the figure of Siddhartha, therefore, we recognize a historical and awakened teacher.

While meditation plays a fundamental role in the philosophical path he taught, what exactly is meditation? Is it a kind of relaxation—as most perceive it—or perhaps a practice for restructuring inner coherence that results in increased awareness and self-awareness?

Today, there are many different forms of meditation practice. But what is that practice which the Buddha himself taught centuries ago? The answer lies in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, one of the oldest texts of Theravada Buddhism, where the method is analyzed step by step, along with the results it produces...

This traditional text—translated and commented on in his new study by psychologist and author Ioannis Ampatzidis—introduces us to the concept of mindfulness, explains the art of self-observation, and analyzes the elements of enlightenment in Eastern thought, as well as the mental benefits that meditation brings, as demonstrated by the Buddha. The traditional practice of meditation, through the original texts of Buddhism.