Master of Buddhism: lesson 6 (assignment)

1.      What do you think is the ultimate goal of meditation? Is it enlightenment, or something more personal? I think meditation serves various purposes ranging from religious/spiritual (as is the case with the quest for enlightenment) to purely practical (stress reduction, etc.). Thus, the ultimate goal of meditation depends on the individual meditator. 2.      What are some of the misconceptions westerners might have about meditation? In the West, meditation is sometimes wrongly associated strictly with certain religions -- e.g. that one must be a Buddhist to meditate. Another common misconception is that meditation can only be done sitting in a certain posture -- while maybe even chanting mantras.