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Samatha (Pāli) or śamatha[note 1] (Sanskrit: शमथ; Chinese: 止 zhǐ) is one of two qualities of mind[1] which is developed (bhāvanā) in Buddhist meditation, the other being vipassana (insight). Samatha is the quality of tranquility of the mind, or mind-calmness. Tranquility of the mind is achieved by practicing single-pointed meditation. This includes a variety of mind-calming techniques, the most commonly used method being mindfulness of breathing. Samatha is common to many Buddhist traditions.
Etymology
The semantic field of Tibetan shi and Sanskrit shama is “pacification”, “the slowing or cooling down”, “rest”.[2] The semantic field of Tibetan né is “to abide or remain” and this is cognate or equivalent with the final syllable of the Sanskrit, thā.[3]
The Tibetan term for samatha is shyiné (Wylie: zhi-gnas). According to Jamgon Kongtrul, the terms refer to “peace” and “pacification” of the mind and the thoughts.[4]