The idea that, contrary to popular belief, this form of meditation actively uses the intellect and logical reasoning as the primary tool for spiritual liberation, rather than seeking to silence the mind.

In this episode of our podcast, we explore the profound practice of analytical meditation within Tibetan Buddhism. This podcast delves into a method that challenges the common perception of meditation as simply quieting the mind. We discuss how analytical meditation, or ché gom, intentionally uses the intellect as a tool for liberation. The episode explains the essential partnership between calm-abiding meditation (śamatha), which creates mental stability, and analytical insight (vipaśyanā), which uses that stability to investigate the nature of reality. This podcast outlines how practitioners apply rigorous, step-by-step reasoning to deconstruct fundamental concepts such as the nature of the self (anātman), the interconnectedness of all phenomena (dependent origination), and the ultimate nature of reality (emptiness, or śūnyatā). We also touch upon the contributions of key historical figures like Nāgārjuna and Je Tsongkhapa, who refined this practice into a systematic path. The ultimate goal, as this episode explains, is to use the conceptual mind to methodically dismantle its own delusions, leading to a direct, non-conceptual wisdom that lies beyond thought.