Meditation is mental culture

The word ‘meditation’ is a very poor substitute for the original term ‘bhavana,’ which means ‘culture’ or ‘development’ — that is, mental culture or mental development. Buddhist bhavana, properly speaking, is mental culture in the full sense of the word. It is aimed at cleansing the mind of impurities and disturbances such as envy, hatred, ill-will, indolence, anxiety and worry, skeptical doubt, and at cultivating such qualities as concentration, awareness, intelligence, will, energy, analytical ability, confidence, joy, tranquility — leading, ultimately, to the attainment of the highest wisdom, which sees the nature of things as they are, and realizes the Ultimate Truth, Nirvana.

“What the Buddha Taught” Walpola Rahula