This study examines traditional drumming from the point of view of practicing meditation, and suggests 'Drum Meditation' as a new applied meditation method combined with a culture that can be enjoyed by many in the Buddhist tradition to examine its healing principles and practices. Since four foundation of mindfulness meditation practice targets all phenomena that occur in our body and mind, all movements and feelings related to drumming, various thoughts, and psychological phenomena accordingly can also be interpreted from the ideological perspective.
Modern people who are exposed to various stresses such as frustrations, repression of emotions, anger, anxiety, and alienation in a rapidly changing society, have interested various kinds of healing such as well-being, therapies, and also communications with others. 'Drum Meditation' is a program developed to enhance modern people's inner power to overcome such psychological factors and overcome oneself. Because drumbeat have similar characteristics to heartbeats, people respond sensitively to it's sound and rhythm. The drum is an instrument that has both the healing effects of 'sound', 'beating' and 'rhythm'. In particular, the Korean traditional drum used in Drum meditation is a large one, has a large resonant plate. Accordingly the vibration and sound resonate to the body and heart and double the healing effect. And the sound expressed through the direct beating the drum leads to an encounter with one's own deep inner side, leading to the effect of self-purification. Drumming also stimulate cardiac movements to facilitate blood circulation. Being in front of the drum, holding the sticks in both hands and hitting it from top to bottom is effective for the whole body exercise, and it has the effect of relieving the stress and preventing various adult diseases and heart diseases.
Drum meditation is a meditation that observe the mind with attention by using the drum as a tool to match body movements and sound, accordingly, calm your inner emotions and calmly observe that everything is arising and passing away on condition. Through this awareness, we can control our body and mind, and we can reach the point of free and calm liberation by knowing and disappearing the causes of anguish, delusions, and stress. This is self-purification and practice through the cultural activities of drumming, and it can be said to be in line with the status of Nirvana that can be achieved through Buddhist practice.
The drum meditation that combines teaching of four foundation of mindfulness, a Buddhist meditation practice, which lead people to happiness, and the traditional Korean drum give not only spiritual healing but also the effect of whole body exercise to people who is insufficient of exercise now a days. It is a program that many people can enjoy together with maintain Buddhism's medition tradition, the four foundation of mindfulness. The drum meditation is an effective way to move from dynamic meditation to static meditation naturally. And also, it is a practical method that allows newcomers to meditation to enter the world of Buddhism's meditation pleasantly and naturally.