Meditation in Vajrayāna functions as the primary vehicle for transformation and the realization of Buddhahood, and it does so through distinctly tantric means. Rather than focusing solely on the gradual removal of defilements, it trains practitioners to recognize and stabilize the mind’s innate enlightened nature and to identify with awakened qualities from the outset. This is expressed especially through deity yoga, in which one visualizes oneself as a Buddha and the environment as a pure realm, thereby transforming ordinary perception into pure vision. In this way, meditation does not merely calm the mind; it reshapes the very way experience is understood, dissolving the sense of a fixed, ordinary self and world.

A characteristic feature of this path is the integration of method and wisdom within meditative practice. Visualization of deities, mantra recitation, mudrā, and subtle-body techniques are all employed as compassionate means, while contemplation on emptiness and the nature of mind embodies wisdom. These two aspects are not cultivated separately but are united in a single meditative experience, where appearance and emptiness are held together. Guru yoga further deepens this process by meditating on the teacher as inseparable from the Buddha, allowing blessings and realization to be internalized through devotion and insight.

Vajrayāna meditation also works directly with the subtle body, especially in completion-stage practices that engage channels, winds, and drops. By skillfully working with these subtle energies, meditation is said to purify deep karmic imprints and reveal the clear light nature of mind. This approach reflects a distinctive orientation: emotions and desires are not simply rejected, but transformed into wisdom and compassion through specific tantric methods. In this sense, meditation becomes a comprehensive technology of transformation, addressing body, speech, and mind together.

Because of this integrated and intensive approach, meditation in Vajrayāna is regarded as an accelerated path. With proper initiation, vows, and guidance, these practices are held to condense what might otherwise require many lifetimes into a single life. Moreover, the scope of meditation is not confined to formal sessions; through mantra, visualization, and sustained pure perception, all activities—speaking, walking, working, eating—can be suffused with meditative awareness. The ultimate aim is a continuous realization in which every moment of experience is recognized as the dynamic play of emptiness and appearance, already bearing the mark of awakening.