Meditation Techniques for Calm and Clarity : หน้า 108/115

way, until you feel as if your whole body seems to be filled with tiny particles of goodness; 3. *Sit for meditation, relaxing body and mind:* Sit in the half-lotus position, upright with your back and spine straight — cross-legged with your right leg over the left one. Your hands should rest palms-up on your lap, and the tip of your right index finger should touch your left thumb. Try to find a position of pose for yourself. Don’t take up a position where you have to force or stress yourself unnaturally — but at the same time, don’t slouch! Softly close your eyes as if you were falling asleep. Don’t squeeze your eyes shut and make sure you have no tension across your eyebrows. Relax every part of your body, beginning with the muscles of your face, then relax your face, neck shoulders, arms, chest, trunk and legs. Make sure there are no signs of tension on your forehead or across your shoulders. Focus on the task in hand, creating a feeling of ease in your mind. Feel that you are entering upon a supreme state of calm and ease with both body and mind. 4. *Imagine a crystal ball as the object of your meditation:* Imagine a clear, bright, flawless crystal ball as if it is floating at the center of your body (see seventh base of the mind in the illustration). The crystal ball should be pure and soothing, like twinkling starlight to the eye. At the same time, softly repeat the sound of the mantra ‘Samma-Araham’ to yourself as ‘recollection of the Buddha’ over and over again. Alternatively you can start by imagining the crystal ball at the first base of the mind, and gradually move it down to the seventh base via the other six bases (see diagram) while repeating the mantra to yourself. Once the crystal ball becomes visible at the center of the body, continue to maintain a feeling of ease, as if the mental object seen is part of that feeling. If the crystal ball should disappear, don’t feel disappointed — just keep the same feeling of ease in your mind as before, and imagine a new crystal ball in place of the old. If the mental object should appear anywhere else other than the center of the body, gradually lead the object to the center of the body, without using even the slightest of force. When the mental object has come to a standstill at the center of the body, place the attention at the center of that object, by imagining that there is an additional tiny star visible there. Focus your mind continuously on the tiny star at the center of the object of meditation. The mind will adjust itself until it comes to a perfect standstill. At that point, the mind will fall through the center and there will be a new brighter sphere which arises in place of the original one. This new sphere is known as the ‘Pathama-magga sphere’ or ‘Sphere of Primary Path’. This sphere is the gateway or trailhead to the pathway to Nirvana.