Historical Development and Techniques of Dhammakaya Meditation : หน้า 112/115

**Historical Development to present** Phramongkolthepmuni devoted his time from 1916-1959 to teaching Dhammakaya meditation. He ran a meditation workshop from 1935-1959 which was reserved for gifted meditators able to perform Dhammakaya meditation on the Vipassana level - to meditate as a team in shifts, twenty-four hours-a-day, with the brief to use the meditation to research the underlying nature of reality. Since 1959, Dhammakaya meditation has been taught by Phramongkolthepmuni's disciples at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Wat Luang Phaw Sod Dhammakayarama, Ratchaburi Province, and Wat Rajorasaram, Thonburi. Of these, Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Wat Luang Phaw Sod Dhammakayarama have published instructive books on Dhammakaya meditation in English and offer training retreats for the public. **Dhammakaya Meditation on the Samatha Level** As with many forms of Buddhist meditation, Dhammakaya meditation has both samatha and vipassana stages. The goal of Dhammakaya meditation at the samatha level is to overcome the Five Hindrances. When the mind becomes peaceful and stable as the result of successful practice for tranquility, the mind will overcome the Five Hindrances and reach a state of one-pointedness (ekaggata) also known as the 'standstill of the mind' (i.e., to a state where it is free of thought). The indication of reaching this stage is that a bright clear sphere will arise spontaneously at the center of the body. The mind should then be directed continuously at the center of this sphere helping to transport the mind towards the ekalyanamagga path inside. There are several ways of focusing the attention at the center of the body, namely: - Following down through the seven bases of the mind, namely: the nostril, the corner of the eye, the center of the head, the roof of the mouth, the center of the throat, the middle of the stomach at the level of the navel and two finger breadths above the previous point. - Visualizing a mental image at the center of the body: characteristically, a crystal ball [alokasaññā] or a crystal clear Buddha image [buddhânussati] and repetition of the mantra ‘Samma-Araham’ (which means ‘the Buddha who has properly attained to arahanthship’).