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his life. He knew that when the mind is agitated, it cannot find peace. So, he rose to a new level of tolerance and began to let go of the pain, detaching himself from the suffering. Suddenly his mind became still and firmly established at the very centre of his body. He perceived a bright clear shining sphere of Dhamma. The size of the sphere of Dhamma was equal to the yolk of an egg. The experience which filled his whole body was one of inexplicable bliss which rinsed away all the agony. At that moment he heard the sound of the eleven o'clock drum. That morning his midday meal had a special flavour which he had never tasted before — the flavour of spiritual success. This experience in meditation which had arisen in his awareness uplifted his whole existence. He thought: "Even as I am sitting here and eating, I cannot avoid concentrating my attention at the very centre of this sphere of Dhamma. Indeed, it is wonderful to observe the stability and security of this sphere of Dhamma. And what brightness too! Even the brightness of the sun is inferior! The light of the sun is as a firefly compared to the huge torchlight brightness of this sphere of Dhamma!" While he was eating he could not avoid smiling at the overwhelming sense of well-being that derived from this bliss. He was reminded of a saying of the Buddha: "Natthi santi paraṃ sukhaṃ" [There is no higher happiness than peace itself]. He thought further about the height of this achievement, realizing that for him this was just the beginning... 43