Assume the seven-point posture.
- Feet – crossed, knees down. ½ lotus if
easy; may sit higher on cushions
- Spine – straight; coccyx straight down, most
important
- Upper Trunk – lifted, open and slightly
back; swan
- Tongue – to roof of mouth, jaw relaxed
- Neck - tilted slightly forward, head/jaw tucked
back ‘at attention’
- Hands – in equipoise, left hand on bottom,
thumb tips touching; elbow “wings” back
- Eyes – unfocused, directed toward tip of
nose, 45o, raise if sleepy, lower if agitated
(Can tuck in blankets; use your
intelligence to obtain body like a mountain, spine like an arrow.)
Focus
clearly on the meditation object:
Three-point object:
·
rising breath
·
falling breath
·
posture
|
Seven-point object:
·
start of in-breath
·
duration of in
·
end of in
·
start of out-breath
·
duration of out
·
end of out
·
posture
|
Do not manipulate breath. Steer mind back to the
object.
All
appearances are empty - mere constructs emanating from the mind; they are not real.
Now
switch from the event perspective to the mind perspective—
Become aware of and concentrate on the mind
that is observing the stream of events.
Use intelligence to find the
“edge” between intensifying and easing up.
The self is
empty - Quickly search for the self’s ‘staying entity.’
Nothing is found; the ‘self’
recedes.
There
is no time – The in-breath is already here, the out-breath stays here.
There is no past or future, just a slight
motion.
Cease all
arbitrary mental activity – including specific meditative activities.
Do not conceptualize, cut off elaboration,
neither follow the past nor anticipate the future.
Allow awareness to manifest itself freshly on each
discrete mind-moment as it arises and seal it as empty.
Extend your
awareness to the vast background Dharmakaya.
Seal
everything as empty upon arising, aware of the simultaneity
of
- the mind’s relative activity, and
- the absolute, ever-present mind (Dharmakaya,
ground-of-being, love).