10 A Technique of MeditationNOW WE ARE GOING TO TAKE a slightly different approach to the “sweeping” method of meditation. The results, too, can be different, and we shall discuss that later. First, concentrate on the breath, becoming aware of the feeling at the nostrils. Stay with that for a few moments.
Now transfer your full attention to the top of the head, to an area the size of a large coin. Become aware of any sensation, any feeling in that small area: pressure, warmth, pounding, movement, stillness, hardness, softness, contraction—any of those sensations, or any other. Then use your mind like a slowly opening fan, starting at the top of the head, slowly covering the top of the skull until you reach the crown of the head. Become aware of each particular spot until you have that whole area in your awareness, knowing sensations, knowing the feelings. It may be on the skin or under the skin, deeply within or on the surface. It may be sensations or emotions. Whatever you notice, know it fully, area after area, until the whole of the top of the skull is within your awareness.
Fix your attention on the crown of the head, on an area the size of a large coin. Try to penetrate into the feelings, the sensations, becoming one with that area. Then use your mind like a slowly opening fan. Starting at the crown of the head, gently move down the back of the head until you reach the base of the skull, becoming aware of each region, until the whole area is in your awareness.
Now move your attention to the left side of the head. Gently open up the awareness from the top of the skull, down the left side of the head, as far as the jaw line; from the hairline in front to behind the left ear, use your mind like a slowly opening fan, knowing each area and then keeping the whole area in your awareness. Know the feelings, the sensations. Be totally one-pointed, becoming one with the sensations or feelings.
Now transfer your attention to the right side of the head. Starting with the top of the skull, gently open up like a slowly opening fan, down the right side of the head to the jaw line, from the hairline in front to behind the right ear. Know each spot, and then be aware of the whole of that area.
Now try to become aware of the top of the head, the back of the head, and the right and left sides simultaneously, or as much of the head as you can.
Starting at the hairline above the forehead, gently open up your awareness down the whole of the face, as far as the chin and the jaw line, becoming aware of each region, until the whole area of the face is in your awareness. Know the feeling; know the sensation.
Try to become aware of the whole of the head, including the face, or as much of it as possible.
Now put your attention on the throat and the back of the neck simultaneously, or one after the other, holding on to the awareness of both. Gently open up from the jaw line and from the base of the skull, down the throat, down the back of the neck, to where they join the trunk, knowing each area, then knowing the whole. Be aware of the areas simultaneously, or one after the other, then hold on to the awareness of both.
Now concentrate on the left shoulder. Starting at the neck, gently open up the awareness like a slowly opening fan along the top of the left shoulder to where the arm joins, knowing each section and then knowing the whole, knowing the sensation, knowing feeling. Tickling, tingling, heaviness, lightness, worry, fear, transparency, movement, stillness—whatever may arise. Start at the left shoulder at the top of the left arm and gently open up your awareness down to the left elbow; open up like a slowly opening fan, all around the left upper arm. Know each area, then know the whole. Be one-pointed, try to be one with the area, with the sensation.
Starting at the left elbow, gently open up your awareness like a slowly opening fan, down the left lower arm to the wrist, all around, knowing each section and then knowing the whole area.
Now become aware of the left shoulder and the whole of the left arm as far as the wrist, or as much of these as possible, from the neck to the wrist.
Now become aware of the back and the palm of the left hand, either simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to the awareness of both.
Fix your attention at the base of the five fingers of the left hand. Slowly move along the fingers to their tips. Keep your attention on the five tips, and make a mind movement out from the tips into the room.
Put your attention on the right shoulder. Starting at the neck, gradually open up awareness like a slowly opening fan to cover the whole of the right shoulder to where the arm joins. Know each section and then know the whole, one-pointedly becoming one with the area, and then with the sensation or the feeling.
Start at the top of the right upper arm. Slowly open up your awareness as far as the right elbow; know the sensation, know the feeling. First be aware of each section, then the whole.
Start at the right elbow. Gently open up the awareness, down the right lower arm as far as the wrist, all around, section after section, then know the whole, awareness and sensation being one.
Now become aware of the right shoulder and the whole of the right arm as far as the wrist, or as much of that as possible, from the neck to the wrist. Concentrate on the back and the palm of the right hand, simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to awareness of both.
Move your attention to the base of the five fingers of the right hand. Slowly move along the fingers to their tips. Keep your attention on the five tips, and make a mind movement out from the tips into the room.
Turn your attention to the front of the trunk. Starting at the shoulders, gently open up your awareness like a slowly opening fan as far as the waist, becoming aware of each section, and then knowing the whole of the area, knowing the sensation, the feeling. Tingly, light, painful, pleasant, warm, solid, transparent—any of these, or any others.
Starting at the waist in front, gently open up your awareness down the lower part of the trunk to the groin, knowing each area, and then being aware of the whole, becoming one with the sensation, with the feeling, being one-pointed.
Put your attention on the whole of the front of the trunk, from the shoulders to the groin, all at once, or taking in as much of it as possible. Know the feeling, know the sensation.
Now move your attention to the back. Starting at the shoulders, gently open up the awareness as far as the waist. Become aware of each area, and then know the whole.
Starting at the waist at the back, gently open up your awareness down to the buttocks, as far as where the legs join; know each area, then know the whole.
Now become aware of the whole of the back, starting from the shoulders to where the legs join, or as much of all that as possible.
Become aware of the whole of the trunk, from shoulders to groin, from shoulders to buttocks, front and back, complete as a whole, or as much of it as you can. Know the sensation, know the feeling.
Now include both arms with the front and the back of the trunk.
Place your attention on the left thigh. Starting from the groin, gently open up your awareness as far as the left knee, knowing area after area until the whole of the left thigh comes into your awareness.
Starting at the left knee, gently open up your awareness down the left lower leg as far as the ankle, section by section, until the whole area comes within your attention. Know the feelings and the sensations one-pointedly.
Now become aware of the whole of the left leg from the groin to the ankle, or as much of that as possible.
Move your attention to the sole and the upper part of the left foot, simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to the awareness of both.
Fix your attention on the base of the five toes of the left foot; slowly move along the toes to their tips. Put your full attention on the five tips, and make a mind movement out from the tips into the room.
Move your attention to the right thigh. Starting at the groin, gently open up your awareness, down and around the right thigh as far as the right knee; know each area and then know the whole, one-pointedly, at one with the sensation.
Starting at the right knee, gently open up your awareness, down the right lower leg as far as the ankle, becoming aware of each section, and then knowing the whole.
Become aware of the whole of the right leg from groin to ankle, or as much of the area as possible.
Put your attention on the sole and the top of the right foot, simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to the awareness of both, knowing the sensation.
Turn your attention to the base of the five toes of the right foot. Slowly move along the toes to their tips. Keep your attention on the five tips, and make a mind movement out from the tips into the room.
Now become aware of both legs from groin to ankle, simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to awareness of both.
Concentrate on the soles and the tops of both feet, simultaneously or one after the other, holding on to awareness of both, becoming one with the sensation.
Move your attention to the base of all ten toes. Slowly move along the toes to their tips.
Put your attention on the ten tips, and make a mind movement out from the tips into the room.
Now come back to the whole of your body and try to become aware from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, or as much of the whole as possible, including as many areas as you can. Become one with the sensation, awareness and sensation being one.
Place your attention at the base of the ten toes. Slowly move along the toes to the tips. Put your attention on the ten tips, and make a mind movement out into the room.
The first method was called “part by part.” This one is called “full sweep.” Each serves a different function. The first is geared to gaining insight, to becoming aware of one’s reactions, to the recognition of impermanence and corelessness. This second method is directed toward calm. It doesn’t work for everybody, but it is designed for that purpose. It often serves as an entry into meditative absorptions.
Whoever was able to have pleasant feelings in the body can use these feelings as the subject of meditation. One doesn’t necessarily have to go through the whole of the body as we have just done, but the moment the pleasant feeling arises in the body, these sensations become the subject of meditation. That constitutes the initial step toward the first meditative absorption, being one aspect of it. It is, of course, much easier to become absorbed in something pleasant than in a rather neutral feeling, so this enables a meditator to bring sustained application to the subject of meditation. Then all five factors of the first meditative absorption become possible.
It doesn’t matter whether the whole body or just parts of it are filled with the pleasant feeling, because it is the sensation that matters as the subject of meditation. When it is absolutely clear that this kind of sensation is something you want to keep your attention on, then it will lead into the first absorption. It is one of the methods available, one of the keys to open the door. This method doesn’t open the door for everyone, but it certainly does, in a fairly simple way, for quite a few people.
If the pleasant feeling arises before you have gone even halfway through the body, that’s fine. There is no need to continue the “sweeping,” but instead use the feeling as the subject of meditation.
QUESTIONS
STUDENT: What part does visualization play in this?
AYYA KHEMA: It plays a part only if you have to use it to arouse feelings. Visualization is not part of this method. This is the second foundation of mindfulness, which is strictly concerned with feelings. If feelings only arise when you visualize the part of the body you are concentrating on, then just remember that visualization itself is not enough; feelings are the primary object.
S: I found myself being able to feel the various parts, but then I tended to visualize them too. Sometimes I came to a part that was irritated or painful. I was sort of looking right into the middle of the dark. I wasn’t trying to do that, but it kept happening anyway.
AK: As long as you have feelings, then the visualization is fine.
S: Are you saying that visualization will help to get to the feeling?
AK: Some people need to visualize. It is not part of the practice, but sometimes it is necessary as a crutch. If so, one must not leave it at the visual stage, but attend to feelings and sensations.
S: I kind of felt the body looking at the body.
AK: The body cannot look at the body.
S: The mind is a part of the body, and it was looking at the body, and there was another that was looking at both of them.
AK: The mind was looking at the body, and the mind was watching the mind…that’s quite possible, but it is not the aim of meditation and doesn’t lead to calm or insight.
S: When I do this practice, I am concerned that I cover all the body parts. Would you say that that is not so important?
AK: To be perfect is the prerogative of the enlightened. Let’s just relax and do the best we can. Whatever part you miss on one occasion, you will cover the next time.
S: If I am using this method daily, do I do it once or twice?
AK: You can do “part by part” once a day and the “full sweep” also once a day. You can use a little imagination, and practice in whatever way works best for you. Some people combine the two methods.
Before starting, concentrate on the breath for just a moment.
Think of yourself as your own mother and your own child. We all have a child within us and also a mother. Think of yourself as the mother who loves her child with all its faults and all its difficulties; the mother who loves and protects, cares, and who with wisdom shows the right way. Look at yourself in that way. Embrace yourself with motherly love.
Think of the person sitting nearest you as if he or she were your own child. Extend the love of a mother to that person with care and concern, and embrace that person with motherly love.
Extend that same love to everyone present. Imagine they are all your children and you care deeply for them, are truly concerned. You wish to help them grow. Embrace everyone with motherly love.
Now think of your parents as if they were your children, reversing the roles. You are the mother; love them with all their difficulties, help them, care for them.
Think of those people who are nearest and dearest to you as your children. Fill them with your love, with your care and concern, and embrace them with this total love.
Think of your friends as being your children, so that you can fill them and surround them with the love of a mother, caring and concerned, wishing to help.
Think of anyone whom you find difficult to love, and consider that person as your own child. Children are often difficult. Think of yourself as the mother of that person, and see how the difficulties become negligible, or even dissolve. Extend your love and your compassion to that person, embracing him or her with your motherly love.
Think of people you meet in daily life—in the shops, on the street, while traveling. Think of them as your children, and extend the same motherly love to all of them, opening up your heart so that it may become wide and accepting, so spacious that there is room for all these people.
Now open up your heart even wider, as wide as possible—without barriers, without limits—and let this motherly love flow out from it to as many beings as possible, near and far, embracing all of them, filling them with your care and concern, wishing to help, hoping for their wellbeing.
Turn your attention back to yourself. Embrace yourself as your own mother. Accept all the existing childish difficulties with a loving heart, with a smile, and fill yourself from head to toe with the joy and contentment that arise from loving and giving.
May all beings feel love in their hearts.