As concentration and attention increase, the mind becomes clear and balanced. More and more sharply we see how things are changing in each instant, how these are ultimately not a source of lasting happiness, and how the whole mindbody process flows according to certain laws (karma) empty of any permanent self…. These profound insights become clear simply from increasing mindfulness, penetrating awareness of our own process. With these insights wisdom arises, bringing equanimity, loving-kindness and compassion, for in experiencing the emptiness of self we see the unity of all beings.
Jack Kornfield
1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Establish a proper motivation for beginning the session.
2. Bring your attention to either the sensation of breath flow at the tip of your nostrils or your abdomen, as you inhale and exhale naturally.
3. Consciously take a few deep breaths, but do not strain. Simply emphasize the movement in order to clarify the sensations that you are attending to.
4. Now, allow the breath flow to find its own natural rhythm. Allow the body to breathe without interference. Allow the inhalations and exhalations to come and go, effortlessly keeping a keen awareness of the process.
5. Gently and unwaveringly allow your attention to float on the changing rhythms of your in-breath and out-breath. Whenever your attention wanders or becomes diffused—and it quite often will—gently but firmly bring your awareness back to the breath.
Initially, it may be helpful to count your breaths with each exhalation up to ten. When you reach ten, start your count again. If your attention is distracted, or fades out, begin at one again. The aim is not to arrive anywhere but to develop the capacity to be fully present in each moment, one after another.
Don’t be discouraged or disheartened by distractions or mental dullness. This is to be expected. With practice, you will be able to catch the distractions and bring your attention back to the breath. Eventually your concentration will stabilize, and even though distraction will still arise, you will be able to stay unwaveringly upon your object of concentration. You will have developed the capacity to bring a continuum of undistracted, deeply penetrating attention to whatever field of perception or contemplation you choose.
The force of the mind, and its illuminating, penetrating capacity, once it is developed, is similar to the power and coherence of a laser beam compared to the flickering candle of our ordinary distracted states of consciousness. This power and clarity of the finely tuned mind is one of the most useful tools that a human being can develop.
▾▾ When meditation is changed from the breath to awareness of change, the teacher instructs the meditator with a specific formula for beginning the practice of sweeping the attention through the body, part by part, feeling the impermanence of all touch and sensation. As the awareness of impermanence continues, the meditator will see how the power of his concentration and mindfulness can unblock the flow of energy in the body, the sweeping becomes more rapid and more clear. As the body becomes clear for the flow of energy and the impermanence and change of all sensations becomes more apparent, the focus of attention of the meditator moves to the region of the heart. Now mindfulness and concentration on the changing sensations and feelings are so strong that all sensations, even the movement of mind, are experienced as changing, as vibrations. Perception of the whole world, matter and mind, becomes reduced to various levels of vibration in a constant state of change. The meditator continues to apply his understanding and growing skill and applies his penetrating insight to directly experiencing the true nature of existence.
U Ba Khin