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　　12 The intuitive inventor

　　Not long ago one of the leading members of the business community took a break from his work so that he could come up here from Bangkok. As soon as he arrived he came to me and said, "I have come here to ask you to accept me as your meditation disciple. It is said that you teach meditation in a clear and thorough manner. "

　　I asked him, "Sir, what is your occupation

　　"

　　He answered, "I invent things which can be profitably marketed.

　　"Tell me, while thinking about an invention or creation, what happens

　　"

　　He then went on to relate an actual example of the process: "Suppose I want to create a doll. I have to think of how the face should look, how the hair style should be and how the shape of the body should be designed. I then consider these features many, many times. I consider this image backwards and forwards and from all sides until I become drowsy from thought. This is followed by a feeling of dropping off to sleep. During that period which is sleep-like, the mind becomes bright and I can see clearly a model of the very doll I would like to design floating in the air right before me.

　　"Then I continue to consider this doll until I am certain it is the doll I want. After that happens, this state of mind withdraws and I awaken from the daydream. At the time the mind entered into this sleep I would dream the image of a doll hanging suspended in the air. So I would go ahead and construct this doll from the memory of the one in my dream. Afterwards, the dolls were manufactured, marketed, and shipped off to the market where it was a hit with the customers.

　　I responded to this, "Sir, you are already proficient at practising samadhi. You don”t have to come here to find a competent meditation monk. You can just continue developing samadhi by creating dolls. That is the very samadhi practice you want to learn from me.

　　"Now, if you want to enhance your samadhi, you should vow to uphold the 5 precepts. Then your samadhi will incline towards abandoning defilement, attaining virtue and making the heart pure and clean. "

　　13 Developing samadhi with a Meditation Word

　　To practise samadhi with a meditation word means that we recite a meditation word of one sort or another such as Bud-dho, rising-failing, or samma araham. The meditator keeps on reciting the meditation mantra until the heart is at peace. As they practise, the factors which compose jhana are developed. These factors are: vitakka (initial application), vicara (sustained application), piti (rapture or delight), sukha (happiness), ekaggata (one pointedness of mind). As these factors are developed the sense of the body disappears (for the mind is being made calm and tranquil) leaving only the still, bright and peaceful heart. There is no thinking going on.

　　When the heart withdraws from samadhi so that body sensation and thinking returns, one should immediately apply mindfulness (sati) in order to be fully aware of conditions as they are in the moment. Don”t rush off from your sitting place. If you practise in this way, wisdom will arise quickly.

　　If, in this period, you refrain from rushing off, the samadhi will continue to examine the objects of mind as they arise. That is, we can examine the sensations in the mind without thinking about anything at all. Let the heart freely think by itself and do not impose intentional thought.

　　After withdrawing from samadhi thoughts begin to arise and the mind can see these thoughts precisely. If the mind is thinking continuously, be aware of it continuously. Wherever thinking wants to go, let it go freely. When there is thinking, be aware of the thinking as it goes on and on and on. If you feel yourself becoming slig…

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