..续本文上一页 in pairs. First think bud- with the in-breath, dho with the out, ten times. Then begin again, thinking buddho with the in-breath, buddho with the out, seven times. Then begin again: As the breath goes in and out once, think buddho once, five times. Then begin again: As the breath goes in and out once, think buddho three times. Do this for three in-and-out breaths.

　　Now you can stop counting the breaths, and simply think bud- with the in-breath and dho with the out. Let the breath be relaxed and natural. Keep your mind perfectly still, focused on the breath as it comes in and out of the nostrils. When the breath goes out, don”t send the mind out after it. When the breath comes in, don”t let the mind follow it in. Let your awareness be broad, cheerful, and open. Don”t force the mind too much. Relax. Pretend that you”re breathing out in the wide open air. Keep the mind still, like a post at the edge of the sea. When the water rises, the post doesn”t rise with it; when the water ebbs, the post doesn”t sink.

　　When you”ve reached this level of stillness, you can stop thinking buddho. Simply be aware of the feeling of the breath.

　　Then slowly bring your attention inward, focusing it on the various aspects of the breath -- the important aspects that can give rise to intuitive powers of various kinds: clairvoyance, clairaudience, the ability to know the minds of others, the ability to remember previous lives, the ability to know where different people and animals are reborn after death, and knowledge of the various elements or potentials that are connected with, and can be of use to, the body. These elements come from the bases of the breath. The First Base: Center the mind on the tip of the nose and then slowly move it to the middle of the forehead, The Second Base. Keep your awareness broad. Let the mind rest for a moment at the forehead and then bring it back to the nose. Keep moving it back and forth between the nose and the forehead -- like a person climbing up and down a mountain -- seven times. Then let it settle at the forehead. Don”t let it go back to the nose.

　　From here, let it move to The Third Base, the middle of the top of the head, and let it settle there for a moment. Keep your awareness broad. Inhale the breath at that spot, let it spread throughout the head for a moment, and then return the mind to the middle of the forehead. Move the mind back and forth between the forehead and the top of the head seven times, finally letting it rest on the top of the head.

　　Then bring it into The Fourth Base, the middle of the brain. Let it be still for a moment and then bring it back out to the top of the head. Keep moving it back and forth between these two spots, finally letting it settle in the middle of the brain. Keep your awareness broad. Let the refined breath in the brain spread to the lower parts of the body.

　　When you reach this point you may find that the breath starts giving rise to various signs (nimitta), such as seeing or feeling hot, cold, or tingling sensations in the head. You may see a pale, murky vapor or your own skull. Even so, don”t let yourself be affected by whatever appears. If you don”t want the nimitta to appear, breathe deep and long, down into the heart, and it will immediately go away.

　　When you see that a nimitta has appeared, mindfully focus your awareness on it -- but be sure to focus on only one at a time, choosing whichever one is most comfortable. Once you”ve got hold of it, expand it so that it”s as large as your head. The bright white nimitta is useful to the body and mind: It”s a pure breath that can cleanse the blood in the body, reducing or eliminating feelings of physical pain.

　　When you have this white light as large as the head, bring it down to The Fifth Base, the center of the che…

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