..续本文上一页cupations from the mind.

　　2. Make the mind dwell on good preoccupations.

　　3. Gather all good preoccupations into one -- the singleness of meditative absorption (jhana).

　　4. Consider this one preoccupation until you see how it is aniccam, inconstant; dukkham, stressful; and anatta, not yourself or anyone else -- empty and void.

　　5. Let all good and bad preoccupations follow their own nature -- because good and bad dwell together and are equal by nature. Let the mind follow its own nature. Let knowing follow its own nature. Knowing doesn”t arise, and it doesn”t fall away. This is santi-dhamma -- the reality of peace. It knows goodness, but the knowing isn”t goodness, and goodness isn”t the knowing. It knows evil, but the knowing isn”t evil, and evil isn”t the knowing. In other words, knowing isn”t attached to knowledge or to the things known. Its nature is truly elemental -- flawless and pure, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. This is why it”s called asankhata-dhatu: the unfabricated property, a true element.

　　When you can follow these five steps, you”ll find marvels appearing in your heart, the skills and perfections that come from having practiced tranquillity and insight meditation. You”ll obtain the two types of results already mentioned:

　　mundane, providing for your own physical well-being and that of others throughout the world; and

　　transcendent, providing for the well-being of your heart, bringing happiness that is calm, cool, and blooming, leading all the way to Liberation (nibbana) -- free from birth, aging, illness, and death.

　　This has been a brief explanation of the main principles of breath meditation. If you have any questions or encounter any difficulties in putting these principles into practice, and you wish to study directly with someone who teaches along these lines, I will be happy to help you to the best of my ability so that we can all attain the peace and well-being taught by the religion.

　　Most people will find that Method 2, which follows, is easier and more relaxing than Method 1, outlined above.

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　　Method 2

　　There are seven basic steps:

　　1. Start out with three or seven long in-and-out breaths, thinking bud- with the in-breath, and dho with the out. Keep the meditation syllable as long as the breath.

　　2. Be clearly aware of each in-and-out breath.

　　3. Observe the breath as it goes in and out, noticing whether it”s comfortable or uncomfortable, broad or narrow, obstructed or free-flowing, fast or slow, short or long, warm or cool. If the breath doesn”t feel comfortable, adjust it until it does. For instance, if breathing in long and out long is uncomfortable, try breathing in short and out short.

　　As soon as you find that your breathing feels comfortable, let this comfortable breath sensation spread to the different parts of the body. To begin with, inhale the breath sensation at the base of the skull and let it flow all the way down the spine. Then, if you are male, let it spread down your right leg to the sole of your foot, to the ends of your toes, and out into the air. Inhale the breath sensation at the base of the skull again and let it spread down your spine, down your left leg to the ends of your toes, and out into the air. (If you are female, begin with the left side first, because the male and female nervous systems are different.)

　　Then let the breath from the base of the skull spread down over both shoulders, past your elbows and wrists, to the tips of your fingers, and out into the air.

　　Let the breath at the base of the throat spread down the central nerve at the front of the body, past the lungs and liver, all the way down to the bladder and colon.

　　Inhale the breath right at the middle o…

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