Visualization Meditation

Visualization Meditation (āloka Kasina and Dhammanusti)  

    First of all, the human being can divide into two parts as a physical body and mind. For example, a computer is divided into two parts-hardware as an external part and software as an internal part, they both work in a relationship that cannot be separated like a physical body and mind as well.

    Nature of the mind easily distracted, hard to keep for a long time in one place or otherwise control. Many times when I studied in bachelor degree in twenty-three years ago, I was listening to the lecture while I thought of my house in my hometown, despite I, did not go anywhere but, I could not hear my lecturer's voice at that time.

    I want to improve the efficiency of my study, and then I was looking for various types of meditation. Eventually, I found one type of meditation that everyone can do anytime and everywhere. I do visualization meditation which combines the practice of meditation with the technique of visualization since that day until now. The steps of essential meditation practice are:

Adjust the body: To sit in the comfort and peace position with the eyes gently closed.

·       Adjust the mind: Keep the feeling relaxed and calm in my mind.

  The mind adjustment in visualization Meditation consists of three techniques as concentrate breath, repeating the mantra, and concentrate a bright object. In each session of meditation, I usually slightly relax my breathing, while I visualize the bright full moon as it appeared in the mirror and repeat a mantra as 'Samma Arahaṃ' at the same time. Sometimes, the picture distracted in mind that solving the problem by visualizing the bright object or the sound distracted in mind that is solving the problem by repeating the mantra. Almost I distracted as a picture and a sound that I concentrate on a bright object and repeat mantra together.

   Mantra repeating is called ‘Parikamma Bhavana, ' which defines the 'Dhamma' or mental development and the person should often develop every day. The mantra as 'Sammā-arahaṃ' that I chose for praying is a Universal mantra that can use by anyone in the world without contradicting any belief. 'Sammā' means righteousness and virtue. 'Arahaṃ’ means being far away from the defilements. Thus, ‘Sammā-Arahaṃ' means doing righteous and virtuous things and being far away from evil thoughts and actions: greed, anger, and delusion. All mentioned about the mantra repeating that can refer to as 'Dhammanusati’ which is in one of forty methods of Buddhist meditation practices in ‘Visuddhimagga’ (Path of Purification).

     A bright object is in visualization meditation as the same as a bright and clear in 'āloka Kasina’ meditation such as the bright full moon, the sparkle of the shining star, even light of lamb on your desk. These bright objects are known as an 'initial mental object' which called 'Parikamma Nimitta’ in Buddhism.

    Gently allow the mind to become to a standstill at the center of the body and do not worry whether it is precisely at the seventh base or not. 'The center of the body' or 'the seventh base' or 'the final base' locate two finger widths higher than the center of the level of the navel, where exists in every person. If balance all three techniques around the center of the body or 'the seventh base' or 'the final base' that the mind is brought to a standstill at this point correctly, a bright 'Pathama Magga’ sphere will arise.

   In conclusion, I feel calm in mind with visualization meditation that combines with ‘āloka Kasina’ and ‘Dhammanusti’ in Buddhism.

Bibliography  

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