Meditation is a state of consciousness, thus to reach it one must recognize what consciousness is, what qualities and powers it has, how it works, and then put it into motion.
Topics include:
Consciousness as:
- The state of being conscious; knowledge of one’s own existence, condition, sensations, mental operations, acts, etc.
- Immediate knowledge or perception of the presence of any object, state, or sensation.
- An alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation.
Basic Powers of Consciousness:
- Awareness: Broad spatial perception
- Attention: Focused specific perception
- Mindfulness: Recognized continuity
- Visualization: Non-physical imagery
Degrees of Consciousness:
- Awake vs. Asleep
- Conditioned vs. Unconditioned
States of Consciousness:
- Nous: Perfect
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Dianoia: Regenerating
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Pistis: Common
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Eikasia: Degenerated
Suffering (Dukha):
- Suffering of suffering: pain, birth, illness, growing old, and dying
- Suffering of change: the anxiety or stress of trying to hold on to things that are constantly changing
- Suffering of conditioned existence: unsatisfactoriness, caused by mistaken perception of “self”
Exercises
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Every day, develop your Self-observation from moment to moment. At the end of each day, reflect on how you did.
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Every day, do this preliminary meditation exercise. Adopt a relaxed, upright posture. Carefully relax all three brains (body, heart, intellect). Then visualize a brilliant sun in the center of your brain. No matter what distracts you, return to concentrating on the visualization of the brilliant sun. Do this for 30-60 minutes every day.
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