1. The sitting posture which has been found most effective for attaining tranquility quickly, is the half-lotus position. This position (with some practice) allows you to sit still for a long time without aches or pain. Rest your right leg on the left one, with your back erect. Your hands should rest palms-upward on your lap. The tip of your right index finger should be in gentle
contact with the tip of your left thumb. This hand position serves as an alarm: if you should suddenly get drowsy, finger and thumb will push together, warning you to avoid falling into a mindless slumber! If the half-lotus position is really to uncomfortable for you, it is better to choose another more comfortable position. The important thing is to make sure, whatever position that you adopt, that your back is straight and that your body is relaxed without feeling sleepy.

2. Keep your consciousness steady and softly close your eyes. Relax every part of your body, beginning with the muscles of your face. Then relax the muscles of your neck, your shoulders, and your arms-right down to the tips of your fingers. Relax your chest, your abdomen and your legs-right down to the tips of your toes. Make sure all parts of your body are relaxed.

3. Feel as if you are sitting alone in the world, and the air around your body is made-up of tiny particles of happiness and joy. Slowly inhale into your body a full and gentle breath. As you breath-in, feel that you are breathing-in those tiny particles of happiness and joy. Feel that inside your body, there is just an empty space, with no muscles, no organs, no tissues. Feel that
the breath is filling your body with happiness and joy. As you breath-out, feel that the out-breath is carrying away all troubles, all worries, all thoughts. Inside your body is just an empty space filled with happiness and joy. Relax your mind from every thought and continue to maintain this state for as long as you can. With your eyes closed, you will find that your mind travels from one idea to another, and when it wanders, the ideas upon which the mind dwells, will influence the feelings, the emotions
and the state of happiness in the mind. Meditation means the way by which we take control of our mind to stop our thoughts from wandering. The basis of all methods of meditation is to concentrate the mind upon a single object of a single idea and it is the inherent qualities of this object or idea that will lead you to success in meditation. We will use a crystal ball as an object of meditation because it has the inherent qualities of brightness and clarity, and will encourage the mind to be bright and clear too. Simultaneously, to keep the mind flowing towards a state of happiness and calm, we repeat in our mind the word "Samma-Araham" which means the "righteous Absolute of Attainment which a human being can achieve".

4. Open your eyes slowly. Look carefully at a crystal ball. Notice the shape, the purity, the clarity and the brightness of the crystal ball as if you are taking a photograph of it into the deepest part of your mind. Then close your eyes again and relax.

5. Slowly visualize the crystal ball floating in front of your face. If you have no crystal ball available, you can visualize instead, the bright, clear image of the full moon, floating in front of your face. Reduce the size of the crystal ball (or full moon disc) until its size is equal to the tip of your little finger. Imagine that the crystal ball is floating in front of your nostril, the right nostril for
men, and the left one for women.

6. Visualize that the crystal ball moves inside your nostril. It moves along inside your nostril. and when it reaches the bridge of your nose it stops still, suspended in silence. Make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" as you repeat it three times in your mind.

7. Now, slowly move the crystal ball backwards until it arrives at the point in the very center of your head. Here, the crystal ball stops still, suspended in silence. Make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" as you repeat it three times in your mind.

8. Now slowly, the crystal ball is floating downwards until it reaches the back part of the roof of your mouth. Here, the crystal ball pauses. Make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" three times, a soothing sound that seems to come from the very center of your body.

9. Now, slowly move the crystal ball further downwards until it reaches the central part of your throat. Again, the crystal ball pauses in silence. Make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Again, listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" three times.

10. Now, slowly move the crystal ball deep down into your body. It floats slowly and gently downwards, like a bubble, deeper into your throat, deeper into your chest, deeper into your body. In the central part of your body, you imagine two lines. The first one runs from your navel directly through your back. The second line runs from the right side to the left side. The two
lines intersect at a point no larger than the eye of a needle. The crystal ball moves downwards until the point of intersection is at the center of the crystal ball. Make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Again, you listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" three times.

11. Move the crystal ball upwards a distance equal to two finger breadths, to a point called the very "center of the body". We will not move the crystal ball any where else. Allow it to remain here in calm and peace. Constantly observe the clarity, purity and brightness of the crystal ball. Always make the crystal ball as bright as you can and as clear as you can. Listen to the sound of "Samma-Araham" over and over again, as if the sound is coming from deep in the center of the crystal ball. The
crystal ball will become brighter and brighter, clearer and clearer until it is as if you see it with your own eyes. At this stage you will soon find the crystal ball sparkling and shining like a diamond. This stage is called "Pathama magga" (the Initial Path). At this stage, the mind is firmly established on the shining crystal ball, which in turn is firmly seated at the center of the body. You will touch upon happiness. After continuously paying attention at the center of the crystal ball, it will give way into a succession of increasingly pure bodily sheaths, until it reaches the Ultimate One, called "Dhammakaya"; the highest level of supreme happiness forever and ever.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java.