Dhammakaya Meditation - Dhammakaya Meditation On The Samatha Level

Dhammakaya Meditation On The Samatha Level

As with many forms of Buddhist meditation Dhammakaya meditation has both samatha and vipassana stages. The goal of Dhammakaya meditation at the samatha level is to overcome the Five hindrances. When the mind becomes peaceful and stable as the result of successful practice for tranquillity, the mind will overcome the Five Hindrances and reach a state of one-pointedness (ekaggata) also known in Dhammakaya Meditation as the 'standstill of the mind' (i.e. to a state where it is free of thought). The indication of reaching this stage is that a bright clear sphere will arise spontaneously at the centre of the body. The mind should then be directed continuously at the centre of this sphere helping to transport the mind towards the ekalyânamagga path inside. attainment at the level of vipassana arises. There are several ways of focussing the attention at the centre of the body, namely:

• following down through the seven bases of the mind, namely: the nostril, the corner of the eye, the centre of the head, the roof of the mouth, the centre of the throat, the middle of the stomach at the level of the navel and two finger breadths above the previous point.
• visualising a mental image at the centre of the body: characteristically, a crystal ball or a crystal clear Buddha image and repetition of the mantra ‘Samma-Araham’ (which means ‘the Buddha who has properly attained to arahantship’).
• placing the attention at the centre of the body without visualising

When one visualizes the mental object continuously, the mental object will gradually change in nature in accordance with the increasing subtlety of mind according to the following sequence:

• Preparatory image : the meditator perceives a vague, partial or undetailed version of the image they have imagined. Such a mental object indicates that the mind is in a state of preparatory concentration where it is still only momentarily.
• Acquired image : this is where the meditator is able to perceive the image they have imagined with 100% of the clarity and vividness of the external image it is based on.
• Counter image : once the mind comes even closer to a standstill, so that it is no longer distracted by external things or thoughts, but is captivated by the image at the centre of the body, the image will change to be one which the meditator can expand or contract at will. The image will change from an image that is coloured to one which is transparent. The acquired image and the counter image, both indicate a state of mind on the threshold of the first absorption (see jhana in Theravada). This threshold state is called ‘neighbourhood concentration’ and indicates that the mind has become unified or one-pointed.

Although the meditator may start out with as many as forty different paths of practice, once the Hindrances are overcome, all methods converge into a single path of mental progress, which leads into meditation at the Vipassana level.