Meditation: The only introduction you’ll ever need. Christina Feldman

more thoughts than before we began to practise. It is more likely we are simply becoming aware of the relentless nature of thought, produced by the mind untrained in attentiveness. Distractedness is a habit of the mind – we are gently learning to disentangle, training the mind in simplicity and clarity. The moment you notice that your attention has wandered away is a moment of returning to attentiveness. Don’t judge or become frustrated with your wandering, simply anchor your attention once more 26 in your meditation subject and begin again. Learning to be attentive you need the patience of a child learning to walk.

      CONCENTRATION WITH VISUAL SUBJECTS

      A candle flame, a shape, a symbolic object, a mandala or a colour can all serve equally well as a focus for developing attention. The concentration cultivated in relationship to these subjects may serve as a foundation for other devotional and visualization practices later on in the path but initially the objective is to develop a sustained and steady attentiveness. We are integrating our mind and body with the subject of our meditation through sustained attention.

      An example of a mandala

      Settle yourself in a relaxed and alert posture then place your chosen visual meditation subject just in front of you and bring your eyes to rest upon it. Gently settle your gaze and allow your mind and body to relax. Don’t let your eyes wander around the room but simply fasten your attention upon the object in front of you. Whatever thoughts or bodily sensations arise, give them minimal attention – simply let them flow through you and pass away. As you begin to feel connected with your visual subject, let your eyes close and sustain the visual impression of your subject in your mind. In the beginning you may only be able to do this for a few moments before the visual impression becomes vague or lost. When this happens open your eyes once more and bring your gaze to rest again upon the object in front of you. You may need to do this many times before you find you are able to retain the visual impression of your subject within your mind for longer periods.

      As the concentration deepens you will find it less necessary to revert to the external visual connection with your subject as its image becomes more clearly imprinted upon your consciousness in an increasingly sustained way. The image will become increasingly clear in detail and vividness and there will be a greater ease in holding it in the forefront of your consciousness. The thoughts or images that previously appeared to clamour for your attention will begin to quiet and become like whispers arising and passing in the background of your consciousness. This is a sign that your concentration is deepening. Whenever you become distracted, know that you can always open your eyes and return to the direct visual connection with your subject.

      As your concentration begins to deepen you may discover that you only need to make a very brief contact with the external visual image in order to trigger the inner imprint. The capacity to recall that inner visual image brings with it qualities of calmness and well being in the mind and body. In deeper levels of concentration the distance or separation between the image and the observer begins to disappear and there is the sense of being absorbed within the visual impression. This experience of absorption triggers deeper levels of happiness, joy and communion. There are different levels of absorption it is possible to realize. The body and mind can become profoundly still to the point where they make no impression upon the consciousness and there is a sense of being saturated with a sublime peace and bliss. It takes considerable practice to reach states of deeper absorption – you should not feel disillusioned if in the early stages of your practice you seem to spend more time disentangling your attention from thought than floating in bliss.