The Jhana Meditation Topics (Devices) of the Brahmins

After Gotama Buddha's successful meditations under the Bodhi tree he revised the topics of the Jhana Devices in a way quite different than the Brahmin topics that he used during his austerities.

These he developed as a result of his own contemplations.

A few readers might be interested in some of the probable Brahmin Jhana devices, so we present a few here.

THE TASTE DEVICE OF KHEKARI

This device uses the internally straightened tongue to taste the internal saliva in order to concentrate the mind through constant taste.

THE DEVICE OF NADA INTERNAL SOUND

The device of meditating upon constant internal sound (right ear), closing off all external sound.

Such devices are incompatible with the Buddha's system, although harmless. 

THE MUDRA DEVICE SAMBHAVA

One of the most important of the Mudras was the Sambhava. It functioned using the position of the eyes, relative to a mental target. These targets are any of the inner subtle psychic centres. These are termed atar lakaya. The eyes remain fixed without opening or closing and the meditator with fixed vision actually sees nothing.

These are effective in Non-Buddha Dharma meditations, where the visualization of electromagnetic vortices is practiced.

THE PRANAYAMA BREATHING DEVICE

The Pranayama device, which is the retention of breath, is not related in any way to "watching the breath, Anapana," which Buddha later advocated.

Buddha retained nothing of the Brahminic practices after his Awakening, athough he used the Brahman realization in one instance when he considered not divulging his system since it was so difficult. This meditation generated the idea that teaching was valid even if only one person could understand and practice.

CONCENTRATION UPON HRIDAYA PUNDARIKA

This is a concentration focused upon the Heart Lotus (one of the electromagnetic vortices), which they considered to be inside the spinal cord at the heart level.