The four basic directions for the meditation are:
Mindful he breathes in; Mindful he breathes out.
Breathing in long, he is aware: I breathe in long.
Breathing out long, he is aware: I breathe out long.
Breathing in short, he is aware: I breathe in short.
Breathing out short, he is aware: I breathe out short.
These are followed by:
Two which supplement the method (making four)
Four which prepare the Essential Experiences
Four which prepare the Mind
Four which are the Essential Discernments
THE PRINCIPAL PLATFORM FOR ADVANCED MEDITATIONS:
The Four Essential Experiences
Four Mind States
Four Essential Discernments
The Four Essential Experiences
Every form of Meditation, through the Preparatory Training Sessions, can condition specific devices or objectives for the meditations. It then becomes an efficient platform.
The only condition required is that this Becoming of Consciousness is not ruptured by impediments or agitated thought. It must be maintained without effort as an open and flexible space. The cognitive mind is stilled and within this space where one "abides" there arise the essential experiences of Joy, Happiness, then the Material elements and their elimination.
Now when we say that the material elements (CD) are eliminated that is not quite complete, for what actually happens is that the material elements used in the Contemplation Device, which enter quite automatically, are converted into Subliminal Non-Word Experiences.
They may be experienced as the full consciousness, as the breathing becomes more subtle, in various forms which have expression only limited by Cognition and can range from a simple experience of being divorced from the body or like the soft touch of cotton, a cooling breeze or even a harsh contact of the touch of a branch. The Yogavacara's manual mentions it may be like the experience of ruffled water with blemishes of foam or like white clouds in the sky.
While the Concentration Devices, or Contemplation Devices, probably begin their entry during the first part of the Becoming of Consciousness they remain as last conceptualizations as Cognitive Experiences as material elements until they become the IMPORTANT Unconscious experiences with the elimination.
All conscious experiences are unimportant and should simply be ignored unless they rupture the Becoming of Consiousness.
Don't give up, we are nearly at the end when I shall try to make more evident what this teaching is all about.
The Four Mind States
It is this area of the Subliminal experiences where Realizing the Mind, Gladdening the Mind, Concentrating the Mind and finally Releasing the Mind take place.
The first revitalization occurs subliminally and these subliminal experiences have a direct effect upon the Right Hemisphere systems which balance the Cognitive system of the Left Hemisphere. This is where the meditation bears fruit.
The Four Essential Discernments
The second effect takes place when the Discernment occurs. This discernment is subliminal, but when set in place correctly by the CD and the Preparation the subliminal experiences are transfered to Memory.
These subliminal experienced set in memory are associated with relevant memory traces so that a conscious Experience is revealed.
The less Identity present in the meditator, the greater is the posibility of pure experiences, which then allow in a Cognitive manner:
Discerning Impermanence
Discerning Freedom
Discerning Cessation of Asavas (defilements)
Discerning Entire Freedom