The Four Bases of Power

2008-10-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

[The Buddha:]

"So this is what you think of me: 'The Blessed One, sympathetic, seeking our well-being, teaches the Dhamma out of sympathy.' Then you should train yourselves — harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute — in the qualities I have pointed out, having known them directly: the four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for Awakening, the noble eightfold path."

— M.103

Iddhi, the Pali word translated here as "power," has so many meanings that no one English equivalent can do them all justice.
Other equivalents that have been suggested include success, accomplishment, and prowess.
In the context of the bases for power, however, the word specifically means the supranormal powers that can be developed through concentration:
- such as levitation
- walking on water
- clairaudience
- clairvoyance
- remembrance of past lives
- the ability to read the minds of others
- and the ending of mental effluents.

In the Buddhist analysis, only the last of these powers is transcendent.
It is the only one absolutely necessary on the path to Awakening.

The others are optional and not always desirable, for an unawakened person might find that the attainment of any one of them can cause:
- supranormal greed
- aversion
- or delusion to arise in the mind.

The texts record cases where even arahants, not fully sensitive to the effect that their actions might have on others, display their powers in inappropriate contexts.

This was why the Buddha forbade his monastic disciples from displaying their powers before the laity.

None of the displayable powers, he said, is any match for the wonder of a teaching that, like his, gave the promised results when put into practice [DN 11].

[DN 11] -> Kevatta (Kevaddha) Sutta To Kevatta :

- I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Nalanda in Pavarika's mango grove. Then Kevatta the householder approached the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side.

- As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "Lord, this Nalanda is powerful, both prosperous and populous, filled with people who have faith in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One were to direct a monk to display a miracle of psychic power from his superior human state so that Nalanda would to an even greater extent have faith in the Blessed One."

When this was said, the Blessed One said to Kevatta the householder, "Kevatta, I don't teach the monks in this way: 'Come, monks, display a miracle of psychic power to the lay people clad in white.'"

- A second time... A third time, Kevatta the householder said to the Blessed One: "I won't argue with the Blessed One, but I tell you: Lord, this Nalanda is powerful, both prosperous and populous, filled with people who have faith in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One were to direct a monk to display a miracle of psychic power from his superior human state so that Nalanda would to an even greater extent have faith in the Blessed One."

- A third time, the Blessed One said to Kevatta the householder, "Kevatta, I don't teach the monks in this way: 'Come, monks, display a miracle of psychic power to the lay people clad in white.'

"Kevatta, there are these three miracles that I have declared, having directly known and realized them for myself. Which three?

1. The miracle of psychic power

2. The miracle of telepathy.

3. And the miracle of instruction.

The Miracle of Psychic Power

"And what is the miracle of psychic power? There is the case where a monk wields manifold psychic powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds.

"Then someone who has faith and conviction in him sees him wielding manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds. He reports this to someone who has no faith and no conviction, telling him, 'Isn't it awesome. Isn't it astounding, how great the power, how great the prowess of this contemplative. Just now I saw him wielding manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds.'

"Then the person without faith, without conviction, would say to the person with faith and with conviction: 'Sir, there is a charm called the Gandhari charm by which the monk wielded manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds.' What do you think, Kevatta — isn't that what the man without faith, without conviction, would say to the man with faith and with conviction?"

"Yes, lord, that's just what he would say."

"Seeing this drawback to the miracle of psychic power, Kevatta, I feel horrified, humiliated, and disgusted with the miracle of psychic power.

The Miracle of Telepathy

"And what is the miracle of telepathy? There is the case where a monk reads the minds, the mental events, the thoughts, the ponderings of other beings, other individuals, [saying,] 'Such is your thinking, here is where your thinking is, thus is your mind.'

"Then someone who has faith and conviction in him sees him reading the minds... of other beings... He reports this to someone who has no faith and no conviction, telling him, 'Isn't it awesome. Isn't it astounding, how great the power, how great the prowess of this contemplative. Just now I saw him reading the minds... of other beings...'

"Then the person without faith, without conviction, would say to the person with faith and with conviction: 'Sir, there is a charm called the Manika charm by which the monk read the minds... of other beings...' What do you think, Kevatta — isn't that what the man without faith, without conviction, would say to the man with faith and with conviction?"

"Yes, lord, that's just what he would say."

"Seeing this drawback to the miracle of telepathy, Kevatta, I feel horrified, humiliated, and disgusted with the miracle of telepathy.

The Miracle of Instruction

"And what is the miracle of instruction? There is the case where a monk gives instruction in this way: 'Direct your thought in this way, don't direct it in that. Attend to things in this way, don't attend to them in that. Let go of this, enter and remain in that.' This, Kevatta, is called the miracle of instruction.

"Furthermore, there is the case where a Tathagata appears in the world, worthy and rightly self-awakened. He teaches the Dhamma admirable in its beginning, admirable in its middle, admirable in its end. He proclaims the holy life both in its particulars and in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure.

"A householder or householder's son, hearing the Dhamma, gains conviction in the Tathagata and reflects: 'Household life is confining, a dusty path. The life gone forth is like the open air. It is not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?'

"So after some time he abandons his mass of wealth, large or small; leaves his circle of relatives, large or small; shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness.

"When he has thus gone forth, he lives restrained by the rules of the monastic code, seeing danger in the slightest faults. Consummate in his virtue, he guards the doors of his senses, is possessed of mindfulness and alertness, and is content.

Below call as The Miracle of Instruction:

- The Four Jhanas,

- Insight Knowledge

- The Mind-made Body

- Supranormal Powers

How to meditate for beginner

2008-10-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.wikihow.com/Discussion:Meditate-for-Beginners

To begin meditating you just need an easy, basic meditation program to introduce you to the benefits of meditation. You need an alert mind to make the most of meditation so you need to be free of alcohol or non prescribed drugs for at least 24 hours.

Wait 2 hours after a full meal or an hour after a snack or a caffeine drink before meditating.
If you smoke it is best to wait for roughly thirty minutes before meditating.
You need to make sure you have some peace and quiet around you when you first begin learning to meditate. This is critical to your success.

Make sure all phones are turned off/disconnected or turned to silent. A scented candle, a bouquet of flowers or something else pleasing to you can be great little touches to enhance your first meditation. This can make coming out of meditation a beautiful thing!

Dim your lights or turn them off if you are going to use candles, you don't wake to come out of your meditation session into bright light.
Use a straight backed chair to sit upright or use some cushions/pillows to support your back and head.

Finally remove your shoes and loosen any tight clothing so you are comfortable. You need to try and keep focused whilst meditating, if thought's enter your mind don't worry about them or focus on them, just let them float out of your mind again. Never expect too much. Many people get disheartened with meditation because they expect immediate results. Meditation is a marathon not a sprint, always remember that.

Practice and persevere and you will gain the benefits of meditation.
Try to always leave three to four hours between meditation sessions.

Author : Michaelmark, Krystls

my contribution as below :

chose your private room, more better and quite dark. Focusing in one point, will get or increase your ability in meditation. Make meditation as your habit, you can get benefite like awareness, improve and more strongger with your health. Try it on your own. by semangat email: free.man4u65@gmail.com

Meditation in your mind like :

2008-10-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Boring Interesting
Esoteric Familiar
Ascetic Sensual
Unproductive Extremely productive
Difficult Natural
Wimpy Powerful

Meditation is the practice and process of paying attention and focusing
your awareness. When you meditate, a number of desirable things begin
to happen — slowly, at first, and deepening over time.

As I described in Love & Survival:
First, when you can focus your awareness, you gain more power. When you
concentrate any form of energy, including mental energy, you gain power.
When you focus your mind, you concentrate better.

When you concentrate better, you perform better. You can accomplish more, whether in the classroom, in the board room, or in the athletic arena.

Whatever you do, you can do it more effectively when you meditate.
It is for this reason that spiritual teachers and texts often caution that
one should begin the practice of meditation only in the context of other
spiritual practices and disciplines that help develop compassion
and wisdom to use properly this increased power.

more detail see download my file here

Nāmarūpa