For the beginner the best position or the posture to sit, is to sit on a chair or at the end of the bed, keeping the legs down on the floor. In this way one can concentrate on the practice, rather than dealing with the pains, which would arise otherwise, if one to tries some Yoga or Bhavana postures, which may be difficult in sitting for a longer duration.
When sitting thus, the hight of the chair or the bed should be high enough to keep the thighs straight on the bed or chair. It should not be too high, where legs cannot be positioned straight on the floor.
The next most important thing in siting for Bhavana, is to keep the body straight and relaxed.
During the day one can practice these postures of sitting, while not practicing Bhavana, but in other activities, such as sitting for the meals or even watching evening sunset. etc.
What is the next step in the practice?
It is to understand the aim or the goals of the practice of Bhavana. Here one starts the practice of Samatha Bhavana and it has the following aim or goals, one should achieve.
A. The Development of 'Sati', by establishing the 'Sati' on the Breathing. The 'Sati' is a mind attribute of subconscious. But the beginner is in the conscious state, when he starts the practice. Therefore, a beginner does not have Sati to begin with. But he has something similar, which constitutes the conscious state of the mind. That is 'Attention'. Since, the 'Attention' is a conscious mind state, it is not firm and does not fall into the category of a mental skill, as all conscious state of mind attributes are not metal skills, where one can have a control over, and therefore be able to manipulate them.
While practicing the 'Attention' on breathing, and by keeping this wavering, unstable attention fixed on the breathing, the partitioner of the Bhavana would transform the 'Attention' to that of an 'Obsessive Attention', which is more of a skill, where one would be keeping the 'Attention' obsessively on the breathing.
When does this 'Obsessive Attention' starts to take place? At the beginning in the practice, there would arise a dislike to keep the 'Attention' on the breathing, as thinking on something else would be much more delightful. But with the determination when one practices to reach the goals of Bhavana, cultivating more interest in Bhavana, and as also more and more results are gained, and when one experiences an uninterrupted 'Attention' on breathing, he would experience, Happiness and Joy. This will generate more interest in the practice, which would result in the 'Obsessive Attention' plus a desire to practice Bhavana more of the time.
Then will come the time, where this 'obsessive Attention' becomes a 'Continuous Un-interruptiable Attention' on breathing. Here the 'Continuous Un-interruptiable Attention' on breathing, is Fixed, not wavering. This 'Continuous Un-interruptiable Attention' is known as 'Sati' and it belongs to the subconscious, meaning, now the practitioner, is no more a practitioner, but he is in Samadi, in the subconscious state of the mind, having the Skill to maintain 'Sati' on breathing .
Thus getting established in 'Sati' on the breathing is the main aim of the Samatha Bhavana practice.
What are the other aims of the Samatha Bhavana?
B. Getting established in Adistana, the Skill In The Resolution.
If all the condition to get, one to pay 'Attention' on breathing, are there in oneself, then without much effort and practice one can come to Samadi state of 'Sati'. This happens to young healthy people, whose mind is not corrupted by desires, anger, ideas, opinions and ego, and also still not got addicted to thinking. But many who comes to this Samadi state of 'Sati', fail to maintain the same, and also fail to get into the Samadi, when and where they want. It is because they have not developed the Mind attribute of Adistana, which is the Skill of Resolution, and it is a Skill one has to develop through Bhavana, as one develops the 'Sati'.
How does one practice Bhavana, in order to develop Adistana, the Skill of Resolution?
One has to make Adistana (resolutions) before beginning the Bhavana, but after siting for the same, with some comfortable posture, having body relaxed and erect. Then one says to oneself, what he hopes to do. For instance he can say,
X. Will do the practice of Bhavana for 15 minutes. (about 5 to 7 times). This should be done in one's own language, then it will be much more meaningful.
Y. Will be paying 'Attention' to the breathing, without getting distracted.
Z. Etc. (about 5 resolutions.)
More will be explained in the next post.
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