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Sitting Meditation
Slowly move the hand up and down in steps, with momentary stops in between. While moving the hand, move the fingers also, spreading them slightly apart and then bringing them close together again. Realize the feeling of arising and ceasing at the tips of the fingers or at the center of the palm. There is no need to recite any mantra - this would, in fact, prevent the realizing of any feeling at the point of focus.
When beginning the practice, fix your awareness and concentrate it in the palm or at the fingertips. Initially, you may not be aware of any feeling there, but after much practice, you will get sensations such as a feeling of warmth in the palm or fingers, or a vague thrill like an electric flux in the fingers, palm, or arm. When you become aware of such a feeling, you should then concentrate your mind continuously on the feeling. The more intensely you focus, the stronger the feeling will be.
The feeling will then gradually extend along the arm towards the chest. When it does reach the chest, you may note various other kinds of sensation arising: the chest may feel tight or stiff, or you may feel a headache or dizziness. The prickling sensation in the chest may feel like something pricking in and out very rapidly in the centre of the chest. Concentrate on this feeling. Even if you feel that it hurts, try to comprehend it, do not stop. The more you concentrate on it, the stronger will the feeling become.
The prickling sensation in the chest will subsequently be felt to pierce straight through to the back, and from there, to move upward like a blowing wind to the back of the head, the top of the head, the forehead, the eyebrows, to emerge from there. When these sensations are observed, you may also feel pain in the head. Do not, however, stop concentrating.
Some meditators practising other meditation methods may have experienced sensations similar to those I have described, including the prickling sensation in the centre of the chest and acute pain from concentrated awareness of it. Not understanding what is happening, they may even abandon their practice session. To such meditators, I would suggest that they are indeed very fortunate to have encountered the experience. They should not be afraid of it, but should, instead, continue concentrating on it.
The results from concentrating on the prickling feeling in the centre of the chest from other meditation methods are the same as those from the present method of moving the hand. Whichever method you practise, they bring you to the same point. It depends on your right understanding.
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