7. Home of the Mind at the 7th base

Episode 6.  7th Base : The home of the mind

This is a production of TheCEOMonk.com. publisher of the book:  “A CEO, an Entrepreneur, a Tourist and the Monk.

 

There is an invisible path that we could practice to lead our consciousness to the home of the mind.  It is at a position, geometrically center of our body.  Think of an imaginary horizontal thread that enters the navel from the front of our abdomen area and exit the back of our spine.  Think a second imaginary horizontal line that runs from the left to the right side of our body and intersects with the first line from the navel, in the middle of the abdomen, inside our body. 

This point where the line intersect  is the 6th base on the path of the mind.  Directly above this point, at distant about the width of 2 fingers (the index and middle finger) is the 7th base. This is the point that is the center of our body. And it is also the home of our mind.

We bring the mind to the 7th base during meditation to re-familiarise the mind to its home.  Our daily busyness has distracted the mind to leave its home for too long resulting short attention spans and wandering mind.  When we practice complete relaxation of the body,  empty our thoughts and silence our inner voices, we will experience the complete stillness of the mind at this point.

Let us begin our path to the 7th base of the mind.

Its inner peace time.

Get into your favourite meditation posture.  Clear your mind of any commitments and things to do.  Tell your self:  For the next few minutes, I do not need to attend to anything, and there is no rush to get to anywhere.  Just be here and let go of the world around me. 

Breathe in slowly and deeply. Keep your eyes looking at a spot infant of you, without focusing on any particular object.  Just keep it soft and defocus.  Slowly, the eyes lids would close naturally, touching very softly and lightly - like the delicate wings of a butterfly opening and closing as it rests on a flower.

To guide the mind, let’s visualise a mental object.

Imagine a small clear round object. Like a crystal ball or a clear dew drop.  You may imagine any other other object that comes to mind easily.  Make this object small, like the size of a small pea.  Imagine that this mental object is floating in front of your face.  Look at it and feel comfortable with it using it as the object of focus to guide our attention along a path into our body.  Imagine its is perfect round, clear, transparent and bright.

Place this small object at a point just under our nostril.  The right  nostril for men and left nostril for women. Tis is the first base on the path of the mind.

Take in 3 deeps breaths and recite the mantra, Samma Arahang, which means “pure and virtuous”.  Or you may use “clear and bright” as the mantra.  Repeat the mantra 3 times with each breath.

Allow this object to move into the nostril up the nose between the eyes, and let it rest at the inner corner of the right eye for men and left eye for women.  This is the 2nd base of the path of the mind. Breath in slowly each time recite the mantra. Let this object be as clear and bright as possible while repeating the mantra 3 times. Samma Arahang. Samma Arahang.. SammaArahang.

Now imagine a point at the center of the head, directly behind the eyes.  Allow the object to move to this place, which is the 3rd base of the mind.  Imagine that this object radiates brightly as you recite the mantra 3 times. samma arahang. Samma arahang.. samma arahang.

Continue to maintain relax as you breath.  Just let the mind follow this path comfortably, without questioning or resting.  Just feeling very safe to go along this familiar path.

The 4th position of the mind is directly down a vertical path that leads to the roof behind our month.  Let the object be radiating every so brightly as we rest here a moment and relaxing.  When you are ready, take 3 deep breath while repeating the mantra with each exhalation, samma arahang. Samma arahang.. samma arahang..  Imagining the sounds coming out from the center of this pure clear object.

Slowly let this object to drift down a vertical path to a point behind the voice box, at the throat. This is the 5th position of the mind.  Imagine the light from the object spreading all around from here as we comfortably continue the rhythm of breathing and hearing the soothing sound of the mantra spreading from here… samma arahang. Samma arahang.. samma arahang.

From here, the crystal object will descend downwards towards the 6th base, which is the intersection of the line from the navel and the sides at the abdomen.  Taking all the time you need, imagine the object drifting towards this base and touching it as gently the a soft and light feather of a bird,  floating down, lightly touching the surface of a still pond.  Imagine this object is perfect clear, pure and radiating brightly.  With the sound of the mantra softly coming from the center, samna arahang, samna arahang, samna arahang.

Allow the mind to rest here for as long as it needs. Maintain a gentle awareness of this place.  There is no need to look with the eyes. Let your consciousness lead you in the darkness with the brightness of the crystal ball guiding you to stay at this location.  Naturally, if you feel a sense of lightness let it be. Do not resist. Or a sensation of expanding and growing let it be.  Your mind may naturally lift itself upwards along the path to the 7th base, the distant of 2 finger’s width above the 6th base. 

Whether your mind stays at 6th or 7th position, it does not really matter.  Maintain a mindset of letting go. Do not take control or feel a need to go anywhere.  maintain a state of relaxation, and clear the mind of any thoughts by continuously thinking of this crystal ball, listening to the mantra, and reciting it if it helps to silence other thoughts.  when you are very still, without wandering, questioning, analysing, just being and feeling completely content with doing nothing, the mind will go home by itself.  All you have to do is to be here, enjoy the sensation and experience the blissful lightness of happiness. Just be happy and keep a slight smile on the face.