Meditation Lists

Five Daily Recollections: (AN 5.57)

  1. I am of the nature to grow old; I am not exempt from ageing.
  2. I am of the nature to become ill; I am not exempt from illness.
  3. I am of the nature to die; I am not exempt from death.
  4. All that is mine, dear and delightful, will change and vanish.
  5. I am the owner of my karma; I am born of my karma; I live supported by my karma; I will inherit my karma; whatever I do, whether good or evil, that I will inherit.

Five things to do at the start of a sitting:

  1. Gratitude
  2. Why am I doing this (what's my motivation?)
  3. Work up some determination
  4. Metta - always for yourself, for others as well if you wish
  5. "Breathing in I calm body and mind, breathing out I smile."

Five things to do at the end of a sitting:

  1. Recapitulation - what did I do and how did I get there
  2. Impermanence - all these high, but mundane, states are now gone
  3. Insights - did I get any; what were they
  4. Dedicate the merit from this sitting for the liberation of all beings
  5. Resolve to be mindful as I get up and go about my activities
    (more details)

Essence of entering each of the 8 Jhanas:

0. Follow breath until access concentration is established:


1. Switch attention away from the breath to a pleasant physical sensation:
2. Focus on the emotional joy/happiness that is accompanying the intense physical sensations of the 1st Jhana:
3. Turn down the intensity of the joy/happiness to contentment/satisfaction.

4. Let go of the pleasure of the contentment/satisfaction and drop down to a quiet, still equanimity.

5. Sense the "boundaries of your being" and begin expanding them outwards:
6. Realizing that it takes a boundless consciousness to be aware of a boundless space, switch your attention to to your consciousness of the boundless space.

7. Switch your attention from the boundless consciousness to the content of that consciousness - it will be a sense of no thing - no-thing at all anywhere.

8. Let go of all the previous outward sensing and come to rest in a small spot more or less between the eyes and a few inches from your face. Focus on being in a state that has no characteristics.


Meditationslistor - the 3 lists of 5 in Swedish
5 Daily Recollections auf Deutsch: (German)
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