February 21, 2008
Focus the Senses; the Mind Follows
Ki to Revitalization
Sensory Purification
Cleansing the Doors of Perception
Twenty Minutes to Samadhi through
Mantra Chanting & Mandala Visualization.
All that is needed to achieve access samadhi is to focus the mind and the senses on chanting & looking at the 
mandala for 20 minutes. It is necessary to get past the emotions or mental states of sense desire, enmity, boredom, restlessness & anxiety, and self-doubt.
1. Focus the eyes in a steady, effortless gaze on the mandala.
2. Focus the ears on the sound of chanting the mantra.
3. Focus the nose on the scent of incense.
4. Focus the mouth on chanting.
5. Focus one's touch on the hands with palms together in "gassho"
6. The mind should follow.
You might notice you can think one thing, while the mouth is chanting the mantra, the nose is smelling curry rice, the ears are hearing a police siren, and the hands are restless. Tips:
* Breathe in, smell the aloeswood and/or sandalwood.
* Rub the prayer beads just a bit.
* Slowly push the palms together, then release them slowly so they form a cup, then repeat.
Within 20 minutes, the mind should be calm, in access concentration {upacara samadhi}. You should feel ki/chi in your hands. The hands may try to pull apart, push the palms together, or let them cup them slightly, with fingers together. The mind-sense or mano-vijnana especially follows the touch-sense.
If the mind wanders, focus the eyes ... focus the ears ...
Posted by rbeck at August 18, 2007 05:33 PM
Updated February 21, 2008 10:36 AM
Sometimes when I meditate, I start in gassho. Then I slowly "cup" my palms, like holding the jewel, then I slowly press them. Next, I slowly pull them apart, and bring then back together. This just happens, I was not taught to do that. How do you hold your hand, like holding the globe on the sides? At the bottom?
Posted by: robin at February 26, 2008 11:52 AMShe's got the whole wide world in her hands. :)
Posted by: robin at February 26, 2008 11:47 AMThat's a cool invite, Mark.
Robin, I have a question. Recently (and I don't know where I got this from), I have been imagining that I am holding the world in my hands and covering it with golden waves of daimoku. I am just sort of asking the Daimoku to go where it's needed. I don't know exactly where I got that, but it means that I hold my hands differently than the "gassho", and it also means that I am partly focused on trying to direct my chanting to the planet as a whole. Have you heard of this? I honestly don't know where I got it, maybe I made it up, I don't know. Anyway, I like it, and am continuing to use it.
Thanks, Your friend, Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at February 25, 2008 02:49 PM
I invite the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni and Jogyo Bosatsu to be present when I chant and meditate on the Gohonzon. It is a very wholesome feeling to be envoloped in their compassion.