Advancement in Contemplation

After having practiced for a day and night you may find your contemplation considerably improved and that you are able to prolong the basic exercise of noticing the abdominal rising and falling.
At this time you can notice that there is generally a break between the movements of rising and falling. If you are in the sitting posture fill in this pause with a mental note on the act of sitting, in
this way: rising, falling, sitting. When you make a mental note of sitting, keep your mind on the erect position of the upper body. When you are lying down you should proceed with full awareness as follows: rising, falling, lying. If you find this easy, continue with noticing these three sections. If you notice that a pause occurs at the end of the rising as well as the falling movement, then continue in this manner: rising, sitting, falling, sitting. Or when lying down: rising, lying, falling, lying. Suppose you no longer find it easy to make a mental note of three or four objects in the above manner, then revert to the initial procedure of noting only the two sections, rising and falling.


While engaged in the regular practice of contemplating bodily movements you need not be concerned with objects of seeing and hearing. As long as you are able to keep your mind on the abdominal movements of rising and falling it is assumed that the purpose of noticing the acts and objects of seeing and hearing is also served. However, you may intentionally look at the object, then simultaneously make a mental note, two or three times, seeing. Thereafter return to the awareness of the abdominal movements. Suppose some person comes into your view, make a mental note of seeing, two or three times, and then resume attention to the rising and falling movements of the abdomen. Did you happen to hear the sound of  a voice? Did you listen to it? If so make the mental note of hearing, listening, and having done so, revert to rising and falling. But suppose you heard loud sounds, such as the barking of dogs, loud talking, or singing. If so, immediately make a mental note two or three times, hearing. Then return to your basic exercise of attending to rising and falling.

If you fail to note and dismiss such distinctive sights and sounds as they occur, you may inadvertently fall into reflections about them instead of proceeding with intense attention to rising and falling, which may then become less distinct and clear. It is by such weakened attention that mind-defiling passions breed and multiply. If such reflections do occur, make two or three mental notes, reflecting, and again take up the contemplation of rising and falling. If you forget to make a mental note of body, leg, or arm movements, then mentally note forgetting and resume your usual contemplation of the abdominal movements.  


You may feel at the times that breathing is slow or that the rising and falling movements of the abdomen are not clearly perceived. When this happens, and in the sitting position, simply carry on
the attention to sitting, touching; if you are lying down , lying, touching. While contemplating touching, your mind should not be kept on the same part of the body but on different parts
successively. There are several places of touch and at least six or seven should be contemplated.