Basic Exercise IV

Up to this point you have dedicated quite some time to the training course. You might begin to feel lazy after deciding that you have made inadequate progress. It does not means you should
give up. Simply note the fact, lazy. Before you gain sufficient strength in attention, concentration, and insight, you may doubt the correctness of usefulness of this method of training. In such a case to contemplation of the thought, doubtful. Do you anticipate or wish for good results? If so, please make such thoughts the subject of your contemplation, anticipating or wishing. Are you attempting to recall the manner in which this training was conducted up to this point? Yes? Then take up contemplation on the recollecting. Are there occasions when you examine the object of contemplation to determine whether it is mind or matter? If so, then be aware of examining. Do you regret that there is no improvement in your contemplation? If so then attend to that feeling of regret. Conversely, are you happy that your contemplation is improving? If you are, then contemplate the feeling of being happy.


This is the way in which you make a mental note of every item of mental behavior as it occurs, and if there are no intervening thoughts or perceptions to note, you should revert to the contemplation of rising and falling of abdomen. During a strict course of meditation, the time of practice is from the first moment you wake up until you fall a sleep. To repeat, you must be constantly occupied either with the basic exercise or with mindful attention throughout the day and during those night hours when you are not sleep. There must be no relaxation. Upon reaching a certain stage of progress in contemplation you will not fell sleepy in spite of these prolonged hours of practice. On the contrary, you will be able to continue the contemplation day and night.