Knowledge by discerning conditionality

With further progress in meditation, the conscious state of an intention is evident before a bodily movement occurs. The meditator first notice that intention. Though also at the start of his practice he does notice "intending, intending " (for instance, to bend an arm), yet he cannot notice that state of consciousness distinctly. Now, at this more advanced stage, he clearly notices the consciousness consisting of the intention to bend. So he notice first the conscious state of an intention to make a bodily movement; then he notices the particular bodily movement.


At the beginning, because of omission to notice an intention, he thinks that bodily movement is quicker than the mind knowing it. Now, at this advanced stage, mind appears to be the forerunner. The meditator readily notices the intention of bending, stretching, sitting, standing, going, and so on.  He also clearly notices the actual bending, stretching , etc.. So he realizes the fact that mind knowing a bodily process is quicker than the material process. He experiences directly that a bodily process takes place after a preceding intention. Again he knows from direct experience that the intensity of heat or cold increases while he is noticing "hot , hot" or "cold , cold".


In contemplating regular and spontaneous bodily movements such as the rising and falling of the abdomen, he notices one after another continuously. He also notices the arising in his mind of mental images such as the Buddha, an Arahantas well as any kind of sensation that arises in his body (such as itch, ache, heat), with attention directed on the particular spot where the sensation occurs. One sensation has hardly disappeared than another arise, and he notices them all accordingly. While noticing every object as it arise he is aware that a mental process of knowing depends on an object. Sometimes, the rising and falling of the abdomen is so faint that he finds nothing to notice. Then it occurs to him that there can be no knowing without an object.


When no noticing of the rising and falling is possible on should be aware of sitting and touching or lying and touching. Touching is to be noticed alternatively. For example, after noticing "sitting," notice the touch sensation at several places. Again , in noticing seeing, hearing, and so on, the meditator comes to know clearly that seeing arise from the contact of ear and sound, and so on.


Further he reflects: "Material processes of bending, stretching, and so on, follow mental processes of intending, to bend, stretch, and so forth." He goes on to reflect:" One's body becomes hot or cold because of the element of heat or cold; the body exists on food and nourishment; consciousness arises because there are oblectsto notice; seeing arises  through visual object; hearing through sound, etc., and also because there are the sense organs, eye, ear etc.,  as conditioning factors. Intention and noticing result from previous experiences; feelings (Sensations) of all kinds are the consequences of previous kamma in the sense that material processes and mental processes take place ever since birth because of previous kamma. There is nobody to create this body and mind , and all that happens has causal factors. "Such reflections come to the meditator while he is noticing and object as it arises. He does not stop doing so to take time to reflect. While noticing objects as they arise these reflections are so quick that they appear to be automatic. The meditator , then, must note," reflecting reflecting, recognizing, recognizing," and continue noticing objects as usual.