Meditation Legend

This meditation legend was written as a companion to a "custom meditation wizard" — a project still in development. We present it as-is for an overview of multi-modal meditation practice, with initial focus on eight base fields of consciousness.

Many Minds — Many Modes ¶

Our minds are one — our minds are unique. We have modes to match your mind. Orient to the different fields, phases and modalities of meditation with this legend. Some combinations of approaches will better match your innate character — and provide natural support and synergy for your inner cultivation. That's your path and best practice at this time. Dig in and discover what you resonate with. Adapt your approach. Cultivate your mind. Set your spirit free!

Basic Session Layout ¶

Each meditation set has three basic phases:

• Opening — We settle down, we form our intention, we tune in for the practice.
• Absorption — We pour consciousness into a cascade of core meditation methods.
• Closing — We reflect on the experience, we dedicate the fruits of our practice.

These phases may be simple or complex. They should match your mind's requirements. Their lengths should match, or slightly exceed, your capacity for sustained attention. If you have an easily distracted mind, you'll benefit from shorter and more diverse sets. If your attention holds longer, you can keep the layout simpler and the phases longer. If you have the time, the attention, and the inner stamina, you can also experiment with "hero sessions" featuring long and diverse cascades.

Opening Phases ¶

We must zone in — a proper opening paves the way for deep absorption. The basic steps are:

• Settle Down: Still, stable, present. External world is fading. Zoning out. Zoning inward.
• Form Intention: Collect your mind. Establish your determination. Specify your orientation.
• Tune In: Anchor into the inner sphere. Broad focus with breath, mantra, visualization, body scan, etc.

Fields of Absorption ¶

Major meditation takes place in the longer core absorption stage. We use an iterative approach, a spectrum of inner cultivation. Attention moves over the main fields of absorption. Each field is covered in modal phases — different angles into the same zone. Here are the eight fields of manifest awareness we cultivate:

• × Being: Embodied Presence
• × Seeing: Orientation and Vision
• × Feeling: Immersion and Emotion
• × Dreaming: Possibility and Aspiration
• × Willing: Intention and Assertion
• × Working: Crafting and Transformation
• × Harvesting: Integration and Distillation
• × Fulfilling: Alignment and Unification

Beyond this, there are the four fields of abstract awareness, or the four elements in their essential nature. These are the undercurrents of our living experience, elusive yet all-pervasive influences. These subtle fields of operation are accessible when our consciousness has grown adept with holding more refined attention. Beyond even that, there are yet more subtle fields of contemplation — not relevant for present purposes of initial practice.

Modes of Absorption ¶

Phases and modes of meditation can vary — matching individual needs and natures. Modes may also be combined into a sequence of phases in cultivating a particular major field of attention. Common modes and methods for directed attention:

• Breath: We bring gentle presence and a flow of attention to the field.
• Mantra: We stimulate the field with the vibration of sound or mantra.
• Visualize: We conjure an inner visual representation of the field.
• Recognize: We review the phenomena rising and falling in the field.
• Assert: We empower and shatter the worthy and the wicked in the field.
• Integrate: We reflect, integrating and absorbing the echoes of the field.

These modalities are then engaged for each field of directed attention. We engage our diverse abilities, churning various aspects of the fields: touching, resonating, illustrating, reflecting, purifying, integrating. We attend to, clarify, and awaken the dormant realms of our awareness — aligning our fragments into a conscious whole. Well-rounded awakening is the outcome of well-rounded cultivation. Be well and meditate well — unlock your potentials and ascend through the layers toward the unconditioned.