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Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

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which, if not recognized quickly, will lead us soon to<br />

full sleep. Normally there are three stages from waking<br />

to sleeping:<br />

a. the mind becomes drowsy <strong>and</strong> unclear, <strong>and</strong> we cannot<br />

get clear ideas in order to concentrate upon them,<br />

b. we enter into a dreamy half-sleep, <strong>and</strong><br />

c. we finally lapse into complete sleep.<br />

If we can promptly discover the first of these, then we<br />

will not experience the second <strong>and</strong> the third in<br />

concentration.<br />

The cure for slothfulness is the development of two<br />

factors:<br />

a. Clear consciousness (sampajanna). This is the<br />

knowledge obtained of our activities by being more<br />

aware of them. With this clarity of mind, we are able to<br />

distinguish the different stages <strong>and</strong> to stop them from<br />

overpowering the mind. If this clear state is maintained<br />

it becomes:<br />

b. Perfect mindfulness (samyak smrti)—but this is to be<br />

practiced (as the sutras teach); otherwise it is just a word<br />

in a book.<br />

E. SOME TERMS CONCERNING THE<br />

REALIZATION OF MEDITATION<br />

These too must be known thoroughly by a meditator or<br />

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