The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

weapon for removing anger and mindfulness of breathing can beconsidered as the best weapon for removing discursive thinking.Therefore if lust arises in a meditator he should develop asubhameditation. If anger arises and becomes strong he should developloving kindness. When meditation and faith slackens and the mindis dull he should use Buddhanussati and when the sense of urgencyis lacking and he is bored with striving and meditation then he shoulddevelop mindfulness of death.The Method For DevelopingThe Four Elements MeditationIn the pŒÂi texts there are two ways, in brief and in detail, fordeveloping the four elements meditation. The brief method whichwill be explained here is meant for those of quick understandingand the detailed method is meant for those who have difficultywith the brief method.The Buddha taught the brief method in the MahŒsatipaÊÊhŒnasutta:A bhikkhu reflects about this very body however it be positionedor placed as consisting of just elements thus, ÒThere are in thisbody just the earth element, the water element, the fire element,and the air elementÓ.The Visuddhimagga explains further:So firstly one of quick understanding who wants to developthis meditation ...... Then he should advert to his entire materialbody and discern the elements in brief in this way, ÒIn this bodywhat is hard or rough is the earth element, what is flowing orcohesion is the water element, what is maturing (ripening) or heatthat is the fire element, what is pushing or supporting that is the airelementÓ, and he should advert and give attention to it and revieww 105