Easy Meditation: focus on a flame technique

Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Shifu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Bhante Dhammadipa (Facebook)

It might be better to learn to make a fire without matches first (Fire-making Workshop).

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Cave can be ironic places (Gary Larson, Far Side)

One way to strengthen attention weakened by habitual drifting and mental wandering is to use a flame. This gives the mind something inherently fascinating to place attention on, a candle or campfire. In doing this, look at the flame on top and behold it rather than thinking about it.

A cave needs fire. A mind needs jhana.

An enlightened Chinese nun training with the Czechoslovakian polymath Bhante Dhammadipa (Facebook) at Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS.org), it is more important to look at the center of the flame.

Let go of everything, and return the attention again and again to the flame (or fire, as it were) until the mind sustains attention on the flame. As the remaining Five Factors of Absorption or jhana-anga build, absorption (jhana) may happen. Repeat until able to enter absorption (zen) at will.

Dual-ordination Ven. Dhammadipa is the leading Western student of Pa Auk Sayadaw.