Categories: Third Eye: Practical Meditation
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, through our spiritual teachings, I will explain the eighth practical meditation in our series: a journey to Bodhi Gaya, India, using the third eye. I hope to clarify this practice and guide you so that you may apply it yourselves.
As always, I must remind you that our series of practical meditations on the third eye follows a specific order. This particular practice is only accessible to those who have followed the sequence correctly and have successfully opened their third eye. Only then will you have the ability to do this and to see.
I have generously shared with you how to see different places and travel to various locations through this practical meditation. I share all of this for the sake of the Buddha’s teachings, for our country, our people, and our culture, and ultimately, for the sake of attaining Nibbāna, or ultimate liberation. Please engage with these teachings practically. Without practical application, you cannot test, develop, or attain any of these skills.
The teachings of the Buddha, the Dhamma, are a practical path. They are not something limited to books and scriptures. The path to liberation is entirely practical, in every single moment. This is a crucial point to remember.
Preparing Your Mind and Body for the Spiritual Journey
Now, let us begin this meditation as we usually do. Normally, we start these practical meditations by making a strong resolution. Go to your regular meditation spot, whether it’s a quiet room in your house or in front of your shrine. Prepare yourself to begin.
Sit in your preferred meditation posture, perhaps the full lotus (Padmasana) or half-lotus (Baddha Paryaṅka). Settle in and prepare to start the meditation practice. Once you are ready, gently close your eyes. Remember, this is for those whose third eye is already open. For you, it is possible to make this journey even outside of this specific guided session, simply by making a resolution.
With your eyes closed, begin by cultivating the perception of limitless space, like the open sky. Dwell on this concept, contemplate it, and focus your mind on it. Through this, guide your mind to a state of balance and equanimity, a state known in Buddhism as Upekkhā.
Making the Sacred Resolution: Setting Your Intention to Visit Bodhi Gaya
Once your mind is calm and centered, it is time to make a powerful resolution. In Buddhism, this is called an adhiṭṭhāna, a firm determination. Make this resolution three times:
“May I be able to travel to Bodhi Gaya in India, the sacred place where all Buddhas have attained enlightenment using my third eye. May I travel there with my mind-made body (manokāya), guided by the spiritual power of my accumulated merit (puñña-iddhi) and my mind-power (manomaya-iddhi).”
For some, this may not work instantly, while for others, the journey may begin the moment the resolution is made. If it doesn’t happen right away, do not be discouraged. Continue to practice, making the resolution with persistent effort during your meditation sessions. Just as we have previously visited the Ruwanwelisaya stupa or traveled inside the great rock of Sigiriya, the journey will begin once the intention is set.
The Journey Begins: Experiencing Travel with the Mind
As soon as your resolution is firm, you may find yourself traveling. Through the power of your mind, the development of your third eye meditation, you may feel yourself rising high into the air and traveling towards India, the land where the Buddha was born. You might see the ocean passing beneath you as you fly through the sky.
We know that this form of travel, using the power of the mind (citta shakti), is instantaneous, far quicker than any airplane. The stronger your mental energy, the faster you can reach these destinations. This is a journey that requires no passport. You can see the vast ocean on all sides, and in the very moment you make the resolution, you can appear there. Such is the speed and power of a concentrated mind. Go there now.
Upon arrival, your initial vision of Bodhi Gaya might look like what you’ve seen in photographs or on television. However, once you are there, make another resolution:
“May I see this sacred place of Bodhi Gaya exactly as it was in the past, at the very moment when the Bodhisatta Siddhattha became our Gotama Buddha. May I see it in its ancient form.”
Peering into the Past: Witnessing the Buddha’s Enlightenment
Today, the area is surrounded by modern buildings, but it has an ancient, original form. Resolve three times: “May I see this place as it was in the past.” If your meritorious energy (puñña shakti) and meditative skill are strong, you may be able to witness the enlightenment of our last Buddha, Siddhattha Gotama. You might see how it happened.
This vision may only last for a few seconds. This is a universal principle; seeing such profound events for extended periods like five minutes or half an hour requires an immense accumulation of merit over countless eons. However, depending on the strength of your meditative mind, it is possible to get a glimpse of this event that occurred over 2,600 years ago.
As you hold this intention, you may see an incredibly bright, radiant shower of light, an indescribable beam of light emanating from the site of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree. You will be able to see everything there as a cosmic energy center. It is said in the Tipiṭaka and its commentaries that this is the only place in the world where all Buddhas attain enlightenment. You may even witness celestial beings, the devas and brahmas, paying homage from afar, rejoicing in the great event. You can see these things in various ways.
Cultivating Unworldly Joy and Deep Samādhi
As you witness this, you can pay your respects from where you are. As you watch this scene from the past, a great joy (pīti) and happiness may arise in your mind. Experience this joy. Feel this bliss. Make a resolution: “May my mind be established in this joy.” Let your mind rest in that state of blissful happiness.
If you can sustain this, you may enter a state of deep concentration (samādhi) and feel a kind of bliss you have never experienced in your life. It is a happiness completely separate from sensual pleasures, a state where all worldly problems fade away and the entire world is forgotten. It is an indescribable peace.
Experience that happiness, that joy, that bliss. Do not be afraid; feel it for as long as you can. While experiencing it, contemplate the virtues of the Buddha (Buddhaguna). After reflecting, return to feeling the joy. Keep resolving, “May this joy increase within me. May this joy always remain with me.” Experience this again and again as you witness the vision.
Expanding Your Vision: Visiting Other Sacred Places
Anyone who has opened their third eye by practicing with us can do this at any time, on any day. You can see these things as you wish.
Afterward, if you like, you can make a new resolution: “May I now see this place as it exists in the present day.” Instantly, you will be able to see Bodhi Gaya in its current form. You can also resolve to see the places where the Buddha spent the seven weeks after enlightenment (Satta Sattiya).
Furthermore, you can resolve to visit other sacred sites. You can go to Lumbini in Nepal to witness the birthplace of the Bodhisatta. You can see the place of the Buddha’s final passing away (Parinibbāna Mañcakaya). You can visit the location of the first sermon. You have the ability to see all of these things.
However, as I mentioned, the ability to see clearly depends on having great merit and a mind of equanimity, a state free from attachment and aversion. Some people may be able to see all of these things. Some may see only a little. And some may see only one thing. This is the nature of the practice.
Trusting Your Inner Sight and Verifying Your Experience
Understanding these principles, you can explore all the sites related to the Buddha’s life in India and Nepal. Make resolutions one by one. Resolve to see the past: “How did this place look 2,600 years ago?” Repeat the resolution three, or even four times, until you see it. But do not become attached to what you see, nor averse to it. Your mind must remain in a state of equanimity and neutrality. Then, you will begin to see.
After exploring the past, resolve to see the present: “How does this place look now?” To confirm the truth of your vision, you can later search for photos and videos of the current sites online. You can check if what you saw in your meditation matches the reality of today. In this way, you can validate your experience.
By trusting yourself, trusting your mind, and trusting your mental energy, you have the ability to see these things, including how the Buddha attained Parinibbāna. Trust yourself. Do not rely on the opinions and ideas of others. Believe strongly in your own meditation power and mental strength to awaken and develop this spiritual energy.
A Path of Practice, Not Theory
These practices are not fantasies (mano vikāra). We are often asked if this is just imagination. It cannot be, because the ability to develop the mind has been discovered even by Western science. Those who truly understand science know this, though those with only a superficial knowledge may not. The mind can undoubtedly be developed. Of course, anyone who hasn’t practiced it can offer any opinion they like.
Understand these points. Do not be misled by the opinions of weak-minded people or fall into wrong views. Engage only with those who teach a practical method and follow that method practically. Then you can develop your mind and go wherever you wish.
We hope to share many more practical teachings with you generously in the future. Today, I conclude this program on the eighth practical third eye meditation: the journey to Bodhi Gaya. I have explained how to have this new experience, how to see these things, and how to look by making resolutions. For those who have opened the third eye and for those who have not yet, may you be protected by the Triple Gem and gain these experiences. I bless you with the ability to develop these skills and reawaken your wholesome meditative power from past lives.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
