I suppose I should give SOME explaination as to my previous post. Last night I was following along with a guided meditation on metta. (Guided Metta Meditation, 11/23/04) Somewhere in the middle of the meditation (about 15-20 min. in) I figured I would change the focus of my concentration from the metta phrases to a pleasant feeling somewhere in my body. I found one and let my concentration settle on it. So now it was, "Okay, extend metta to a neutral person, may you live in peace, may you be happy, may you be safe, now back to that sensation." The metta phrases were becoming a distraction from focus on the sensation, but I welcomed them when the guide prompted them, I just didn't repeat them. Some time after I extended metta to a difficult person there was enough time for me to get really concentrated on the sensation and then... t might just have been Piti. What is Piti? It's half of the first level of meditative absorbtion. It is "Rapture; bliss; delight. In meditation, a pleasurable quality in the mind that reaches full maturity upon the development of the second level of jhana." What is a Jhana? There are 8 of them, and they are different levels of metitative absorbtion. The Piti I experienced (I think it was, it certainly was pleasant and a little overwhelming/distracting) was brief, probably about a minute, maybe, tough to tell when one is that concentrated. Unfortunatly, I don't think there was much Sukha (Pleasure; ease; satisfaction. In meditation, a mental quality that reaches full maturity upon the development of the third level of Jhana) coming along with the Piti, so I am uncertain whether I really entered the first Jhana or just experienced Piti. So anyway, while experiencing this very powerful physical sensation, the meditation guide (I am wearing headphones and didn't want to remove them) suggested to start expanding the metta out from me to encompass the room, then the building, then the neighbor hood, ect, expanding out to encompass the whole world and all living things. And while I was experiencing this physical sensation, I thought, "That's the best damned idea I have ever heard." I then proceded to extend metta to all corners of the world and the universe for all living things.

All of this from something as simple as concentration. X-treme Concentration!!!!

(PS. Metta is translated as Loving Kindness, but it is also similar to general goodwill.)

Meditation. All I can say is, cool.

Hot peppers are cut
Now burning juice in my eye
Oh! It hurts me so

And, FYI, milk is not only good for removing the heat from your mouth, but it also works quite nicely when soaked into a paper towel and used as an ocular compress. That is all.