Re: How to properly develop the perception of a skeleton?
Some great excerpts from thai forest masters (in ajahn mun tradition) and vimuttimaagga. You'll want to stay away from Visuddhimagga as much as possible.
http://lucid24.org/sted/31asb/book/index.html
As far as EBT sources, AN 6.29 is probably the most detail you'll get.
http://lucid24.org/an/an06/an06-0029/index.html
But there are some crucial workings under the hood you won't pick up on unless you really study it carefully. The order the 6 topics are listed matters -
You can practice skeleton image contemplation using imagination, and that's useful for developing conceptual overcoming of lust for subha nimittas, but what the EBT sutta and the meditation masters are really talking about, is actually seeing an image of your skeleton (or another being's skeleton) with your eyes closed in meditation.
And that ability won't happen unless you really charge up your jhana battery, until you see bright white light that's so bright, it's hard to sleep, and you'll need very little sleep, like 1 to 3 hours a night because you meditate so much.
And most people won't be able to charge up the jhana battery unless they have some proficiency with the first 3 jhanas, though it is possible to open up the divine eye, 3rd eye area without having 3 jhanas. I.e., meditatation can be painful without energy channels opened, but you can open up the third eye.
If you're celibate, meditate correctly, can do jhana, are in reasonable health, you should be able to do this anywhere between 3 months to a few years, depending on your age, health, etc.
http://lucid24.org/sted/31asb/book/index.html
As far as EBT sources, AN 6.29 is probably the most detail you'll get.
http://lucid24.org/an/an06/an06-0029/index.html
But there are some crucial workings under the hood you won't pick up on unless you really study it carefully. The order the 6 topics are listed matters -
You can practice skeleton image contemplation using imagination, and that's useful for developing conceptual overcoming of lust for subha nimittas, but what the EBT sutta and the meditation masters are really talking about, is actually seeing an image of your skeleton (or another being's skeleton) with your eyes closed in meditation.
And that ability won't happen unless you really charge up your jhana battery, until you see bright white light that's so bright, it's hard to sleep, and you'll need very little sleep, like 1 to 3 hours a night because you meditate so much.
And most people won't be able to charge up the jhana battery unless they have some proficiency with the first 3 jhanas, though it is possible to open up the divine eye, 3rd eye area without having 3 jhanas. I.e., meditatation can be painful without energy channels opened, but you can open up the third eye.
If you're celibate, meditate correctly, can do jhana, are in reasonable health, you should be able to do this anywhere between 3 months to a few years, depending on your age, health, etc.
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