Basically, we could divide the practice of meditation into four phases, four rounds, four fields. And the only way to explain it is in terms of the subject and the object, you are the “subject” and what you pay attention to in your meditation is the “object”. You'll take advantage of these initial skills throughout the next three stages of meditation to become a truly skilled meditator. As with sowing seeds, at each stage of meditation the appropriate intentions are sown on the floor of the mind.
Whatever dense object is chosen for meditation (visualized images, sensation, breathing, energy, mantra and attitudes, etc.) Therefore, here is a brief summary of the ten stages of meditation, presented in a completely different way that places the full emphasis on how intention works at each stage. When the path of meditation reaches a crossroads, choose the path to brilliant consciousness, not the path to laziness and lethargy. When you have reached the stage of metta meditation in which you radiate an unlimited golden glow of loving kindness throughout the universe, forget about all beings and ignore where power comes from. While each of them can be considered a different style or type of meditation, they are all done at the same stage of meditation, which is the stage (or level) of Gross or Savitarka.
There are four basic stages in the practice of meditation, such as the four movements of a beautiful symphony, that flow together in a great concert of higher consciousness. However, although the stages of meditation are presented as a linear path of progress, the practice is not actually developed in such a simple way. Therefore, the Observer, who was originally the one who observed all these other objects, is now, in and of itself, the Object that is sought in meditation. For other meditators, perception chooses to describe this first appearance of the mind in terms of a physical sensation such as intense tranquility or ecstasy.
When you have mastered the final stage of meditation, the many positive mental qualities you experience during meditation are very present even between meditation sessions, so your daily life is imbued with effortless attention, mindfulness, joy, tranquility and equanimity. The visualized images give way to meditation on one's own light, together with the mental instruments of perception. Therefore, the first stage of meditation is to encourage or cultivate an environment conducive to letting go of those distractions and embarking on the journey inward. Only when you master the skills of a particular stage of meditation can you master the next stage.
