Eight masteries (Buddhism)

These are eight exercises practised from the earliest days of Buddhism and are intended to achieve mastery of the senses. The first two are equivalent to the first of the eight liberations (embodied looking at form) and allow mastery of attachment to forms. They involve full attention to a small place on one's own body, leading to perception of form as related to one's body and to other limited forms in the material world; and full attention on a large (unlimited) place on one's own body, leading to perception of form as related one's own body and to unlimited forms in the material world. The following two stages are equivalent to the second of the eight liberations (formless looking at form) and allow strengthening of concentration. They involve full attention to an external object, leading to perception of no form as related to one's body and to other limited forms in the material world; and to perception of no form as related one's own body and to unlimited forms in the material world. The external object chosen depends on the type of person meditating - small for the unsteady, large for the deluded, beautiful for the person who tends to reject things and ugly for the person subject to desires and cravings. The last four stages are equivalent to the third of the eight liberations (beautiful form) and lead to detachment from beauty. Form is not seen in relation to one's own body but to external blue, yellow, red and white forms. These latter four are equivalent to the numbers five to eight of the kasina exercises as for the tenfold powers.