Overview
The Stations of Mastery (Abhibhāyatana) are advanced meditative attainments where a practitioner completely masters their perception of physical forms. By manipulating internal and external objects (making them appear large, small, or brilliantly colored), the meditator overcomes the object entirely, asserting complete mental dominance over the material world.
The List
- Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, beautiful or ugly: One masters small external objects while still maintaining internal perception of form.
- Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable, beautiful or ugly: One masters vast external objects while still maintaining internal perception of form.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited: One masters small external objects without any internal perception of form.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable: One masters vast external objects without any internal perception of form.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally as blue (nīla): One attains mastery over the blue kasina.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally as yellow (pīta): One attains mastery over the yellow kasina.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally as red (lohita): One attains mastery over the red kasina.
- Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally as white (odāta): One attains mastery over the white kasina.
Textual References
- Canonical: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16) – The Buddha explains these stations to Ānanda shortly before his passing.
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter V) – Explains how these eight stations relate directly to the mastery of the color and element kasinas.