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	Sanskrit: abhibhayatana Product Code: G00004 Glossary

Description   abhibhayatana (Skt.). The 'eight masteries', or eight fields of the mastery or control of perception. These are meditational exercises described in the *Pali Canon similar to those using coloured objects (*kasina) but in this case based on features or areas of one's own body as the focus of concentration in order to transcend the Desire Realm (*kama-dhatu). The eight masteries are: (1) perception of forms (colours and shapes) externally on one's body and limited forms beyond it; (2) perception of forms externally on one's body and of unlimited external forms beyond it; (3) the non-perception of forms on one's own body and the perception of small external forms; (4) the non-perception of forms on one's body and the perception of large external forms; (5)-(8) no forms are perceived on one's own body but the colours blue, yellow, white, and red are perceived in that order. Items (5)-(8) are identical with kasina exercises (5)-(8), and with the third stage of the eight liberations (*ashta-vimoksha).

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