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Thus, when I first went to U Ba Khin, I had some idea of the Buddhist way, but had no prior knowledge of what I would experience in Vispassana meditation. In fact, an important aspect of the meditation is that one should have no prior knowledge; for the experience should not be imagined by the mind, which is very powerful and will project its concepts. The experience should be unanticipated, new, and totally surprising. In this way, the Meditation Master could judge if the pupil was making genuine progress.
There were a series of meditation caves — for darkness and perfect silence — beneath the Pagoda. Each pupil would be alone in a cave. Work started at 5 a.m. and continued until 9 p.m., with a one-hour break for lunch. The first task was to concentrate the attention at the juncture of the nose and the upper lip and become aware of the breath as it entered the nostrils with the in-breath and as it left the nostrils with the out-breath. When the mind wandered away, it was just to be noted that it had wandered away and then calmly brought back to attention. My wife's progress was faster than mine, and it took me a week before the mind settled quietly at :he juncture of nose and lip without wandering away. After a few days' work, the mind becomes aware of a spot at the juncture of nose and lip that is either very hot or very cold. Faster progress is :hen made because the mind can hold to this sensation.
When he saw that my mind was quiet, U Ba Khin called me into the Pagoda under the central dome and spire. It was said that herein one was sheltered from the subtle influence of outside tensions and forces. He told me to concentrate my mind as per my practice. Then he said, "Move your mind to the top of your head." At once I felt like ants were crawling there, and involuntarily raised my hand to feel the area. U Ba Khin then said, "No, don't do that, we will start again." Then he told me to move my atten-::ãè down my face. With this, the sensation, which was now one of burning, followed my mind. Then I was told to return to the cave and work with the sensation until I could place it in every part of my body. This sensation is named "Anicca" (pronounced, Annay-sa), and is said to be the direct perception of the arising and the disintegration of the most subtle particles which form the physical mass of the body. It is the direct perception that the body is porary and therefore not one's reality. The disintegration of each particle is atomic, and therefore, the sensation of burning hea:. Some pupils, whose bodies are lodged with impurities, cannot bear the agony of the burning and must stop and leave. After a number of days of this, all impurities are burned away and the Annica car. be freely moved throughout the body. The ability to sweep Anicci throughout the body still remains with me.
When the Meditation Master sees this, he takes the next step. He told me to concentrate on the chest area. After two or three days of this, Annica, which at first was felt throughout the ches; area, narrowed down until there was no sensation in the entire body except for one small spot at the center of the chest and which seemed to be no larger than the head of a pin. When the Meditation Master saw this, I was again called into the Pagoda. I was told to concentrate again until I felt only the pin-point of Annica. U Ba Khin told me then, "I will say, 'Give me your mind.'" No sooner were the words out, then an ice-cold breeze entered into me a: me back of the neck, and in surprise, I raised my hand there. U Ba Khin said, "No, don't do that. We will try it again." This time the cold breeze entered me from all around my neck (at least that was how it felt it was happening). I felt cool and delightful and as light as a feather as the cool, delightful sensation spread throughout :he body. I was then told to return to the cave and practice this until was under my command.
But away from the cave I could never do it except once — af:er stopping off in Rome, I went into an ancient Catholic Church, concentrated my mind and was again filled with that cool, delicious lightness. My wife, however, is much better than I and do this "drop into the transcendental state" as it is called.

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