Reflections on 3-5th stages of meditation

As one meditates, one might enter fana or samadhi. As he comes out of it, one will notice that he is now able to focus on a single task and get work done. The author of Zen Training Methods and Philosophy call this positive samadhi. It is essentially a capacity to focus on a task in a single minded fashion.

He, therefore, wishes now to make this state a norm rather than an exception so that he may become more effective person. This constitutes the third stage of the meditative practices.

As one comes out of fana, one will have an opportunity to look back  to fana and learn more about it, for it represents another dimension of existence that is  different from the ordinary forms of existence. There is wide range of discussion regarding what this existence is. He or she will have an occasion to participate in these discussions given his or her own experience of what this existence is. This stage constitutes the fourth stage of the meditation practices.

One notices the capacity to focus has decaying quality so that it peaks right after fana or samadhi, and then gradually moves towards zero. Presently, to focus again on a single task in single minded fashion, one has to enter fana or samadhi and then come back to focus. Realization of this constitutes the fifth stage of the meditation.