How to meditate, lower parts of Dependent Origination? How to meditate, lower parts of Dependent Origination with five aggregates ?
The 'meditator' is 'nama-rupa' (4th link). 'Nama' is defined as 'feeling, perception, intention, internal contact &amp; attention' and also includes mental functions such as 'mindfulness', 'effort', etc. 'Rupa' is the physical body.  

The breathing is 'kaya sankkara' (2nd link). 

When the breathing arises into awareness, this is consciousness (3rd link). 

When the breathing is 'felt' &amp; 'perceived' as 'long', 'short', 'smooth', 'rough', 'calming', 'agitated', etc, this feeling &amp; perceiving is 'nama' (4th link).  

When the mind drifts away from the object of meditation (breathing) and then makes the decision to return to the breathing, this wholesome intention is 'nama' (4th link). 

When the mind sustains attention (4th link) on the breathing (2nd link), this is nama (4th link). Knowing the breathing &amp; nama is consciousness (3rd link).

You must meditate continuously on the method described above until you can clearly distinguish between the 2nd, 3rd &amp; 4th links &amp; their role. 





If the breathing (2nd link) feels (4th link) agitated, this agitation is due to ignorance (1st link). 

If distracting thoughts (2nd link - vaci sankhara) and perceptions &amp; feelings (2nd link - citta sankhara) arise in the mind, these are produced from ignorance (1st link). 

When the drives or moods of the five hindrances (sensual desire, ill-will, sloth, restlessness, remorse, doubt, fear) spontaneously flow out (asava) of the mind, this outflow of hindrances is the 1st link (ignorance). 

When the nama (4th link) generates intention (4th link) to calm or remove the distracting thoughts (2nd link) &amp; hindrances (1st link), this intention &amp; application of wisdom is the 4th link (nama). 

When the nama perceives (4th link) the ignorant thoughts &amp; perceptions arising at the 2nd link, the right perception (4th link) of the wrong perceptions (2nd link) is mindfulness &amp; clear-comprehension (4th link)  





If the nama-rupa (4th) link is overwhelmed &amp; controlled by ignorance (1st link), the nama-rupa will generate intentions (4th link) to seek external sense objects (5th link) and make contact with the external world (6th link). From this, the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th &amp; 12th links will lead to the generation of dukkha (suffering).  





The above is meditation upon the first 4 links of dependent origination. 

When the sankhara (2nd link) are all calmed &amp; clear, this is samatha. 

When ignorance (1st link) is reduced or eradicated due to seeing the four noble truths &amp; the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness &amp; not-self of the five aggregates, this is vipassana.