If you were calm and concentrated that was good. However, because you were not focusing on a particular object and just the heart, and it lasted only a few seconds, it should be ignored and not sought after. The only thing you did right was develop concentration and a calm mind. Keep doing that consistently with the breath. Try to remember to focus on the general presence or concept of the breath and not get hung up on real objects. When the light appears, if you know that light “as the breath” automatically, then your mind will shift to it. If you know the light as one thing and the breath as another, then focus on the breath. If they are separate, it is not the anapana nimitta.
Yes bhante thanks for explaining…
Now am training myself again… slowly slowly…
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So basically we need to focus on contact where breath touch.
And how much long does it touches…
We need to note that in mind continuosly without breaking the link …
How calm i feeling…how good i feeling has nothing to do with it …
We must focus on contact and that contact must replicate into nimitta
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You need to know the breath as a concept. You need to read up on the word concept and paññatti. Focusing on the feelings are real objects. This will not work for calming the mind. Try not to judge or rate or pay attention to any detail. Just “breath”. Try to read some books on anapana by ven pa-auk sayadaw, like knowing and seeing
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Yes bhante I understand…
True samadhi is still, powerful and razor sharp State our goal should be to get unshakable concentration not to indulge in relaxation.
Relaxation is byproduct.
We must meditate for concentration. Not comfort.
Sukha is byproduct. One pointedness is goal
There is saying
Concentration should feel solid, unwavering -like a mountain, not like floating on a cloud …
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I think there should be circumspection with regards to concentrating and focusing on a single object.
Concentration can go the wrong way . The key factors are non-attachment and all samatha development comes with panna, wisdom (although different from the panna that knows the characteristic of a reality).
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Yes, Master…
I mean, in the fourth jhana, you are leaving sukha and piti aside… I know that jhanic sukha and piti are different from the relaxation and calmness you gain from day-to-day practice.
At the end, ekaggata remains.
Initially, my aim was sukha… thinking that if jhanic sukha arises, it’s a good thing. After daily practice, I would feel relaxed and somewhat intoxicated with the practice. This used to lead to laziness and avoiding the next sitting.
But a few days ago, it clicked in my mind that sukha is not what I want—I want ekaggata. So now, after meditation, I don’t rely on relaxation. Instead, I continuously focus on the breath contact point…
The vsm says that feeling the factors is a distraction. The object of concentration should be what is focused on. You will know it is present and make you comfortable like a proper climate you are concentrating on taking a test. But you will not pay attention to that.
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Unfortunately, this is the huge difference between ajahn-brahm-jhana" and vsm or Pa-auk jhana. Ajahn Brahm is very clear that his “ajahn-brahm-jhana” has piti-sukha as the object(s) (actually two objects).
This is where people get confused as he sells himself as a “theravada” meditation teacher.
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I always thought that the jhanas described by Ajahn Brahm and those in the Vism/Pa-Auk tradition were the same. When I read Ajahn Brahm’s book and the section on anapana in the Pa-Auk book, I got that impression. However, after reading about the “dark jhana” of Ajahn Brahm on your blog, I became confused. This confusion grew even more when I read someone saying that Ajahn Brahm’s jhanas are even deeper than those of Pa-Auk. I’ll try to find where I read that and post it here.
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I strongly recommend that you check with Ajahn Brahm yourself. Explain your confusion between the descriptions. Double check with the source.
“Is your jhana you describe without a nimitta in the jhana stage?” (Or did you claim this in 2009?)
You will see very clearly. Send an email. I have the contact page in my post. Why does the nimitta go away? Because the nimitta is not the object of ajahn-brahm-jhana. That is why.
I’m quite surprised that there has been a lot SEO against my page. It used to be number 1, but now I had trouble finding my own page (and google knows I like my own website).
Try aggressively to find the information in writing and send to me. I will update my page.
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I encourage you to just ask at the contact page of ajahn brahm’s website and cite a real object source.
I already understand the significant difference between the two methods.