Question about uggaha-nimitta

Meditation
1

How does the uggaha nimitta look like in kasina meditation?

I know that there are three types of nimitta in kasina: parikamma-nimitta (preparatory sign), uggaha-nimitta (acquired sign), and paṭibhāga-nimitta (counterpart sign).

Parikamma nimitta is the real object that one focuses on. Uggaha nimitta is supposed to be like a mental image.

Does seeing uggaha nimitta means you can easily visualize the kasina object? I’m just wondering if I’m beginning to see the uggaha nimitta or not. I practice the fire kasina and after focusing on the kasina, the mental image sticks but I don’t know how vivid it needs to be. For a mental image to be an uggaha nimitta, does it need to be so vivid that it’s blocking our field of vision?

If one can easily visualize the kasina object, can they just focus on the mental image now?

Could someone help me?

1 Like
2

Can u recall mental image whenever u want?

1 Like
3

If I focus on the water or fire kasina for a while and then close my eyes, then yes I could recall it even when I get up and do simple tasks such as walking or drinking water. However, if I feel drowsy when sitting, I can’t recall the image clearly anymore. I also can’t recall the image that clearly if I get really busy with my coding project for college and stop focusing on the mental image of the kasina for a while.

I think the standing posture is the best for me. It has more stillness than walking, more energy than sitting, and helps overcome drowsiness.
I sit on a chair to look at the kasina but after I can easily see it in the mind, I like to stand and just focus on the mental image instead of the physical kasina because it feels better and I can concentrate more.

From the Visuddhimagga:

  1. Postures: walking suits one; standing or sitting or lying down suits another. So he should try them, like the abode, for three days each, and that posture is suitable in which his unconcentrated mind becomes concentrated or his concentrated mind becomes more so. Any other should be understood as unsuitable.
2 Likes
4

Nice bro …it also increasing my enthusiasm and will to do my practice more carefully and heedful

Am not expert but I think u just continue recalling image without actually looking at your kasina …
Continue continue continue then jhana factors will arise.
U read that interview shared by bhante subhuti..

2 Likes
5

Yes the interview was very inspiring. It would be so good if I can succeed in both meditation and career.

1 Like
6

Yup it would be good i also wish for the same for me …

Mastery in jhana and very very successful career..and nothing is happening

2 Likes
7

I’m kind of glad that I’m still young. I’m 20 now so if I live up to 80, I still have another 60 years to practice the Dhamma. I hope I one day attain and master supernormal powers and make them second nature like walking.

8

Can u write step by step how u doing kashina meditation..it will be helpful for us

9

I’ll try to describe how I’m meditating in the best way I can.

I look at a kasina image on my computer. I gaze at it and attend to it with my mind, without tensing up my forehead or trying too hard to concentrate. If I notice that I’m tensing up my head, I stop the noting (like “water… water… water”) and just continue looking at the kasina calmly. Then I notice that my mind is naturally directed to the kasina object simply with my intent—without needing to force focus or tighten my head. The intent is all that’s needed. We don’t need to tense our head to direct our mind to the kasina or any meditation object.

If I feel like I’m trying too hard, I look slightly above the kasina for a moment. Even while I do that, my mind is still thinking about the kasina. That’s how I started to understand vitakka and vicāra—you direct the mind to the object and keep it connected, but you don’t have to force it. In daily life too, we naturally direct our minds to things all the time. Meditation is just placing the mind on the object gently and keeping it there without tension.

When the screen dims due to inactivity, I just close my eyes and turn to the mental image of the kasina. At that point, I can see it in my mind, and I feel I can concentrate even more. If I feel sleepy and can’t overcome it while sitting, I stand up and continue placing my mind on the kasina. I stay connected to it while walking with eyes open.

I also use more than one word for the kasina. For example, when meditating on the water kasina, I cycle through four names: “water,” “quencher of thirst,” “āpo,” and “the still one.” I concentrate on the concept of water. All these names point to the same concept of water.

After I finished meditating, I was doing something else, and I recalled the water kasina and instantly my mind was directed to the mental image and I could see it in my mind, and it made me happy. This happened without any tension.

Outside of formal meditation, I practice Recollection of the Buddha and Mettā. I pay homage to the Buddha whenever I can by mentally saying, “I pay homage to the Buddha,” and it makes me joyful. I’ve also studied the Buddha’s qualities, so sometimes I naturally think about them, just like someone would have spontaneous thoughts. I can also bring the image of the Buddha into my mind anytime I want.

Something else that helps is because I’ve read suttas on Sila and Dana, thinking about them also make me happy and I’m able to delight in them.

1 Like
10

Great …but I am sceptical about using bright screen as it lead to make afterimages when we close eyes after looking at bright object for longer time …

But as u can recall this images and u can sustain concentration it is definitely working for u …

Great :+1::+1::smiley::smiley:

11

You can lower the brightness of the screen. Mine is the third lowest. When you close your eyes, you should try to see the object with your mind not your eyes. For example, if you think of your house, you might briefly see it in your mind, which isn’t an afterimage.

1 Like