Kasiṇa Bhāvanā

By focusing on one specific point, such as the center of a colored circle, or some element, and by developing concentration that involves jhāna, passion (rāga) and all obstacles (nīvaraṇa) will stop. After reaching the fourth jhāna, it is possible to continue with vipassanā bhāvanā, with the aim to achieve knowledge (ñāṇa) and to achieve full awakening (nibbāna).

There is little information about kasiṇa-bhāvana practice in the scriptures, compared with, for example, with the development of sati. Nevertheless, kasiṇa meditation was mentioned and described in many suttas. According to the Mahāsakuludāyisutta, the Buddha himself taught kasiṇa practice, and there were many bhikkhus who attained the perfection of the knowledge (abhiññā-vosāna-pārami) through kasiṇabhāvanā:

“Again, Udāyi, I have explained to my disciples the way to develop the ten spheres of kasiṇa (dasa kasiṇāyatanāni bhāventi). One contemplates the earth-kasiṇa above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable. Another contemplates the water-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the fire-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the air-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the blue-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the yellow-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the redkasiṇa… Another contemplates the white-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the space-kasiṇa… Another contemplates the consciousness-kasiṇa above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable (around as in unity, and infinite). In this practice there are many of my disciples who have attained to the summit of the perfection of higher knowledge (abhiññā-vosāna-pārami). ⁶⁵

The same is formulated as a definite form of training for disciples.

Moreover, there is no doubt that the Buddha himself had thoroughly evaluated kasiṇa meditation, as it is well-evidenced in the Canon. According to the Accharāsaṅghāta in the Anguttara Nikāya, the cultivation of the jhānas through one or more of the ten kasiṇās is cited as an attribute of a faithful follower of the Buddha, who practices the awakening path rightly and who is worthy of almsgiving:

“O, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who practice the [jhāna of] paṭhavikasiṇa even for a moment, for the duration of a snap of the

fingers, is said to be the bhikkhu, who lives not empty of jhāna, who follows the masters teaching, who acts upon his advice, and who [rightly] partakes of the alms offered by the country or the pious. How much more they who practice it more?” The same statement is repeated for each kasiṇa.

It is clear that kasiṇa meditation was already known before the Buddha's enlightenment as a teaching or a practice of some non- Buddhist schools. In the Kāḷīsutta, Ven. Mahakaccana answers the questions of a lay female disciple concerning the benefits that the Buddha received by developing all ten kasiṇas to perfection:

“At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain. Then the laywoman Kāḷī of Kurughara went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, this was said by the Buddha in ‘The Maidens’ Questions’: ‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart. Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant, alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss. That’s why I don’t get too close to people, and no-one gets too close to me.’ How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?” “Sister, some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal earth to be the ultimate. Thinking: ’this is the goal’, they are reborn. The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal earth was the ultimate. Directly knowing this he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths. Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart. Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal water to be the ultimate. Thinking: ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. … Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal fire … universal air … universal blue … universal yellow … universal red … universal white … universal space … universal consciousness to be the ultimate. Thinking: ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal consciousness was the ultimate. Directly knowing this

he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths. Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart. So, sister, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in ‘The Maiden’s Questions’: ‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart. Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant, alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss. That’s why I don’t get too close to people, and no-one gets too close to me.’” ⁶⁶

Although kasiṇa meditation was taught by the Buddha himself, it is not very popular today, and there are several reasons for this.

First of all, there are very few meditation centers in which people can practice kasiṇa meditation. Because it may be safer for a beginner to start with experienced practitioners and since it is rare to find a kasiṇa meditation center, it can become an important factor in deciding what kind of meditation to practice.

Secondly, it is much easier for a beginner to start kasiṇa meditation under the guidance of qualified teachers who have experience with the kasiṇa method. Unfortunately, today it is not easy to find masters of kasiṇa meditation.

Thirdly, there is the widespread belief that it is possible to immediately begin vipassanā meditation without having to stop the pañca nīvaraṇa. Such an understanding is often presented in popular literature, or in the marketing of vipassanā meditation centers. However, since it is not really possible to start with vipassanā meditation, such positioning may have negative effects and unexpected results. It may cause people to lose faith and interest in meditation as well as in the teachings of the Buddha.

Fourthly, as kasiṇa meditation requires a personalized device, it does not fit well with mind development in group. For example, if someone has made an earth kasiṇa for himself, he should take it to the meditation center, practice there, and then return to his place of residence. Wishing to practice kasiṇa meditation during the process of traveling, one must also take a kasiṇa device on the trip. Since this is not

particularly practicable, the practice of kasiṇa is usually carried out at home or in a place where the kasiṇa is located.

Another reason may be the fact that kasiṇa meditation requires that the surrounding environment of each meditator must be free from visual stimulants. This requirement can be hard to ensure in group practice.

One more important reason that kasiṇa meditation is not these days a popular method of mind-training may be the fact that the information on this method is limited and often vague or even misleading. Online shared teachings and the instructions are often incompetent and given by people who do not have practical experience. Because of such misleading sources of information, people may be persuaded that kasiṇa meditation is dangerous, that the Buddha did not teach it, that it is a waste of time, and that people really should start their practice with vipassanā.

As stated above, the objects of kasiṇa-bhāvana contain ten different kinds of devices (sāvakā dasa kasiṇa-āyatanāni bhāventi). According to the Paṭhamakosalasutta, the 10 kinds of kasiṇas are as follows:

1. Earth kasiṇa (paṭhavī kasiṇa); 2. Water kasiṇa (āpo-kasiṇa); 3. Fire kasiṇa (tejo-kasiṇa); 4. Air kasiṇa (vāyo-kasiṇa); 5. Blue kasiṇa (nīla-kasiṇa); 6. Yellow kasiṇa (pīta-kasiṇa); 7. Red kasiṇa (lohita-kasiṇa); 8. White kasiṇa (odāta-kasiṇa); 9. Space kasiṇa (ākāsa-kasiṇa); 10. Consciousness kasiṇa (viññāṇa-kasiṇa). ⁶⁷

Although the scriptures do not contain the light-kasiṇa (ālokakasiṇa) in the list of kasiṇāyatanas, it occurs in the Jhānavagga of the Anguttara Nikāya. This makes eleven kasiṇas in total.

Buddhaghosa Thera, in the Visuddhimagga, omitted the consciousness device (viññāṇa-kasiṇa) and replaced it with the light device (āloka-kasiṇa). He also modified the space device (ākāsa-kasiṇa) into the limited space (paricchinnākāsa) one.

The first four kasiṇas (earth, water, fire, air) are termed as element kasiṇas (bhūta-kasiṇa) and following four (blue, yellow, red, white) as color kasiṇas (vaṇṇa-kasiṇas). In the Yogāvacara Manual, the first four are also classified as bhūta-kasiṇas, but last six as vaṇṇa-kasiṇas. According to the Nettipakaraṇa, the four element kasiṇas and four color kasiṇas belong to the rūpa-jhāna attainment which can be achieved through samathabhāvanā and last two to the arūpa-jhāna attainment, which can be achieved through vipāsanna-bhāvanā. Grouped under the rubric of ⁶⁸ kasiṇāyatanas, they have been employed as a means of inducing jhāna.

Pic: Red, yellow, green-blue and white kasiṇa.

Notes

1. I. B. Horner (tr.), (2017), “The Greater Discourse to Sakuludāyin” MN 77, March 29, 2020, 65 source: https://suttacentral.net/mn77/en/horner.
2. Sujato bhikkhu (tr.), Kāḷīsutta AN 10.26, March 29, 2020, source: https://suttacentral.net/ 66 an10.26/en/sujato.
3. See details in Paṭhamakosalasutta AN 10.29.
4. Ne 21. 68