Kasiṇa Practice in the Visuddhimagga

According to the instructions given in Visuddhimagga, a practitioner should open his eyes to a moderate degree, apprehend the sign, and so proceed to develop it.

The progress of kasiṇa-bhāvanā can be seen through nimitta, which are “marks” or “signs” that emerge during the practice. According to the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, there are three types of nimittas, viz.:

1. preliminary signs (parikamma-nimitta), 2. acquired signs (uggaha-nimitta), 3. counterpart signs (paṭibhāga-nimitta).

The preliminary sign is the original object of concentration used during the preliminary stages of practice. The learning sign is a mental replica of the object perceived in the mind exactly as it appears to the physical eyes. The mentally visualized image freed of all defects is the counterpart sign. The counterpart sign, it is said, “Appears as if breaking out from the learning sign, and hundred times or a thousand times more purified,… like the moon’s disk coming out from behind a cloud”. Of the three signs, the preliminary sign and the learning sign (parikammanimitta and uggahanimitta) are generally found in relation to every object, in the appropriate way. But the counterpart sign is found only in the kasiṇas, foulness, the parts of the body, and mindfulness of breathing. It is by means of the counterpart sign that access concentration and absorption concentration occur.

When the mind and body are prepared, a practitioner can start to contemplate a kasiṇa. If he opens his eyes too wide, they get fatigued and the disk becomes too obvious, which prevents the sign becoming apparent to him. If he opens them too narrowly, the disk is not obvious enough, and his mind becomes drowsy, which also prevents the sign becoming apparent to him. Therefore, he should develop it by apprehending the sign (nimitta), keeping his eyes open moderately as if he were seeing the reflection of his face (mukha-nimitta) on the surface of a looking glass. ⁶⁹

The device must be seen, but not too clearly, for, otherwise, the acquired image (uggaha nimitta) would not arise. ⁷⁰

A practitioner should be neither too intent nor too careless. Just as a man, when looking at himself in a mirror, takes no notice of the form, color, or shape of the mirror itself, so, the practitioner should gaze at the device without taking note of its color or other characteristics. Leaving aside all thoughts of its color and of the material from which it is made, they should endeavor to hold in their mind the concept of earth (paṭhavī), of which the kasiṇa is only the symbol. But, it is not enough merely to think of the earth of which the device is composed. The practitioner should also identify themself with earth, remembering that the gross and solid particles of their own body also consist of that element. For that purpose, they should select one of the Pāḷi names for “earth”, such as paṭhavī, mahī, medinī, bhūmi, etc, whichever is most suitable for their requirements, and then silently repeat this word over and over again. But, inasmuch as the name most commonly used for “earth” is paṭhavī, they should favor this word, meditating upon it and repeating it at frequent intervals. Until the uggaha nimitta is obtained, they should concentrate upon the disk, sometimes with the eyes open, at other times with them shut, even though this exercise may have to be repeated a hundred or a thousand times. When the disk appears in the mind as clearly when the eyes are shut as when they are open, then, the sign called uggaha nimitta (“acquired image”, or “mirror image”) is fully developed.

Once the uggaha nimitta has been obtained, the practitioner should not remain seated in the same place, but, rising and entering their own abode, resume meditation there, concentrating upon the acquired sign (uggaha nimitta). Should this concentration, which is still in an immature state, be lost through the intrusion of some other thought, they should return to the place where the device (kasiṇa) is located, obtain the uggaha nimitta afresh, and, returning again to their abode and sit comfortably and develop it with wholehearted attentiveness. According to the Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha, the course of meditation up to this point is called parikamma, “preliminary”, and the concentration resulting from it is called parikammasamādhi, “preliminary concentration”.

In the course of the development of this samādhi, induced by the uggaha nimitta, the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) are suppressed, the mental defilements (kilesa) are banished, and the mind is stabilized by access concentration (upacāra samādhi). Then, the paṭibhāga nimitta (counterpart image, or after-image) arises, which is a hundred times, or even a thousand times more purified than the uggaha nimitta. In the uggaha nimitta, the faults (dosa) of the kasiṇa device are still observable, while in the paṭibhāga nimitta, they are not. The afterimage (paṭibhāga nimitta) has the appearance of a clean mirror, or the orb of the moon, when it has just arisen from behind the clouds. But, it possesses neither color nor the appearance of solidity, for, otherwise, it would be cognizable

by the sense of sight, like a gross, material form, which would be more appropriate to the contemplation of the three characteristic marks. To a practitioner of samādhi meditation, this after-image is a sign produced by the mind. It is termed “counterpart” (paṭibhāga) in the sense that it is a mental representation of the primal quality of the object, in this case, the element of earth, and is empty of absolute reality. From the time of its appearance, the hindrances remain suppressed, the mental defilements are banished, and the mind is fully concentrated in upacāra samādhi (“ access concentration”). This level of concentration is called upacāra samādhi because it is near to attainment concentration (appanā samādhi), or absorption concentration (jhāna samādhi), and is still on the borderline between kāmāvacara and rūpāvacara. Hence, it is also called kāmāvacara samādhi. In the kasiṇa meditation, this upacāra samādhi, since it precedes that of appanā samādhi, is weak, for its concomitant factors are not stable. Just as a baby, when placed upon its feet for the first time, falls down repeatedly, even so, the mind that has reached the level of upacāra samādhi rests, for a moment, upon the counterpart sign (paṭibhāga nimitta) and then lapses into life-continuum (bhavanga), the state of its primal being, or subconscious flow. But, once the mind has risen from bhavanga to the level of attainment concentration (appanā samādhi), which is very strong, because it is associated with the jhāna factors, it may remain upon the object for a whole day or night, where it proceeds by way of a succession of wholesome states. If the meditator develops the counterpart sign (paṭibhāga nimitta) in accordance with these considerations, in a short time, he or she should attain appanā samādhi, whereby the consciousness is transmuted to the jhāna state. If, in spite of their practice, they have not succeeded, they should follow the course of training for the attainment of appanā samādhi, which consists of ten factors, all of which should be practiced in unison. These ten factors are: (1) cleanliness; (2) regulation of the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and insight; (3) skill in guarding the sign which has been obtained through the preliminary practice of meditation; (4) support of the mind when it is slackened; (5) composure of the mind when it is distracted by an excess of energy from some other cause; (6) gladdening of the mind when it has become dispirited through lack of comprehension and failure to attain the goal for which one is striving. In this case, the meditator should gladden their mind by reflecting upon the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, as explained in the buddhānussati, dhammānussati, and sanghānussati; (7) the balancing of the mind when it has become unbalanced; (8) avoidance of people who are not accustomed to samādhi and who are of a frivolous nature; (9) association with those who have already attained samādhi or who are on

the path, and (10) whole-hearted inclination towards samādhi with a firm resolution to attain it. ⁷¹

While thus practicing the same nimitta, repeating the word of kasiṇa (“paṭhavī, paṭhavī ...”), the mind, gradually becoming apt and fit, will, in due course, attain to the appanā samādhi. In this manner, the practitioner attains the first fine material or form absorption (rūpajjhāna of the paṭhavī-kasiṇa), becoming such as is described in the scriptures: “ Free from sense desires, free from evil thoughts, with initial and sustained application, with rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha), born of inward solitude, one abides having attained the first jhāna.” ⁷²

In this way, this tenfold skillfulness in appanā samādhi should be accomplished.

In the case of the earth kasiṇa, the meditator prepares a disk of about thirty centimeters in diameter, covers it with clay the color of the dawn, and smoothens it well. This is the kasiṇa-disk, which serves as the preliminary sign for developing the earth kasiṇa. One then places the disk about a meter away and concentrates on it with the eyes partly opened, contemplating it as “earth, earth.”

To develop the water kasiṇa, the practitioner should use a bowl, vessel or well of pure, clear water. Concentrating on the concept of water, constantly noticing: “water”…, “water”…, “water”… he or she will get the uggaha-nimitta, and then will develop it as the earth kasiṇa.

To develop the fire kasiṇa, a practitioner can use a candle, a fire, or any other flame that he or she remembers seeing. If unable to visualize it, the practitioner can make a screen with a circular hole in it about one foot across. Putting the screen in front of a wood- or grass-fire, so he or she sees only the flames through the hole, ignoring the smoke, and burning wood or grass, the practitioner will concentrate on the concept of fire, constantly noticing: “fire”…, “fire”…, “fire”…, until they get the uggaha-nimitta, and then develop it in the usual way.

The wind kasiṇa is developed through the sense of touch, or sight. The practitioner can concentrate on the wind coming in through a window or door, touching the body, or the sight of leaves or branches moving in the wind. They concentrate on the concept of wind, constantly noticing: “wind”…, “wind”…, “wind”…, until they obtain the uggahanimitta, which looks like steam coming off hot milk rice. However, the paṭibhāga-nimitta is motionless, and is then developed in the usual way.

To develop the color kasiṇa, a practitioner may prepare a disk of the pre-scribed size and color it blue, yellow, red or white. Then, they should concentrate upon it by mentally repeating the name of the color. One may even prepare an object from flowers of the required color.

To develop the light kasiṇa, the practitioner can look at rays of light, as they stream into a room through, for example, a crack in the wall, and fall on the floor or as they stream through the leaves of a tree and fall on the ground. He or she can also look up through the branches of a tree, at the light in the sky above. If unable to visualize it, the practitioner can put a candle or lamp inside an earthen pot, and place the pot in such a way that rays of light come out of the opening of the pot, and fall upon the wall. Concentrating on the circle of light on the wall as a concept, constantly noticing: “light”…, “light”…, “light”…, they can get the uggaha-nimitta, and then develop it in the usual way.

To develop the space kasiṇa, a practitioner should look at the space in a doorway or window or make a circular hole in a piece of board, about eight inches to one foot across. Holding the board up so they see only the sky through the hole (no trees or other objects), they concentrate on the space within that circle as a concept, constantly noticing: “space”…, “space”…, “space”…, until they get the uggahanimitta, and then develop it in the usual way.

Notes

1. See details in Vism. 119.
2. Paravahera Vajirañāṇa, Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice, p. 116.
3. See details in Paravahera Vajirañāṇa, Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice, pp. 71 116-119.
4. Caroline A. F, Rhys Davids, A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics. 72 Dhammasangaṇī, Compendium of States or Phenomena, 3rd Edition, (Oxford: PTS, 1997), p. 31.