Those who practice meditation develop the ability to understand the essence of phenomena and to direct their attention to the higher. As a result, they can be conduits of peace and wisdom for the reality in which they exist.
Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) is a treatise written by Buddhaghosa in the fifth century CE. It compiles and organizes methods for developing concentration and meditation, drawing upon the sutras—written sources that have survived to the present day.
The Dalai Lama: “The Visuddhimagga is a manual of meditation that draws together the many threads of Pali Buddhist literature. There are times when people like to make a big deal of the supposed differences between various traditions. What I find particularly reassuring about a book like this is that it shows how much all the schools have in common.”
Below are forty objects for meditation, following the sequence in the treatise.
The first ten objects are called kasinas.
In the Pali language of ancient India, kasiṇa translates as “whole.”
Kasina meditation is intended to calm the mind.
It is a rarely practiced technique today, but familiarity with it can help one better understand other meditation methods with similar principles.
The Ten Kasinas:
- Earth
- Water
- Fire
- Air/Wind
- Colors: Blue, Yellow, Red, White
- Space
- Consciousness
1st Kasina: Earth
When an ascetic has overcome drowsiness after a meal, they should sit in a secluded place and contemplate a sign on the earth, either constructed or unconstructed.
The sign is a mandala the size of a saucer or larger. Perceiving it as a jewel, cultivating respect for it, cherishing it, the practitioner unites their mind with this object of visualization. Free fr om sensory experiences, they enter and abide in the first jhana.
“Constructed or unconstructed”
This meditation, in its initial phase, involves focusing on a material form. In this case, it is a level patch of earth.
A constructed earth kasina is round, painted a specific color, and made of clay. It is placed four to ten feet in front of the practitioner.
Method: Gaze intently at the object, then close your eyes.
If, after establishing the sign, opening the eyes, looking, and then closing them again, the kasina appears to the inner vision exactly as it did when viewed with open eyes, then the practitioner has mastered this practice.
After gazing at and visualizing the object numerous times, it is possible to focus solely on the mental image. When this focus becomes stable, it is recommended to practice without looking at the physical form. The image-sign that arises in the mind is called "nimitta."
“They maintain their inner vision”: bringing it to the level of jhana, they fix the mind, preventing concentration on other forms.
Jhana is the name for deeper stages of meditation, possible after developing the ability to sustain focused attention. In Pali, the word "jhana" means "burning of delusions." It is a state in which there are no mental obscurations.
The following passage provides a variation of the mindset with which the practice of concentration begins:
Then it is recommended to awaken joy by recognizing the unique qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha; realizing, "This is the path entered upon by all Buddhas, Pratyekabuddhas, and noble disciples." After this, one should gradually open their eyes, imprint the sign, and thus begin to memorize it.
2nd Kasina: Water
One who wishes to develop the water kasina should, as with the earth mandala, sit comfortably and perceive the sign in the water, either constructed or unconstructed. If someone has developed this practice in previous [lives], the sign arises before them in the water. When they concentrate on the ocean, the sign of the water kasina appears before their eyes.
Focusing on water poured into a vessel is permissible.
3rd Kasina: Fire
Focus on any form of live fire. The sign of concentration in the case of water is like transparent crystal; the sign in the case of fire is a golden pillar.
Perhaps, trataka—concentration on the flame of a candle—is an echo of the fire kasina.
4th Kasina: Air
The practitioner who wishes to develop the air kasina should see the sign in the air. They concentrate on the tips of plant branches swaying in the wind, or they concentrate on the touch of the wind on the surface of their body.
5th-8th Kasinas: Color
For this practice, focusing on a flower, cloth, or a constructed round shape of the corresponding color is recommended. In the case of white, focusing on sunlight or moonlight in a room is also recommended.
9th Kasina: Space
Focusing on a small, round hole created on any surface is recommended. This hole is called "limited space." There is also a method of realizing space by contemplating perspective in nature.
10th Kasina: Consciousness
The final object, "consciousness," relates to the bright light of a clear mind. A synonym for the concept of "radiance of a clear mind" is luminosity, clear light—the primordial enlightened essence with which every being is endowed.
A sutra that mentions the practice of kasinas: "The Great Discourse to Sakuludayin (MN 77). Eight Meditative Spheres of Attainment, Ten Totalities."
The next ten objects are "impure" objects of aversion. These are specific concentration techniques focusing on different stages of bodily decomposition, having a particular purpose: to liberate oneself from fixation on the needs of the body. These methods are not general but are applied in specific cases.
The Buddha: "Concentration through mindfulness of breathing, when cultivated and refined, is like nectar, a calm and sublime abiding, which dispels and immediately soothes unhealthy states whenever they arise."
Anapanasati—mindfulness of breathing—is one of the ten types of recollections. For more information on this practice, please read here.
"Sati" - 'mindfulness.'
"Anusati" - 'recollection, remembrance.'
The Ten Types of Recollection Meditation:
- Buddha (buddha-anusati)
- Dhamma (knowledge, dhamma-anusati)
- Sangha (community, sangha-anusati)
- Morality (sila)
- Generosity (chaga)
- Recollection of Devas (deities)
- Recollection of Death (maranasati)
- Mindfulness of Breathing (anapanaasati)
- Mindfulness of the Body (kayagatasati)
- Recollection of Peace (upasamanusati)
Focusing on the image of the Buddha directs attention to the light, to a particular enlightenment. Through the practice of recollecting the Buddha, a person attunes to a specific quality of energy that ennobles the inner world and the surrounding space.
One important characteristic of "recollections" is that by engaging in the practice under favorable conditions, a person develops the ability to recall this enlightening energy at a crucial moment when it might be difficult to concentrate. Recollection is a kind of elevator upwards, into a more positive reality, to the extent possible.
More on recollections: "Mahanamasutta" (Anguttara Nikaya 6.10).
The Four Immeasurables are foundational qualities for several meditative practices.
- Loving-Kindness (Metta)
- Compassion (Karuna)
- Sympathetic Joy (Mudita)
- Equanimity (Upekkha)
Loving-Kindness: Metta
More on this: "Metta Sutta": AN 8.1
May all beings be free from enmity, suffering, and anxiety; may they live in joy and safety.
Metta is the antidote to aggression, hatred, and similar states. When a person experiences strong emotions, they see reality through the prism of these emotions. To perceive any phenomenon more broadly, beyond the immediate information, a calm state of mind is necessary. Any action should stem not from an agitated mind, but from clarity, tranquility, or wisdom. The practice of meditation contributes to this state. A reality wh ere beings are peacefully disposed toward each other, and this forms the basis of their interaction, is beneficial for all.
Well-wishing stems from relating to other beings as if all these beings were you.
In the "Vatthupamasutta," it is said:
The practitioner abides, projecting loving-kindness from themselves in the four directions, as well as above and below. Around and everywhere, to all—as to oneself. Abiding in this state, filling everything around with peace, with a mind cultivated as great, boundless, free from enmity and ill will.
In this practice, it is customary to mentally wish well to people: those whom the mind perceives amicably, neutrally, or with any form of aversion; to those familiar and unfamiliar.
Compassion: Karuna
They continue to permeate the first direction, as well as the second, third, and fourth directions with awareness imbued with compassion. Thus, they continue to permeate above, below, and around, everywhere and in every way, the all-encompassing cosmos with awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, vast, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will ("Kalama Sutta").
Compassion is a key quality for those who intend to help living beings on the path of spiritual self-improvement. If a person possesses this quality, they need to learn to live with it wisely. But in general, this is the hallmark of all spiritual teachers—a deep concern for the world.
Kamalasila, "Stages of Meditation":
"Motivated by compassion [karuna], bodhisattvas vow to liberate all living beings. Compassion is the sole root of omniscience; you should familiarize yourself with this practice from the very beginning."
In Shantideva's "Bodhicharyavatara," in the eighth chapter devoted to meditation, it is said:
Strive first to meditate on the identity of self and others. In joy and sorrow, all are equal. So be the guardian of all, as of yourself. Hands and other limbs are numerous and different, but they are all one—the body must be protected and cared for. Likewise, different beings in their joys and sorrows, like me, are all united in the desire for happiness. This pain of mine does not oppress or cause discomfort to another's body, and yet it is hard for me to bear this pain because I cling to it and take it as my own. And I do not feel the pains of other beings, and yet, because I take them as myself, their sufferings belong to me and are therefore hard to bear. And therefore, I will dispel the pain of others, for it is simply pain, the same as mine. And I will help and benefit others, for they are living beings, like my own body. Because both I and other beings desire happiness.
Sympathetic Joy: Mudita
The word "mudita" translates as "pure joy."
The Buddha: "Here, monks, the disciple allows their mind to fill one quarter of the world with thoughts of altruistic joy, then the second, third, and fourth. Into the entire wide world, above, below, around, everywhere and equally, they continue to permeate their heart with altruistic joy, abundant, magnified, immeasurable, without hostility or ill will."
Equanimity: Upekkha
To practice upekkha means to be unshakeable in the face of the eight vicissitudes of life, otherwise known as the eight worldly winds, or eight worldly conditions: loss and gain, good and bad reputation, praise and blame, sorrow and happiness.
In ancient India, there was a cruel practice: animal sacrifice. It is believed that certain philosophical concepts of ahimsa—non-violence—were aimed precisely at ending this practice. The embodiment of such a concept became the practice of metta—loving-kindness towards all living beings.
Brahma-vihara, the ancient name for the Four Immeasurables, translates as "Divine Abode, the abode of Brahma." This name is associated with the idea that those who cultivate these qualities can be more favorably reborn. In any case, the universal spiritual foundations of perception listed in these four may be relevant to every person.
Meditation is a state of stillness in which thoughts have already dissolved. Therefore, the methods presented are not meditation in essence, but methods of concentration that contribute to the possibility of this state.
The Four Immaterial States (Four Arupa-ayatana):
- The sphere of infinite space
- The sphere of infinite consciousness
- The sphere of nothingness
- The sphere of neither perception nor non-perception
Of the remaining five, one meditation object relates to the perception of aversion to food (ahare patikkulasanna), and the last four represent the "four great elements": earth, water, fire, air.
More on this: "Dhatuvibhanga Sutta": Discourse on the Analysis of the Elements (MN 140)
In Asanga's treatise "Yogacarabhumi-sastra," it is stated that meditation techniques can be general or specific to purifying particular proclivities.
Foci for Purifying a Practitioner's Proclivities:
- A person with a temperament of desire is recommended various meditations of the patikkulamanasikara type—concentration on the impermanence of the five aggregates.
- A person with a temperament of aversion and hatred is recommended meditation on loving-kindness (metta), then on compassion and sympathetic joy.
- A person with delusions is recommended meditation on causality and dependent origination.
- A person with a temperament of pride and vanity is recommended meditation on the division of constituents (dhatu-prabheda), that is, on the six elements: earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness.
- People with developed intellect are suited to meditation on mindfulness of breathing anapanaasati.
Methods:
- Counting the breath
- Observing how each of the five aggregates participates in the breathing process
- Observing dependent origination through breathing
- Observing the Four Noble Truths
If you are familiar with a meditation method that has a beneficial effect on you, this is of great value.
The diversity described in the treatise is an overview of the tradition. The most valuable method is considered to be the one that a person learns not through description, but through joint practice with a teacher.
An important condition for the realization of the method is consistency. Sufficient time is needed for the practice to unfold.
That which is subject to change is the superficial layer of personality, the layer of change. Meditation is a movement toward what lies beyond change.
May your practices be luminous!
Literature
- Buddhaghosa — Visuddhimagga
- Asanga — Yogacarabhumi-sastra
- "Sutra on Recollections: Mahanamasutta" (Anguttara Nikaya 6.10)