Anapanasati Meditation Session - 19/05/2013

Meditationtime Forum Post

Date:  Posted 3 years before Nov 03, 2016

Thomer Scheepens 3 years ago

Yesterday I finished reading the book: Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond by Ajahn Brahm.

It's about reaching the Jhana by following and putting awareness on the breaths, on the air that flows inside the nostrils in the inbreath and outbreath as well on the pauses inbetween.. putting as much attention as possible without controlling the breath.

Today I didn't feel so well so I skipped doing my regular Pranayama Routine and just went to do 1:30 of that meditation.

At some point, my guess would be around 30 - 40 minutes by just following the breath I felt heat sensations in my head and intense bliss feeling. At that point some teachings will tell you to just continue with following the breath so it will develop more until the nimitta appears OR stop following the breath and just putting awareness on feeling the bliss sensation which will grow to the point of seeing the nimitta as well.

I went with feeling the bliss sensation, my body started to get vibrations and tinglings and the bliss got a bit more intense, though I think I felt that bliss in a certain place at the head, I am not so sure where.. so I didn't actually feel it in my entire system such as my body, but still it was intense in its own way.

As I saw myself getting a bit like "WOW!" and rush of thoughts and that crap mind started to jump in I tried my best to return to following the breath and stay with it.. but the bliss sensation vanished.

When the bliss feeling arised the breathing itself was very pleasurable as well, this is probably what Ajahn Brahm means by following the breath until the breathing gets "beautiful"!

In my mind's eye the bliss spark looked dark red.

MiBeloved 3 years ago

Thomer,

How are you using the term nimitta, try to use it and also put the English after it or in parenthesis so that others can know exactly what state you are describing. See if your definitions tally with this:

According to the definitions (taken from Commentarial sources) found in Nyanatiloka's Buddhist Dictionary, there are three types of nimitta. The first type is the parikamma-nimitta, which refers to the perception of the object at the very beginning of concentration-it is also known as the "preparatory image or sign." When the mind reaches a weak degree of concentration, a still unsteady and unclear image or sign called the "acquired sign" (uggaha-nimitta) arises. This percept precedes the appearance of an entirely clear and static image called the "counter-image" or "counter-sign" (the patibhaga-nimitta). The appearance of this third type of nimitta signals the appearance of neighbourhood (or access) concentration, the state that precedes full jhanic absorption. Both of these states share the same sign but differ only in the intensity of the component (state) factors. As mentioned in this definition, the counter-part sign is understood as a more refined and clarified version of the sign and is the natural result of heightened awareness and concentration. By knowing these signs, both the student and teacher are helped to assess the success or failure of the corresponding concentration attainments.

from this page:

http://www.arrowriver.ca/dhamma/nimitta.html