Yo Don't Play

From Page Forty-Eight

Do not play with the nimitta. Do not let it go away.  Do not let it change its shape or appearance. 

I am on retreat and writing this down later.  I am concentrating well, with minutes of great peace, light, safe like father's arms.  It is a place.  A sweet voice says "It is nice to see you again", and half-joking, "Did I give you my name(s)?"  

I think of all the things I have selfishly taken up as my own. I apologize.

The nimitta is not here, but I slow down, I am in less of a hurry.

Nimitta Time

The nimitta (as described on page Forty-Seven) of breathing meditation varies according to the individual, it could be like fine wool, cotton air, venus, a plant, a piece of wood, a cobweb, mist, a lotus, a chariot wheel.  Sayadaw points out that it is usually like cotton wool, and differences are due to perception.  I found a nice essay by a Theravadin Canadian monk at Arrow River on the ins and outs of nimitta.

Page Forty-Six

More factors;

2.  Reaction: 'Do it again and again, say "make the breath calm"

3.  Attention: The Mental factor that makes the mind advert towards the object

4.  Review: Discuss with the mind, make it clear to the mind what your are doing.  I have had some success with that, saying "Now look here mind, I am focusing on breathing".  Typically the mind whines for a while.


And he points our that 'just before the nimitta approaches, the breath is hard to find.

No Not Food Storage

On Page Forty-Five, Sayadaw discusses how to calm the breath.  He adds four factors for calming the breath,

1. Concern, as in saying to oneself, "I will pay attention to this and try to make it calm" He says that the breath begins 'gross' at first and then becomes increasingly subtle.  He refers to the Vissudhimagga's simile of a man out of breath after running. 

Here Comes Nimitta

On page Forty-Four, emphasis is again placed on awareness of the 'long and short' of breathing, the simple awareness of the duration. 

After some unspecified time in this awareness, Sayadaw suggests that the nimitta, a 'sign' born of the practice, will appear.  If it does not, he suggests going to experiencing breathing of the 'whole body', and if it still does not appear, go to the calming of breathing.

I would like to have a nimitta to call my own.  Is it like my cat?

One Potato

On page Forty-Three,  Sayadaw suggests "Do not pay attention to the individual or general characteristics," of breathing, ie: hardness, roughness, flowing, heat, supporting, etc, or even the three marks, and if this is all difficult, go back to counting.

Taking it Easy

on Page Forty-Two Sayadaw discusses 'How to develop mindfulness of breathing', and this from the Mahasatipattans Sutta; to be aware
"I am breathing in a long breath"
"I am breathing out a long breath"
"I am breathing in a short breath"
"I am breathing out a short breath"
"I am breathing in a calming breath" and
"I am breathing out a calming breath."

and he suggests to be aware of the breath at the nose.

Awareness of the length of breath is simply noting the way it is, while the 'calming' phase, although not forced, is directed toward a result.  As  Suvaddhano Bhikku says in the meditation guide 'Guide to Awareness'

One notices, in simple terms, that the in-breath enters at the nose,

passes midway at the heart and ends at the navel, whereas the out-

breath starts at the navel, passes the heart and ends at the nose. This is

one gauge for helping to direct oneís attention. However, following the

breath in and out will actually unsettle and unfocus the mind. The Lord

Buddha therefore taught that one should fix the mind on that single

point where the in-breath starts and the out-breath ends, i.e. where the

breath contacts the nostrils or upper lip. This single point is the mark

where one stations the mind. With each in-and-out breath

one notes the air touching that mark (the nostrils or upper lip), and

this is known as experiencing the whole body and breath-body.

This can be compared to sawing a piece of wood. Attention is

focussed solely on the cutting point and not on the complete length of

the saw as it moves back and forth. Seeing that one point is like seeing

the whole saw and, similarly, in attending to just that single mark one

experiences the whole breath. This is the third stage.

Calming the activity of the breath-body is the fourth stage of train-

ing. This does not involve any suppression or holding of breath in an

attempt to force it to become more refined. Rather, it involves a strength-

ening of the mindís concentration and calm. When the mind is calm

and refined, so is the breath. The opposite way, of stimulating and

exciting the mind, achieves only tension and stress.