Veneration to Venerables and deep regards for all learned dhammafarers!
I am looking for stepwise details of Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna. Any guidance from Tipitaka or commentaries or even later / modern sources shall be highly appreciated.
As you may already be knowing that Viññāna-Kasiṇa has been interpreted/presented as Āloka Kasiņa in Visuddhimagga. I do understand that the later stages of Samādhi Bhāvanā - after the appearance of light nimittas as patibhāga-nimitta - are similar but, I am not looking for details of Āloka Kasiṇa Samādhi Bhāvanā and am specifically looking for Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Bhāvanā details starting from the beginning stage itself.
I checked the (English translation of) Vimuttimagga by Arahat Upatissa. Vimuttimagga is an earlier text and predates the Visuddhimagga. I expected to find the ‘original’ Viññāna-Kasiṇa in Vimuttimagga instead of its later Āloka-Kasiṇa avatar in Visuddhimagga but, Vimuttimagga too discusses “The Light Kasiņa” (Āloka Kasiṇa). Where to find the original Viññāna-Kasiṇa Kammaṭṭhāna Bhāvanā? In Pațisambhidamagga? Commentaries? Any other source? Kindly help.
I could not find any detail not even the basic explanation of what Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna is.
Viññāna-Kasiṇa device has been replaced by Āloka-Kasiṇa in Visuddhimagga.
All 10 Kasiņa Samādhi culminate in 4th Rupa Jhāna. Therefore, it is unacceptable when some authors/sources link Viññāna-Kasiṇa with Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna. Viññāna-Kasiṇa Bhāvanā must be within the realm of Rupa Jhāna.
Is Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Bhāvanā akin to “mind watching itself” choice-lessly on the lines of modern day teachers like J. Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharishi and Shivabalayogi tradition?
I don’t this this is supported by the suttas, unless i am missing something?
My brief note on the topic:
That Pali kasiṇa (Sanskrit kṛtsna) means “universal”, “totality” is shown by this passage where it is “undivided and limitless”. It is a name for the state of absorption, not for the meditation disk used in preliminary practice. Yājñavalkya says that, just as salt is “entirely” salty, the Self is an “entire mass of consciousness” (kṛtsnaḥ prajñānaghana eva, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.5.13).
Kindly permit me to share several quotes and excerpts.
“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”.
“There are two meditation methods that relate to “space”(akasa) in Pali Buddhism: akasa-kasina and akasanañcayatana… Here I have separated the Pali age into 6 periods and described their details and development.In the early age, “space” was used for practicing both the akasa-kasina and the akasanañcayatana, that made them hard to distinguish. As the age advanced, akasa-kasina was changed from rupasamapatti to arupasamapatti, that made akasa-kasina and akasanañcayatana similar in the method of meditation.Until Atthakatha age, the Vimuttimagga separated akasa-kasina into rupakasina and arupa-kasina. arupa-kasina of akasa-kasina was assumed to be akasanañcayatana. After that, the Visuddhimagga set the new series of dasa-kasina by changing akasa-kasina and viññana-kasina into aloka-kasina and paricchinnakasakasina that were used for the practice of rupasamapatti.On the other hand, akasa-kasina and viññana-kasina were changed to akasanañcayatana and viññanancayatana that divide into 4 arupasamapatti. The literature after the Visuddhimagga references the methods in the Visuddhimagga for practice space meditation.”
Attn: Venerable @sujato (and other Venerables & all other learned dhammafarers)
Veneration & Greetings!
Re-phrasing my prayer for guidance…
Viññāna-Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna was replaced by Āloka-Kasiṇa in the Visuddhimagga. There are ample details about Āloka Kasiṇa Samādhi Bhāvanā but, I did not come across any detail about the development of the ‘original’ Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi starting from the beginning stage itself.
Some authors/sources mix up Viññāna-Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna with Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna Samādhi and it is not correct.
I do understand that the Āloka Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna model is common to ALL Kasiṇa Bhāvanās (ALL Samādhi Bhāvanās) after the appearance of the light sign (Patibhāga-nimitta).
Reference quote from Thai Tradition:
“Note: Āloka kasina (the light kasina) is also applicable for all [Samādhi - Manish]. When a meditator attains the learning sign or the counterpart sign (uggaha-nimitta or patibhāga-nimitta), he or she will see a bright sphere”.
It is said that all 10 Kasiņa culminate in the 4th Jhāna. As such, Viññāna-Kasiṇa too culminates in the 4th Jhāna. One reference suggests Viññāna-Kasiṇa as 'Viññāna-Rupa Kasiṇa" as well as “Viññāna-Arupa Kasiṇa” and thereby stretches the realm of Viññāna-Kasiṇa from Rupa Jhāna upto 6th Arupa Jhāna (Viññānāyatana Arupa Jhāna)
I feel Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi is akin to “mind watching itself” choice-less awareness of the “mind totality” on the lines of modern day teachers like J. Krishnamurti and Shivabalayogi tradition. Is that right understanding?
Furthermore, I feel when a yogin attempts deep contemplation of the “mind totality” or so to say the “consciousness totality” or so to say “mind watches itself” or in other words- is continuously aware of whatever arises in the mind or whatever is the state of mind effortlessly and choicelessly without any judgement / control / correction / label / interpretation - one is practicing Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna. As this practice of “mind watching itself” deepens - it activates the pineal gland and the target-less awareness is automatically drawn to the space between the eyebrows or so to say the space between the eyebrows automatically draws attention to itself and secures choice-less awareness of the mind as a witness. Imho, this may be the ancient historical background of the Hindu Bhrumadhya Drishti / Samādhi in Sri Sri Ramakrishna, Advaita-Brahma Yogi Totapuri Babaji, Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Shivabalayogi and Swami Shivananda traditions. Is it correct understanding?
Minus all the theoretical confabulations and vocabulary down the ages and in different texts at different times - I am specifically looking for stepwise guidance for the development of Viññāna-Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi starting from the beginning stage itself for the new yogin as well as for the practiced yogin (someone who has pāramīs for Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Bhāvanā due to past birth practice). I am looking for all information from all Theravāda / Buddhist sources including present day interpretations.
PS: Interestingly, the "space between the eyebrows " figures in Arahat Upatissa’s Vimuttimagga with reference to Ānāpānasati. Is it because of the common phenomena of pineal gland activation in ALL Samādhis?
“BETWEEN THE EYEBROWS” …
UGGAHA-NIMITTA OF ĀNĀPĀNASATI SAMĀDHI AS PER VIMUTTIMAGGA & VISUDDHIMAGGA
“To the yogin who attends to the incoming breath with mind that is cleansed of the nine lesser defilements the image arises with a pleasant feeling similar to that which is produced in the action of spinning cotton or silk cotton. Also, it is likened to the pleasant feeling produced by a breeze. Thus in breathing in and out, air touches the nose or the lip and causes the setting-up of air perception mindfulness. This does not depend on colour or form. This is called the image. If the yogin develops the image and increases it at the nose-tip, between the eye-brows, on the forehead or establishes it in several places, he feels as if his head were filled with air. Through increasing in this way his whole body is charged with bliss. This is called perfection”.
Vimuttimagga by Ven. Arahat Upatissa
“He who increases the breath sign only increases the accumulation of wind and it is limited in locality.”
Visuddhimagga III.113 by Ven. Buddhaghosa speaking of signs which should and should not be increased.
(Because the pineal gland activation is an after-effect and not a “sign” to be focused on and developed? - Manish)
I remember reading Mahāyanic / later interpretation of ĀnāpānaPabbaṃ of Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta somewhere. There too the “middle of eyebrows” comes up. There must be a strong reason and correlation between the practice of mid-eyebrow focus in Hindu / Vedantic traditions and ALL Samādhis be it from Buddhist or any other tradition. It is said that the Viññāna-Kasiṇa Bhāvanā is supreme and it may be so because it is the central common feature of ALL Samādhi phenomena. Is this correct understanding?
[Note: I consider ĀnāpānaPabbaṃ of Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta to be Vipassanā Bhāvanā and not Samādhi Bhāvanā. Ānāpānasati may be Samādhi Bhāvanā or may be Vipassanā Bhāvanā. However, it is not the topic of discussion here].
Vimuttimagga, Atthasalini, Nettippakaraņa and Visuddhimagga - all are unhelpful in this Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi matter. These reference either substitute the original Viññāna-Kasiṇa (of the Suttas) with Āloka-Kasiṇa or conveniently transport the Viññāna-Kasiṇa of Rupa Jhāna Samādhi to Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna.
In this void - the Visuddhimagga approach of substituting Viññāna-Kasiṇa of the Suttas with Āloka-Kasiṇa has become popular.
Some references interpret Viññāna-Kasiṇa as Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna. That cannot be correct because had it been so - there would be no need to have two separate Viññāna-Kasiṇa & Viññānāyatana Arupa Jhāna. Moreover, Viññāna-Kasiṇa appears in the list of Rupa Jhāna Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna in the Suttas. Viññāna-Kasiṇa of Rupa Jhāna Samādhi has to be understood separately from Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna Samādhi.
Most probable interpretation of what the original Viññāna-Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna as taught by the Buddha in the Suttas may be:
Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi is akin to “mind watching itself” - choice-less awareness of the “mind totality” on the lines of modern day teachers like J. Krishnamurti and Shivabalayogi / Shivarudrabalayogi tradition. As the yogī attempts “mind watching itself” - he arrives at ‘oneness’ with the Kammaṭṭhāna i.e. the mind watches itself - observer is observed [as J. Krishnamurti said]. This “oneness” of observer-observed or “mind watching itself” is “ekattaṁ” of Cūḷasuññata Sutta - akin to non-dual “advayaṃ” of Kasiṇasutta.
The suttas also state that some Brahmins at the time of the Buddha were using Kasiṇa meditation, as per the Kāḷī Sutta. It appears that the “Non-Dual” experience of Rupa & Arupa Jhānas led to the genesis of the Advaitic Brahman theories and these experiences were interpreted as God-Realization or Absolute Truth or Atman / Paramatman etc. In the Cūḷasuññata Sutta, the Buddha teaches how to go beyond the Rupa and Arupa Jhāna to unconditioned true emptiness (Anatta) of Nāma-Rūpa & Nibbāna.
Furthermore, when a yogin attempts deep contemplation of the “mind totality” or so to say the “consciousness totality” or so to say “mind watches itself” or in other words- is continuously aware of whatever arises in the mind or whatever is the state of mind effortlessly and choicelessly without any judgement / control / correction / interpretation - one is practicing Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna. As this practice of “mind watching itself” deepens - it activates the pineal gland and the target-less awareness is automatically drawn to the space between the eyebrows or so to say the space between the eyebrows automatically draws attention to itself and secures choice-less awareness of the mind as a witness. Imho, this may be the ancient historical background of the Hindu / Advaitic Bhrumadhya Drishti / Samādhi in Srimad Bhagavad Gita 5.27-28, Sri Sri Ramakrishna, Advaita-Brahma Yogi Totapuri Babaji, Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Shivabalayogi & Shivarudrabalayogi Babaji and Swami Shivananda traditions. However, this “middle of eyebrows” phenomena has no mention in the Suttas. [Ven. Upatissa does refer to the mid-eyebrow image with reference to Ānāpānasati Samādhi in the Vimuttimagga though]. Is activation of pineal gland due to Samādhi practice common to ALL Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna practices?
The modus operandi of Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna is common to ALL Samādhis because after the appearance of light nimittas - the process of Jhāna development is the same for any Kammaṭṭhāna. This explains why the Buddha refers to Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi as the foremost [Etadaggaṁ] in the Paṭhamakosalasutta and why Buddhaghosa may have chosen to replace Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna with Āloka-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna. It may be said that Āloka-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna is easier to understand as compared to Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi Kammaṭṭhāna and may be it is easier for a new yogī to practice Āloka Kasiṇa Samādhi as compared to Viññāna-Kasiṇa Samādhi.
In Cūḷasuññata Sutta the Buddha teaches “oneness” [ekattaṁ - akin to “advayaṃ” in Kasiṇasutta] with Pathavī (Pathavī Kasiṇa) and going from Rupa To Arupa Jhāna. This indirectly confirms that Viññāna-Kasiṇa Rupa Jhāna Samādhi can be extended upto the Arupa Jhāna Samādhi realm too. This explains why some later texts may interpret Viññāna-Kasiṇa Meditation as Viññānāyatana 6th Arupa Jhāna absorption.
“The Buddha has also given us a hint to what the Kasiṇas are and how to practice with them. In AN 10.25 they are said to be “kasiṇāyatanāni”. “Kasiṇa” translates as “entire” or “whole” whilst āyatana, as many of us know, refers to a sense sphere. Kasiṇas then are object of meditation which entirely fill sense experience. Or, to put it another way, the whole of one’s sense experience becomes filled with the chosen Kasiṇa. This is further born out when the Buddha says that the meditator conceptualises the chosen Kasiṇa in all directions and in a way that is “advayaṃ”. Ven. Bodhi has translated this as “undivided” but a better translation would be “non-dual” (a-dvaya), which is Ven. Sujato’s choice of translation. To practice Kasiṇa meditation is to then fill one’s perceptual field entirely with the chosen object of meditation, thus entering into a non-dual state with it. The Kasiṇa themselves seem a bit of a mystery in the suttas, as they are only mentioned a handful of times. This has lead some to conclude that the Kasiṇas were not taught by the Buddha and are instead a purely Brahmin/Upanishadic practice that have found their way into the suttas. At first this seems somewhat plausible given the non-dual nature of the meditation. The suttas also do state that some Brahmins at the time were using Kasiṇa meditation, as per the Kāḷī Sutta (AN 10.26)…Kasiṇa meditation was likely taught by Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta…”
Requesting the kind attention of Ven. @sujato and all other learned Venerables and scholars to my analysis and conclusions as presented in the last two posts above.
Seek unconditional forgiveness for any unintented transgression of rules, Venerable @Khemarato.bhikkhu & @moderators Any admonition received from the Saṅgha is a blessing for my welfare.
The pineal gland activation theory is espoused by many non-theravada modern teachers and is my attempt to explain the mid-eyebrow tension phenomena as highlighted by many Buddhist monks and yogīs. It figures in Ven. Upatissa’s Vimuttimagga with reference to Ānāpānasati Samādhi too.
“Mindfulness of breathing or ānāpānasati is actually quite simple and easy. It’s also a very effective way to calm down anxiety and incessant thinking. Yet, some people who are in need of this say they can’t do it. Some who tried end up with so much tension—especially just above the middle of their eyebrows—that they simply had to give up”.
My opinions are not important and the admonitions of the Saṅgha are most respectfully welcome.
I did not write anything with the volition to specifically contradict or argue with you or Venerable @sujato.
I seek unconditional forgiveness for any unintented transgression of rules from the @moderators.
I do not intend to contradict or argue with Venerable @sujato or any other Bhante on any topic.
May my veneration and unconditional surrender to the Saṅgha be accepted by all Venerables.