Buddha Abhidhamma - Ultimate Science - BuddhaNet

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Buddha has prescribed 40 objects for samatha-bhàvanà. They
are known as ‘samatha-kammaññhàna’. They comprise the
following seven classes:
1 Kasiõa — 10 kasiõa objects
2 Asubha — 10 loathsome objects
3 Anussati — 10 recollection objects
4 Brahma-vihàra — 4 sublime abodes
5 âruppa — 4 immaterial spheres
6 âhàre-pañikåla-sa¤¤à — 1 object
7 Catu-dhàtu-vavatthàna — 1 object
The object of meditation for vipassanà-bhàvanà is ‘tilakkhaõa’, i.e.
the triple symbol comprising anicca, dukkha and anatta of all
bodily and mental phenomena of existence.
Ten Kasiõas
‘Kasiõa’ means ‘whole’, ‘all’, ‘complete’. It is so called because it
should be observed wholly or completely in meditation, and
also because the light issuing from the conceptualized image is
extended to all directions without any limitation.
Because it should be observed wholly, the shape of kasiõa
should be circular with its diameter equal to one span and four
fingers, i.e. about a foot.
1 Pathavã-kasiõa – earth-circle, i.e. pure earth or dawncoloured
clay spread in a tray of optimum size.
2 âpo-kasiõa – water-kasiõa, i.e. water placed in a suitable
vessel or container.
3 Tejo-kasiõa – fire-kasiõa; it may be prepared by placing
evenly burning charcoal in an old tray, or one may look
through a hole of an old-tray into the middle part of a
big fire.