The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

If your nimitta appears far away in front of you do not payattention to it as it will probably disappear. If you do not pay attentionto it and simply continue to concentrate on the breath at theplace where the breath touches you will find that the nimitta willcome and stay at that place.If your nimitta comes and appears at the place where the breathtouches and the nimitta remains stable and appears as if it is the breathand the breath appears as if it is the nimitta then you can forget aboutthe breath and just be aware of the nimitta. In this way by changingyour attention from the breath to the nimitta you will be able to makefurther progress. As you keep your mind on the nimitta you will findthat it becomes whiter and whiter and when it is white like cottonwool then this is the learning sign (uggaha nimitta).You should determine to keep your mind calmly concentratedon that white learning sign for one hour, two hours, three hours, etc.If you are able to keep your mind fixed on the uggaha nimitta for oneor two hours you should find that it becomes clear, bright, and brilliant.This is then called the counterpart sign (paÊibhŒga nimitta). Atthis point you should determine and practise to keep your mind fixedon the paÊibhŒga nimitta for one hour, two hours, or three hours.Practise until you are successful at this.At this stage you will reach either upacŒra or appanŒ concentration.UpacŒra concentration is the concentration close to and precedingjhŒna. AppanŒ concentration is the concentration of jhŒna.Both these types of concentration have the paÊibhŒga nimitta astheir object. The difference between them is that in upacŒra concentrationthe jhŒna factors are not completely developed to full strength.For this reason during upacŒra concentration bhavaºga mind statesstill occur and one can fall into bhavaºga (life-continuum consciousness).The meditator experiences this and will say that everythingstopped, or he may even think this is nibbŒna. In reality there are stillw 53