The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

dispensation or during a previous Buddha's dispensation, then byjust making effort and concentrating on this white circle nimitta youwill be able to attain the paÊibhŒga nimitta. In this case you will notneed to enlarge the nimitta, but while you are looking at it and notingit as "white, white," it will easily expand to fill all ten directions.If it happens that the white kasiöa nimitta does not enlarge andspread to fill all ten directions then just continue to note that nimittaas "white, white." When it becomes radiant white and then especiallyclean and clear which is the paÊibhŒga nimitta then continue topractise until you can enter into the first jhŒna. You will find howeverthat this concentration is not very stable and does not last for long. Inorder to make the concentration stable and last a long time it is properto increase the size of the nimitta.To do this you should concentrate on the white paÊibhŒganimittaand develop your concentration so that it stays with that object forone or two hours. Then you should make a determination in yourmind to enlarge the white circle by one, two, three, or four inchesdepending on how much you think you are able to enlarge it. Youshould try to do this and see if you are successful. Do not try toenlarge the nimitta without first determining a limit to the enlargementonly try to enlarge it by determining a limit of one, two, three, or fourinches.Even while you are doing this you may find that as you enlarge thewhite circle it becomes unstable and you will need to continue tonote it as "white, white," to make it stable. When your concentrationincreases in strength you will find that the nimitta becomes stableand calm.When the nimitta becomes stable in its new size then repeat theprocess again, by determining to enlarge it again by a few inches ata time. In this way you can continue to enlarge the nimitta until it isone metre in size, then two metres in size. When you are successfulin doing this you should continue to enlarge the nimitta in stagesw 71