Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 77When a yogin endeavours too vigorously, his body becomes weary andhis mind flags. Or, the mind wanders and loses itself in frivolous thoughts.When he endeavours too slowly, his body and mind become dull and lazyand sleep overtakes him. 1Elation: If the yogin's mind becomes lax through losing itself in frivolousthoughts, he becomes discontented with the subject of meditation. If he,at first, does not delight in frivolous thoughts, his mind becomes elated throughwilling. Or again, it becomes elated, if he does many deeds through the willfor happiness and bliss.Depression: The yogin fails owing to agitation and thereby partakes ofuneasiness, and dislikes the subject of meditation. If he dislikes the subjectof meditation from the start he resents activity and, accordingly through resentment,his mind becomes depressed. And again, his mind becomes weary ofinitial and sustained application of thought, falls from distinction and, owingto craving, becomes depressed.When this yogin's mind falls into a state of agitation, quickly, he overcomesand abandons agitation, with the faculty of mindfulness and the facultyof concentration. When his mind falls into a state of negligence, he shouldovercome and abandon that state of mind-negligence with the faculty ofmindfulness and the faculty of energy. When the man of elated mind fallsinto a lustful state, he should abandon lust forthwith. When the man ofdepressed mind falls into an angry state, he should abandon anger forthwith.In these four places a man accomplishes and makes his mind move in" onedirection. If his mind moves in one direction, the sign can be made to arise.GRASPING SIGNThere are two kinds of signs, namely, the grasping sign and the afterimage.What is the grasping sign? When a yogin, with undisturbed minddwells on the nw.ndala, he gains the perception of the mandala and sees itas it were in space, sometimes far, sometimes near, sometimes to the left,sometimes to the right, sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes ugly,sometimes lovely. Occasionally (he sees it multiplied) many (times) andoccasionally few (times). He, without scanning the mandala, causes thegrasping sign to arise through skilful contemplation. This is named graspingsign.THE AFTER-IMAGEThrough the following of that (the grasping sign) again and again theafter-image arises. The after-image means this: what when a man contem-1. A. Ill, 375: Accdraddhaviriyam uddhaccdya samvattati atilinaviriyam kosajjdya samvattati.Tasma ti ha tvaih Sana viriyasamatam adhitthaha indriydnah ca samatam pativijjha tatthaca nimittam ganhdhi 7/.