My Experience with Kasinas
As I was deciding how to go about my meditation practice, and what I would do and not do, I chose to eliminate the idea of Kasina meditation in favor of meditation on the feeling of the breath at the nose as my meditation object.
Once I was able to reach a point where concentration on the feeling of the breath at the nose was 100% and non-wavering, I let it go in order to see what the mind created on its own. Nimittas are mental images that just pop up on their own and are basically like Kasinas except you don’t consciously choose one to focus on, it just presents itself.
A Kasina is a real object or imagined image that can be focused on in place of the feeling of the breath in the nostrils.
It can be anything, but Theravada Buddhism limits them to something like 45 different possibilities. I think if there are 45, there are probably 145, but no matter. If you’re going to focus on a kasina you choose, you can just choose from some of the following ones.
Just as a side-note. Sometimes as I was getting more relaxed at the beginning of my meditation sessions I would stare at a lit incense stick – the orange glow and smoke – with my eyes open. This helped to calm down the mind and body to reach a point of being ready to look closely at the feeling of the breath at the nose.
The glowing orange part of the incense stick can be called a Kasina.
What are Kasinas?
Kasinas are objects used in certain meditation practices, particularly within the Theravada Buddhist tradition. They serve as focal points to develop concentration (samadhi) and are integral to achieving deeper meditative states, including the Jhanas.
Here’s a breakdown of what kasinas are and their role in helping meditators in reaching Jhana.
Kasinas are physical or mental objects that practitioners focus on during meditation. There are ten traditional kasinas, which include:
- Earth
- Water
- Fire
- Air
- Blue
- Yellow
- Red
- White
- Light
- Space
These can be visual objects, like colored disks, or mental images created and maintained in the mind.
How Kasinas are Used in Meditation
- Selection – The meditator chooses a kasina object, such as a colored disk or an element like earth or water.
- Focus – The practitioner focuses their attention on the chosen object, observing it without distraction. This process involves maintaining a steady and unwavering gaze if it’s a physical object or a consistent mental image if it’s imagined.
- Sustained Attention – As concentration deepens, the meditator’s mind becomes absorbed in the kasina, reducing the influence of external stimuli and inner distractions.
- Internalization – Eventually, the meditator can internalize the kasina object, holding its image in the mind even with eyes closed. This leads to a deeper level of concentration.
Role of Kasinas in Reaching Jhana
Jhanas are states of deep meditative absorption characterized by profound stillness and concentration. The practice of kasina meditation can facilitate entry into these states through the following stages.
- First Jhana – The initial absorption is reached as the meditator’s focus on the kasina object becomes so strong that five factors arise: applied thought, sustained thought, rapture, pleasure, and one-pointedness of mind. These factors help in maintaining deep concentration and the experience of joy and contentment.
- Higher Jhanas – As concentration deepens further, the meditator can progress through higher Jhanas by gradually letting go of the grosser aspects of concentration (like applied and sustained thought) and cultivating more refined states of mental purity and equanimity.
Kasinas serve as powerful tools to develop the concentration necessary for entering Jhana. By providing a clear and stable focal point, they help the meditator to cultivate the deep, unwavering focus required to experience these profound states of absorption.
Is the Breath a Kasina?
The breath, while a common and powerful object of meditation, is not traditionally classified as a kasina in the Theravada Buddhist framework. Kasinas are typically specific physical objects or mental images designed to anchor the mind in concentration, such as colored disks, elements, or spaces that you choose consciously to look at as you meditate.
Differences Between Breath and Kasinas
Breath Meditation (Anapanasati)
- Nature – The breath is a natural, dynamic object that changes with each inhalation and exhalation.
- Practice – In anapanasati, the meditator focuses on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving the nostrils or the rise and fall of the abdomen.
- Goal – This practice aims to develop mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samadhi) through observing the breath’s natural flow. It also leads to insights into the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self.
Kasina Meditation
- Nature – Kasinas are typically static objects or visualizations, such as a colored disk, a bowl of water, or a mental image of light.
- Practice – The meditator concentrates on the chosen kasina, either by gazing at a physical object or visualizing it mentally until it becomes stable and clear.
- Goal – The practice aims to cultivate strong concentration (samadhi) by providing a stable, unchanging object for the mind to focus on, facilitating entry into the Jhanas.
Breath Meditation’s Role in Reaching Jhana
While the breath is not considered a kasina, breath meditation can also lead to the attainment of Jhana. This is how I did it most often.
- First Jhana – By focusing on the breath, the meditator develops initial concentration, leading to the arising of five factors: applied thought, sustained thought, rapture, pleasure, and one-pointedness of mind.
- Higher Jhanas – As concentration deepens, the meditator lets go of grosser aspects and moves into subtler states of absorption, similar to the progression in kasina meditation.
While the breath is not classified as a kasina, it serves a similar purpose in developing concentration and can indeed lead to the attainment of Jhana. Both breath meditation and kasina meditation are powerful techniques in the Buddhist meditative arsenal, each with its unique approach and benefits.
Vern’s Take on Kasinas
As stated above, I sometimes used the orange burning ash of a lit incense stick as an object to focus my mind on as I first sat down for my meditation session. This focus would be applied for 5-10 minutes and let go in favor of focusing on the breath in the nostrils as the body and mind calmed down and were ready for the intense effort of redirecting the mind back to the feeling in the nose over and over.
I’d say that Kasinas are not necessary in all or even most cases, but if you want to experiment with them, you should try to see what the result is. Some people have excellent results using them in place of focusing on the breath – which can be a bit nebulous of an object to focus on at times.
Everything you do during meditation is like an experiment so you can find out more about what happens when you change things up a bit. Feel free to experiment.
How Does Deep Jhana Change You?
I recently began offering “Jhana meditation coaching calls“ – 30 to 120 minute calls.