Jhana with aum and nimitta

 Morning:

After breakfast at 7.30, did a sitting in hall facing balcony. Did AUM and in the middle syllable - U -, felt the overtone and immediately piti arose in the head.  I abided in it. 

Evening:

At around 3.30 pm, did 3 different meditations. Started with Buddhadasa's anapanasati. Step 1, 2, 3 and 4 (1st tetrad).  1 = Long breath, 2 = short breath, 3 = breath + body (breath is body conditioner) and 4 = calming breath (body conditioner). No piti. At step 4, tried to get nimitta but there was none. Supposed open or half-open eyes and gaze downwards at direction of tip of nose and watch the breath there - to get nimitta. 

Felt sleepy and switched to 2nd meditation which is TWIM/brasington, relax with outbreath, smile and immediately got the piti. Used it to overcome sloth/torpor (one of the 5 hindrances). Body vibrated as usual.

In the last 15 mins, I switched to AUM meditation. Again felt the piti at the second syllable - U - It was in the middle of the head - quite nice.

Summary:

Buddhadasa's explanation on Anapanasati's 16 steps is better than the Bikkhu Bodhi's Majjhima Nikaya. He explains the breath-body conditions physical body. And so we do step 3 to understand how the breath and body are related. Step 1 and 2 are preparatory to step 3. Then, in step 4, we actually try to calm the breath-body (body conditioner) so that the body is calm. The goal of step 4 is to get piti/sukha so that we can do the 2nd tetrad. But to get piti/sukha we need to get a nimitta.

Jhana 1/2: Contentment after 30 mins

 Sat on floor facing balcony with fan blowing. Took 3 refuge and 5 precepts. Immediately got piti. No interference with piti - just let it be.

Used app called Insight Timer and set 15 mins bowl sound at 0, 15, 30 and 45 mins. After 30 mins, piti calmned down I felt contentment (sukha) in face area. I was smiling widely.

Jhana 1 and 2: Nimitta at below eye-level

 Sat on floor facing balcony. No wind, so I used a fan blowing at me. Took 3 refuge and 5 precept. At the end of the precept, piti started automatically. I abide in the piti which is in the head.

Whenever I straightened the spine, the piti went to the legs. If I tilt my head up, it went to the base of the head - quite nice. Like massaging the back of my head - tingly.

Regularly calmned the piti by taking deep breath and exhaling. After awhile the nimitta appeared. It was like a concentric circle, sometimes gray sometimes white. At slightly below eye level - not at 3rd eye. I just focused on it. Quite concentrated mind. The nimitta fades, but, I don't mind. If it is there, I will focus on it, if not there, I just abided in the piti.

45 mins sit.

Jhana 1 and 2

 Sat on floor facing balcony in hall. Recording video of 45 mins session. Gentle wind blowing in face. Took 3 refuge and 5 precepts. And almost immediately piti started in head. Relaxed and let go and piti increases. Take deep breath and exhale and piti calms down. 

When restlessness came, non-resistance and relax and piti came up. Straightened spine and piti moved to legs. Tried to feel piti in 3rd eye - without success. Just forget about trying to control anything. Just let it go and relax and enjoy whatever is present - piti.

After 40 mins, piti calmed down leaving content - sukha - Maybe 2nd Jhana. Timer sounded at 45 mins.

This is the private video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqpupH92Xis

Jhana 1 - nimitta and piti in 3rd eye

 Sat in hall facing balcony. Gentle wind blowing into my face. Took 3 refuge, then 5 precepts, then even before I relax, I felt piti in my head. I then relax and let go smiled and the piti grew stronger but I do not allow it to erupt - just intention and relax will control the piti.

After while, I straightened by spine and the piti moved down to my legs which began flapping on the meditation mat. My breath became huff-puff. I brought the piti down to manageable levels again, by intention and relaxation. 

I relax and smiled and sense the sukha from the smile and soon the nimitta appear, as a gray circle. I thought it was supposed to be white and bright. It fluctuates in intensity. It is in the 3rd eye and then, piti moved there - to the third eye. I felt really concentrated then.

I will try to explore this nimitta and 3rd eye piti in next sitting.

Generally piti is at the base of my skull but today it moved to the 3rd eye because of the the nimitta there.

Jhana 1 sep 2 - piti back of head

 After breakfast at 8am, I sat on edge of bed and relax and piti started easily. Then, I lay down to sleep. In evening from 6.15 to 7, sat cross legged on bed. Fan blowing on face. Easily brought up piti. Was sleepy and I used piti to sit 45 mins. 

If I straighten spine and tilt head up, piti went to inside base of head. Like a tingly feeling.  Can control it small and not let it erupt. Nice.

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Jhana 1 - easy entry, touched Jhana 2?

Early in the morning at around 8 am, after breakfast. Went into bed and lay down. Just relax and let go and smile gently. I could feel mild piti in head. Then I let go and tried to sleep..  

I sat cross legged on bed, with fan blowing on face. Time: 12 noon. Relax and let go, smiled. And I could immediately get the piti in the head. I then sat upright and straightened my spine and the piti shot down via the spine to the hips and both legs. Both legs started flapping like a bird. My breath became gasping, huff-puff-huff... 

I take a deep breath and exhale gently and the piti calmned down. If I straightened the spine upright, the piti again shot down via the spine to the hips and legs and legs started flapping again. And again I take a deep breath and exhaled and the piti calmed down again. 

And so I practised bringing in on and calming it down repeatedly in this way until the timer went off at 45 mins.

I also noticed if I take deep breaths and bring down the piti repeatedly in succession, the piti reduced to almost nothing but there is still some pleasure (sukha). And there is also confidence. Could this be Jhana 2? Confidence that I am now able to enter Jhana 1 at will and maybe even touched Jhana 2.

r0

Bought Visuddhimagga and got a free coppy of Vimuttimagga from Sukhi Hotu Bookshop