Hi Majestic,
I didn't know there was more than one stage after the very narrow focus....this is interesting...have you ever noticed imagery coming up while doing concentration exercises? Like visual images, that just come out of nowhere?
There are actually 8 traditionally recognized samatha jhanas, or attainments, as well as a further 5 pure land jhanas, but this is getting rather technical to go into such detail. Having access to the pureland jhanas by definition requires one to have anagami attainment. If I remember correctly, I think the first 8 jhanas are described probably better than I can describe them in the book I linked earlier. It sounds like you may have developed "access concentration" or even perhaps had some encounter with factors of the first jhana. In the visuddhimagga, which is a large collection of very detailed commentary on the traditional texts and practices, there are visual factors mentioned regarding jhana, and they are usually referred to as a nimitta, or jhana-nimitta. These are recognized as common visualizations that occur during strong concentration while absorbed in jhana. I have encountered these in my practice, and they range from a simple sort of dot early on, to complex, dynamic geometric patterns, or sometimes stable patterns / colors. It is important to distinguish that jhana-nimitta are not to be confused with hypnogagic imagery, as one sees when falling asleep, before WILDing, etc... These are very wakeful, alert concentrated states where we see stable visual phenomena presenting within the deep stillness of concentration.
I will share two traditional concentration techniques for you to experiment with here, that I have found to be very effective in my practice. The first one is "counting breaths". It involves placing one's attention upon the abdomen, and observing the entirety of the breathing cycle, being sure not to miss a single moment of that process. So, we rest the attention gently but keep steady and continuous contact with the object, in this case the rising and falling of the abdomen. We count each in/out breath cycle, until we reach ten. If you reach ten, you start again from the beginning. If at any point your attention falters, you become distracted, or you lose count, you begin again from zero. If you can observe 10 breaths 3 times through, you are likely in access concentration. This technique applies attention to bodily sensations, which is at the very core of both samatha jhana and vipassana insight meditation.
The other traditional concentration technique I suggest, is called Kasina practice. The Kasina can be a number of different objects, but I happen to prefer a simple 8-10" disk.. say you cut one out of thin cardboard.. it's best if it a dull earth tone or pastel color. Another good kasina object is a candle flame. Basically, you just stare at the kasina, experiment to find a good distance, perhaps a few feet away... and you allow the mind to collect and rest on that object. As your skill improves you will begin to notice various factors of concentration, shifts in the visual field and pattern recognition, and also the bodily factors of concentration such as bliss, etc.
A simple mindfulness practice can help with remaining present. All this requires is that you make a mental note "distraction" each time you realize that you have become distracted throughout each day.. once you make this mental note you return your attention to the present moment until it has stabilized there. This does not require setting aside any special time for formal sitting meditation, it can be integrated throughout your daily life, and it is a strong support for formal sitting practice. Once you have gained some proficiency with mindfulness, concentration, and insight, then you will have the most success with a non-dual technique. I will include some basic non-dual instruction here as well, give it a go and see how you do. The best results doing non-dual practices come when one has already become adept with concentration and insight.
These practices are their own motivation for me, they always increase the quality of my day when I include them, they bring stability, peace, serenity, bliss to each day where they are included, and they support our mindfulness so that we may do our best at daily tasks and make the best choices we can. They help guard against distraction which helps us avoid mistakes / accidents. Mindfulness can be incorporated into daily life to great effect, without having to set aside any special time just to sit and meditate.
Enso, how often do you practice concentration meditations?
Because I've integrated these practices so thoroughly into my life, they have become second nature. That and because of the lasting effects of previous practice, I naturally shift into concentrated states effortlessly throughout each day. Meditation can be used to remove unskillful conditioning and tendencies, which then allows one to shift their baseline state to being mindful, focused, relaxed, and concentrated effortlessly. I like to do 2 hours of formal practice each day when I can, but this is an ideal that is not always compatible with a busy schedule.
I will provide a link to the non-dual practice below, you may skip the introduction and go straight to "the technique" part of the text if you wish.
Private Paste - Pastie
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