<p>the question is regarding nimittas, following of visualisation . A little effort to answer you,aroused  after  thought giving based on understanding of buddhist teachings after simple teachings of goenka guruji and book by william hart "The art of living-vipassana as taught by goenka". teachings of buddha as per my understanding is very simple. not developing new sankharas and eradicating accumulated sankharas since many lives  and thus attaining shunyata i.e no volitions left (nibbana). to attain this simply observations of bodily sensations arised upon the contact of the sensory bases,remaining neutral i.e not to avert the unpleasant and not to crave for the pleasant ones , and thus slowly weakening the habit of mind of reacting(aversion or craving) and finally totally liberated from the habit/conditioning of reacting of mind.  now in your case the visualisation . who will visualise? the answer is mind and the mind is solely responsible for the suffering. it is master in deceiving and keeping the self engrossed in innumerous nimittas . Afterall how it will allow to eradicate its habit/conditioning which will be its death. buddha has stubbornly discouraged being distracted/engrossed by the so called nimittas,visions,some ecstasic  feeling .   I  have not tried the visualisation bcs from the very beginning i had mis or right conception that , if at all it is matter of visualisation then why not to visualise that nibbana is attained. alas it would have been so simple. hope little bit light upon your question . to add one thing , in indian language the meaning of nimitta means excuse. in english "catalyst" but advantageous in reverse way i.e instead of boosting the chemical reaction the nimitta here retards it . hoping and wishing to you for getting still more right understanding of buddha's teachings and starting the journey.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-10T18:32:21.520Z
2018-06-10T18:32:21.520Z
Anchal Kate
<p>I'm having trouble truly understanding nimattas. I use visualization for my jhana mediation. It's what focus my mind best and allowed me to almost enter jhana. But if i do visualize, will the nimatta still appear? How would i recognise it? And once it appear do i move off my object to it?</p>

<p>Also i read this passage explaining what a nimtta means in the modern day. I wish to know does this do a great job explaining it.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Now certainly it is true that if you become VERY concentrated you might see an image that looks like "a star or a cluster of gems" or "chariot wheel or the moon's disk," etc. And it is also true that you can with sufficient concentration absorb into that experience so deeply that you no longer hear sounds, or are aware of your body, or are even aware of the passage of time. This is not what is described in the suttas; however, this is indeed what the later commentaries mean when they use the word "nimitta."</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T01:03:21.780Z
Sorry it took forever to respond i deleted the app. But my object is a visual representation of love. Seem odd but it works
DeusIIXII
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T19:58:52.717Z
What do you mean? Like the location i focus on?
DeusIIXII
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T20:07:02.883Z
Well i focus on a story i guess you can say. So I'm guessing my focus is in the center of my head
DeusIIXII
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T20:08:46.010Z
No, just calm myself down and enter Jhana
DeusIIXII
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T20:11:55.847Z
Okay. And i know its not conventional but it works. It capture my mind instantly and focus me. I've read many books on jhana and the experience they explain i feel.
DeusIIXII
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-23T20:18:08.747Z
I don't seek the experience, i just focus in my object and they come over time. What i mean is i read to fully enter jhana once you start experiencing a pleasant sensation you move off your object to that sensations which over time will bring rapture and full first jhana
DeusIIXII
<nimitta>
If i use visualization mediation will the nimatta still appear?
# If i use visualization mediation will the nimatta still appear?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-10)

I'm having trouble truly understanding nimattas. I use visualization for my jhana mediation. It's what focus my mind best and allowed me to almost enter jhana. But if i do visualize, will the nimatta still appear? How would i recognise it? And once it appear do i move off my object to it?

Also i read this passage explaining what a nimtta means in the modern day. I wish to know does this do a great job explaining it.

> Now certainly it is true that if you become VERY concentrated you might see an image that looks like "a star or a cluster of gems" or "chariot wheel or the moon's disk," etc. And it is also true that you can with sufficient concentration absorb into that experience so deeply that you no longer hear sounds, or are aware of your body, or are even aware of the passage of time. This is not what is described in the suttas; however, this is indeed what the later commentaries mean when they use the word "nimitta."

**Tags:** nimitta

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Sorry it took forever to respond i deleted the app. But my object is a visual representation of love. Seem odd but it works  
> **username_0**: What do you mean? Like the location i focus on?  
> **username_0**: Well i focus on a story i guess you can say. So I'm guessing my focus is in the center of my head  
> **username_0**: No, just calm myself down and enter Jhana  
> **username_0**: Okay. And i know its not conventional but it works. It capture my mind instantly and focus me. I've read many books on jhana and the experience they explain i feel.  
> **username_0**: I don't seek the experience, i just focus in my object and they come over time. What i mean is i read to fully enter jhana once you start experiencing a pleasant sensation you move off your object to that sensations which over time will bring rapture and full first jhana  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-06-10. Score: 0

the question is regarding nimittas, following of visualisation . A little effort to answer you,aroused after thought giving based on understanding of buddhist teachings after simple teachings of goenka guruji and book by william hart "The art of living-vipassana as taught by goenka". teachings of buddha as per my understanding is very simple. not developing new sankharas and eradicating accumulated sankharas since many lives and thus attaining shunyata i.e no volitions left (nibbana). to attain this simply observations of bodily sensations arised upon the contact of the sensory bases,remaining neutral i.e not to avert the unpleasant and not to crave for the pleasant ones , and thus slowly weakening the habit of mind of reacting(aversion or craving) and finally totally liberated from the habit/conditioning of reacting of mind. now in your case the visualisation . who will visualise? the answer is mind and the mind is solely responsible for the suffering. it is master in deceiving and keeping the self engrossed in innumerous nimittas . Afterall how it will allow to eradicate its habit/conditioning which will be its death. buddha has stubbornly discouraged being distracted/engrossed by the so called nimittas,visions,some ecstasic feeling . I have not tried the visualisation bcs from the very beginning i had mis or right conception that , if at all it is matter of visualisation then why not to visualise that nibbana is attained. alas it would have been so simple. hope little bit light upon your question . to add one thing , in indian language the meaning of nimitta means excuse. in english "catalyst" but advantageous in reverse way i.e instead of boosting the chemical reaction the nimitta here retards it . hoping and wishing to you for getting still more right understanding of buddha's teachings and starting the journey.


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