<p>In the book <a href="https://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mindfulness in Plain English</a>, <a href="https://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english_7.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chapter 5: The Practice</a>, by Ven. Bhante Gunaratana, he says the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>As you keep your mind focused on the rims of your nostrils, you
will be able to notice the sign of the development of meditation. You
will feel the pleasant sensation of a sign. Different meditators
experience this differently. It will be like a star, or a round gem,
or a round pearl, or a cotton seed, or a peg made of heartwood, or a
long string, or a wreath of flowers, or a puff of smoke, or a cobweb,
or a film of cloud, or a lotus flower, or the disc of the moon, or the
disc of the sun.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Can someone please explain what is meant by this. I’ve been meditating for years and I’ve never experienced such things. Any idea why not? How important is it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-20T04:14:11.517Z
One does not seek any signs in this meditation, they should just arises. If one seek such things, it becomes a reason for reducing concentration which results lower success in meditation.
Pycm
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-20T04:26:32.973Z
Please see questions tagged [nimitta](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/nimitta).
ruben2020
<meditation><nimitta>
Where is the sign?
# Where is the sign?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-03-20)

In the book [Mindfulness in Plain English](https://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.html), [Chapter 5: The Practice](https://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english_7.html), by Ven. Bhante Gunaratana, he says the following:

> As you keep your mind focused on the rims of your nostrils, you
> will be able to notice the sign of the development of meditation. You
> will feel the pleasant sensation of a sign. Different meditators
> experience this differently. It will be like a star, or a round gem,
> or a round pearl, or a cotton seed, or a peg made of heartwood, or a
> long string, or a wreath of flowers, or a puff of smoke, or a cobweb,
> or a film of cloud, or a lotus flower, or the disc of the moon, or the
> disc of the sun.

Can someone please explain what is meant by this. I’ve been meditating for years and I’ve never experienced such things. Any idea why not? How important is it?

**Tags:** meditation, nimitta

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: One does not seek any signs in this meditation, they should just arises. If one seek such things, it becomes a reason for reducing concentration which results lower success in meditation.  
> **username_2**: Please see questions tagged [nimitta](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/nimitta).  

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## 0 answers

