1. There is no specific kasina meditation in Buddha Dhamma.
2. Those who follow the Visuddhimagga foolishly follow Vedic kasina meditations using “kasina objects” such as a water bowl, clay ball, etc.
3. Buddha Dhamma has only one “meditation”: Satipatthana (same as Anapanasati.)
4. In the “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (MN 62)” the Buddha instructed Ven. Rahula to contemplate on the nature of pathavi, tejo, vayo, etc., as preparation for the cultivation of Satipatthana/Anapanasati.
- See #2, #3 of “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta and Ānāpānasati.”
5. One can get to jhanas by cultivating Satipatthana/Anapanasati. I have not cultivated jhana. The following description is from Waharaka Thero.
- If one cultivates the fourth jhana to the highest degree, one is getting close to transcending both the “kama loka” and “rupa loka” and approaching the “arupa loka.“
- That is when one loses all perception of a “physical body” or “any rupa” and a white environment is the only thing one is aware of. It is not a “white light” per se.
6. Someone who has gotten to that stage is able to discern the effect described in the sutta you quoted in #2 of your comment: “Someone perceives the meditation on universal earth above, below, across, undivided and limitless.”
7. The point is that there is no specific “kasina mediation” with kasina objects in Buddha Dhamma.
- The goal is to stop the rebirth process, not cultivate jhana or kasina.
- However, some people automatically get those on the way to Arahanthood. They may be able to experience the effects described in AN 10.25.
8. We have discussed some of this previously: “Kasina meditation?“
9. Incidentally, I came across a discourse by Waharaka Thero yesterday, where he stated that he got to the highest arupavacara samapatti (after sequentially going through the four jhanas) JUST ONCE. Of course, he may have gotten to jhanas (up to the fourth jhana), but he did not elaborate on his jhanic experiences. He always emphasized the need to get to magga phala.
- H described being aware of the “infinite space” at the first arupavacara samapatti (Ākāsānancāyatana), then the infinite vinnana ( Viññāṇañcāyatana), up to Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana during that episode.
- However, I have not heard him mention experiencing kasina as described in AN 10.25.
10. We also know that one needs to get to the Sotapanna stage before being able to cultivate the Noble version of the Satipatthana/Anapanasati. It is best to focus on that unless one is confident that one has already attained it.
- Even after that, the focus should be on getting to the higher stages of magga phala.
- Jhana, samapatti, etc., are nice to have but not necessary. We all have attained the anariya versions of Jhana and samapatti uncountable times in our deep past. Jhanas correspond to the mental states of rupavacara Brahmas, and arupavacara samapatti correspond to those of arupavacara Brahmas. We have been born in all those realms uncountable times! What is the point? Of course, some people may get those on the way, and that is a bonus.
