NIMITTA
(Sign/Theme/Representation/Attribute)
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(All the suttas below have parallels in Chinese, Sanskrit and/or Tibetan)
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And how does a monk guard the doors of his senses?
On seeing a form with the eye, he does not grasp at any sign or details by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. On hearing a sound with the ear... On smelling an odor with the nose... On tasting a flavor with the tongue... On touching a tactile sensation with the body... On cognizing an idea with the intellect, he does not grasp at any sign or details by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the intellect — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. Endowed with this noble restraint over the sense faculties, he is inwardly sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless.
This is how a monk guards the doors of his senses.
DN2
also DN 11
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And how does a monk guard the doors to his sense faculties?
There is the case where a monk, on seeing a form with the eye, does not grasp at any sign or variations by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him.
AN 4.37
also on sense restraint: MN 27, MN 38, MN 39, MN 53, MN 60, MN 101, SN 35.127
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SN 46.51
Important sutta
See also SN 46.2
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It may be expected of anyone, Ānanda—whether bhikkhu or bhikkhuni—who dwells with a mind well established in the four establishments of mindfulness, that such a one will perceive successively loftier stages of distinction.
“What four? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. While he is contemplating the body in the body, there arises in him, based on the body, either a fever in the body or sluggishness of mind, or the mind is distracted outwardly. That bhikkhu should then direct his mind towards some inspiring sign. When he directs his mind towards some inspiring sign, gladness is born. When he is gladdened, rapture is born. Etc...
SN 47.10
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"When one eats & drinks & chews & savors, there is excrement & urine: That is one's reward.
"When one loves, there arises the state of change & aberration, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair: That is one's reward.
"When one is committed to the sign of the unattractive, one takes a stance in the loathsomeness of the sign of beauty: That is one's reward.
Asubhanimittānuyogaṃ anuyuttassa kho, nāgita, subhanimitte pāṭikulyatā saṇṭhātieso tassa nissando.
"When one remains focused on the inconstancy of the six media of sensory contact, one takes a stance in the loathsomeness of contact: That is one's reward.
"When one remains focused on the arising & passing away of the five clinging aggregates, one takes a stance in the loathsomeness of clinging: That is one's reward."
AN 5.30
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In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attunethe pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there pick up your sign
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So after that, Ven. Sona determined the right pitch for his persistence, attuned the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there picked up his sign.
AN 6.55
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The Blessed One said: "When a monk is intent on the heightened mind (the four jhānas), there
are five signs he should attend to at the appropriate times. Which five?
MN 20
There is the case where evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring to and attending to a particular sign. He should attend to another sign, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful.
etc.
also MN 33
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Awareness-release
"Friend, how many conditions are there for the attainment of the
neither-pleasant-nor-painful awareness-release?"
Etc.
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"Now what is concentration, lady, what qualities are its signs, what qualities are its requisites, and what is its development?"
"Singleness of mind is concentration, friend Visakha; the four frames of reference are its signs; the four right exertions are its requisites; and any cultivation, development, & pursuit of these qualities is its development."
MN 44
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"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of nothingness, not attending to the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception — attends to the singleness based on the sign-less concentration of awareness. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its sign-less concentration of awareness.
"He discerns that 'This sign-less concentration of awareness is fabricated & mentally fashioned.' And he discerns that 'Whatever is fabricated & mentally fashioned is inconstant & subject to cessation.'
MN 121
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"How is consciousness said to be scattered & diffused? There is the case where a form is seen with the eye, and consciousness follows the drift of (lit.: 'flows after') the sign of the form, is tied to the attraction of the sign of the form, is chained to the attraction of the sign of the form, is fettered & joined to the attraction of the sign of the form:
Consciousness is said to be externally scattered & diffused.
Idem for ear, nose,...
MN 138
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From distorted perception your mind is on fire. Shun the sign of the beautiful accompanied by lust. See mental fabrications as other, as stress, & not-self. Extinguish your great lust. Don't keep burning again & again. Develop the mind — well-centered & one — in the foul, through the foul.
Have your mindfulness immersed in the body. Be one who pursues disenchantment. Develop the sign-less. Cast out conceit. Then, from breaking through conceit, you will go on your way at peace.
SN 8.4
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"Monks, there are these three types of unskillful thinking: thinking of sensuality, thinking of ill will, thinking of harm. These three types of unskillful thinking cease without remainder in one who dwells with his mind well established in the four frames of reference or who develops the signless concentration. This is reason enough, monks, to develop the signless concentration. The signless concentration, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit, great benefit.
SN 22.80
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Venerable sir, how should one know, how should one see so that, in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit no longer occur within?”
“Any kind of form whatsoever, bhikkhu, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—one sees all form as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
Idem with feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness.
“When one knows and sees thus, bhikkhu, then in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit no longer occur within.”
SN 22.82
also SN 22.91 & 92
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“And what, bhikkhus, is the Dhamma exposition on the sign of burning? It would be better, bhikkhus, for the eye faculty to be lacerated by a red-hot iron pin burning, blazing, and glowing, than for one to grasp the sign through the features in a form cognizable by the eye. For if consciousness should stand tied to gratification in the sign or in the features, and if one should die on that occasion, it is possible that one will go to one of two destinations: hell or the animal realm. Having seen this danger, I speak thus.
SN 35.235
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Seeing a form — mindfulness lapsed — attending to the sign of 'endearing,' impassioned in mind, one feels and remains fastened there. One's feelings, born of the form, grow numerous, Greed & annoyance injure one's mind. Thus amassing stress, one is said to be far from Unbinding. Hearing a sound...
Smelling an aroma... Tasting a flavor... Touching a tactile sensation...
Knowing an idea — mindfulness lapsed — attending to the sign of 'endearing,' impassioned in mind, one feels and remains fastened there. Etc.
SN 35.95
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And how, householder, does one roam about without abode? Diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of forms: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about without abode. Diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of sounds … the sign of odours … the sign of tastes … the sign of tactile objects … the sign of mental phenomena: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about without abode. It is in such a way that one roams about without abode.
SN 22.3
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"And what is the signless awareness-release?
There is the case where a monk, not attending to any sign enters & remains in the signless
concentration of awareness. This is called the signless awareness-release.
SN 41.07
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"In the same way, there are cases where a wise, experienced, skillful monk remains focused on the body in & of itself... feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. As he remains thus focused on mental qualities in & of themselves, his mind becomes concentrated, his defilements are abandoned. He takes note of that fact. As a result, he is rewarded with a pleasant abiding here & now, together with mindfulness & alertness. Why is that?
Because the wise, experienced, skillful monk picks up on the sign of his own mind."
paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu sakassa cittassa nimittaṃ uggaṇhātī”ti
SN 47.8
Uggaṇhāti: to take up, acquire, learn.
Gaṇhāti: to take, take up; take hold of; grasp seize; assume.
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Adept in a sign for the mind, sensing the savor of solitude, practicing jhana, masterful, mindful, you'd attain a pleasure not of the flesh.
Thag 1.85
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Ten children I bore from this physical heap. Then weak from that, aged, I went to a nun. She taught me the Dhamma: aggregates, sense spheres, & elements. Hearing her Dhamma, I cut off my hair & ordained.
Having purified the divine eye while still a probationer, I know my previous lives, where I lived in the past. I develop the sign-less meditation, well-focused oneness. I gain the liberation of immediacy — from lack of clinging, unbound. The five aggregates, comprehended, stand like a tree with its root cut through. I spit on old age. There is now no further becoming.
Thig 5.8
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The one whose defilements are dried up,
Who’s not attached to food,
Whose resort is the liberation
That is signless and empty:
Their track is hard to trace,
Like that of birds in the sky.
Thag 1.92
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Oh, when will I be devoted to jhāna,
Rejecting entirely the signs of beauty,
Splitting apart desire for sensual pleasures,
Like an elephant that wanders without ties;
When will it be?
Thag 19.1
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Meditate on the signless,
Throw out the underlying tendency to conceit,
And when you have a breakthrough in understanding conceit,
You will live at peace.”
Thag 21.1
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NOTES on MN 128:
“Here, bhante, while we were dwelling diligent, ardent and resolute, we perceived both light and
vision of forms.
But not long afterwards both the light and the vision of forms disappeared. And we did not penetrate the sign.”
“But, Anuruddhā, you should penetrate that sign.
Taṃ kho pana vo, anuruddhā, nimittaṃ paṭivijjhitabbaṃ
Anuruddhā, before I awakened to the supreme awakening, when I was still a bodhisattva, I too perceived both light and vision of forms. But not long afterwards both the light and the vision of forms disappeared
Taṃ kho pana vo, anuruddhā, nimittaṃ paṭivijjhitabbaṃ. Ahampi sudaṃ, anuruddhā, pubbeva sambodhā anabhisambuddho bodhisattova samāno obhāsañceva sañjānāmi dassanañca rūpānaṃ.
Why did my effulgence and beautiful forms disappear?
Because of:
- doubts > concentration faded
- inattention (amanasikāro) > concentration faded
- sloth and torpor > concentration faded
- fear > concentration faded
- excitment > concentration faded
- inertia > concentration faded
- excessive effort > concentration faded
- weak effort > concentration faded
- longing > concentration faded
- various perceptions had arisen to me > concentration faded
- gazing too much about forms > concentration faded
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Whenever I did not attend to the form-sign but attended to the light-sign, I perceive light but do not see forms.
Whenever I did not attend to the light-sign but attended to the form-sign, I see forms but did not perceive light, even for a whole night or a whole day or a whole day and night.’
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Whenever concentration is limited, my eye [vision] is limited, and with a limited eye I perceived limited light and saw limited forms.
Whenever my concentration is boundless, then my eye is boundless.
And with the boundless eye I perceived boundless light and saw boundless forms, even for a whole night or a whole day or a whole day and night.’
Anuruddhā, with this, it occurred to me:
‘I have abandoned these impurities of the mind. Let me now cultivate concentration in three
ways.’
Then, Anuruddhā,
I cultivated concentration with initial application and sustained application.
I cultivated concentration without initial application but with sustained application only.
I cultivated concentration without initial application and without sustained application.
I cultivated concentration with zest.
I cultivated concentration without zest.
I cultivated concentration accompanied with pleasure.
I cultivated concentration accompanied by equanimity.
When, Anuruddhā,
I had cultivated concentration
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the knowledge and vision arose in me.
MN 128
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