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FIXATION WITH AN OBJECT NEPA -THE CALM STATE
The aim of fixation with an object is to discover the
state of mental calm ( nepa)7 and to become accustomed
to it.
The best way is to train in fixation with the letter A.
In the various contemplative traditions, in this practice various
objects are used to fix one's gaze, such as a candle flame, a sacred
image, or a blue flower.
In any case, as regards the specific way in which Shine is
practised according to the Dzogchen teaching, the letter A is most
used. There are many reasons for this. The A is also used in the
night practice, it is used for going to sleep and waking up, it is
used in Phowa and in many other practices, as the principal
symbol of the primordial state of consciousness.
It is used also because A is a neutral sound that 'rules' or
'generates' all other sounds.
When you practise pronouncing A with your voice, your
mind, breath and gaze converge on the A.
First of all, then, fix your gaze on the letter A as
indicated:
Controlling your body posture
Relaxing breath and mind, but
Concentrating somewhat sharply on the point
where you are fixing your gaze.
It is important that throughout the time that you practice
fixation all the sense functions should always be present. Even
when a practitioner is fixing very sharply and not actively
'attending' to all that is happening around him, everything
should be clearly present to his sense perception.
Otherwise it means he has strayed from fixation, sliding
into a state of torpor.
There are two different ways to ftx on an object.
1) 'Staring' at an object as if you wanted to pierce it. You
concentrate all your attention to focus on that object.
This is also called 'triangular fixation': two 'angles' are at the
practitioner's end while the third points at the object. Our side has
two 'angles', that is a larger space (the 'base of the triangle') ,
because it represents the multitude of our thoughts; all our
thoughts, all our confusion, are like the space contained between
the two 'angles' that we now concentrate as much as we can,
forcing them all to converge on a single point, the third 'angle',
that is on the object on which we are fixing our gaze.
Concentrating all our attention on the object in this way our
thoughts block themselves; but take care - do not think that they
no longer exist, that they have been destroyed: they do not arise
simply because in this way they are blocked.
2) Fixing the gaze in a more relaxed manner.
In general, as soon as your attention is relaxed thoughts arise
again; if you fix more sharply, they disappear.
This is why it is useful to train in fixation on an object. If you
notice that thoughts no longer disturb you very much, you should
gradually relax your concentration. If you find that you are still
frequently disturbed by thoughts, you should relax more
gradually, whereas if they no longer disturb you then you can relax
more swiftly.
If, after having relaxed, there are not too many thoughts
present, or if the thoughts that arise do not disturb you, that is, if
presence is found by means of fixing on the object (naturally when
you practice fixation you should not follow the train of your
thoughts), then you can pass immediately to fixation without the
object.
Practicing fixation using this method it becomes
possible to start to find within yourself the state of
calm called nepa in Tibetan.
Nepa means 'still, quiet'.
For example, at times it may occur that immediately
after the extinction of a thought others do not
automatically follow it, as usually happens9, but we are
able instead to recognize a 'space', a gap where there are
no thoughts. This is the effect that ensues from fixing
the gaze on an object sharply enough.
Practising fixation by applying this method, do not
follow thoughts or try to stop them. In fact, there is
ac tually nothing you have to do with thoughts. All you
have to do is to fix your gaze quite intensely on the
letter A.
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