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Before moving on to Shine without Object I wanted to give this last instruction for Shine with Object.
At this point there is something very important that you
should know. While you are fixing in the first way
('triangular' fixation) , you may notice some changes in
your perceptions, for example changes in the appearance of
the letter A where you are fixing your gaze. Maybe as you
stare at it the white A may appear yellow or black, or it
may turn into a face or a mask, or become gigantic, or
disappear, or turn into moving flames. It can also turn into
many other things.
When the object on which you are fixing your gaze seems to
transform before your eyes, this means you are fixing too
sharply.
It does not mean that you have already accomplished
realisation, or that you are beholding some miracle, it simply means that your fixation is too intense and that you
should relax it a bit. In any case when you fix on an object
you cannot relax your attention completely, otherwise you
will not achieve the goal of your practice. The aim of
fixation on an object (that is, in our case, on the letter A) is
to attain a state of mind in which thoughts are not present.
This state cannot arise unless you have trained for a certain
amount of time fixing your gaze intensely; however, if you
have fixed your gaze too sharply and your perception
undergoes deformations you should try gradually to relax
the intensity of your gaze in order not to block progress. It
is useful to remember that Shine is not achieved by
fixation alone; this is just a preparation.
Furthermore it may happen that when you are practising
Shine even though everything seems to be going well you
experience a sense of sleepiness. This is a symptom of lack
of attention, in which case it is necessary to engage in
fixation with more vigilant attention. Sleepiness happens
fairly frequently, and if you cannot shake it off engaging a
sharper and more wakeful attention, then it is useful to do
some breathing exercises or movements.
One movement in particular is very helpful. 'Push' (but
witho ut straining) your chin upwards, tilting your head
backwards, two or three times. This exercise is very
effective. In fact if you do it too much it can also cause
insomnia; if this happens, you should do the opposite
movement, that is tilting your head forward.
In this way you can actually understand what is
meant by the 'calm state of nepa'.
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