#one-pointedness

[tiramit]

Entering the Jhāna

When the nimitta is stable and radiant, then one is at the entrance to jhāna. One must train oneself to wait patiently here, maintaining the stillness and non-doing until the causes or conditions are ready for the transition into jhāna. At this stage, however, some meditators make the mistake of disturbing the process by peeking at the edge of the nimitta. Once the nimitta is stable and bright,…

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[shinymoonbird]

Arunachala:  mokey concentrated look.

24th October, 1947

One-Pointedness

... Sometimes these great monkey-warriors knock the fruit out of the hands of newcomers, while on their way to Bhagavan, and at times even snatch away the fruit which people keep by their side after having had it given back to them as prasadam* by Bhagavan’s attendants. 

Noticing these things Bhagavan would say, 

“They take their share of the fruit, why be angry with them? There is the concentrated look, the ‘lakshya drishti’. Somehow they find out where the fruit is kept and in the twinkling of an eye, all of them come and take away their share. Their attention is always on the fruit.

That is why, in Vedantic parlance, the monkey’s look is given as an illustration of the concentrated look, ‘lakshya drishti’. The moment the Guru makes a sign with his eye, the disciple should understand; otherwise the disciple cannot achieve his aim.”

(* It is customary in India, on offering fruit or flowers to the deity or a holy man, for a portion of the offering to be returned to the devotee.)

Letters from Sri Ramanasramam by Suri Nagamma - Letter 152 (excerpt)