Trāṭaka Meditation Progression: From Retinal Afterimage to

Paṭibhāga Nimitta

1. External Gazing (Trāṭaka Stage)

 Object Used: Typically a candle flame or red/orange disk.
 Method: The practitioner gazes steadily at the object without blinking for 1–2
minutes.
 Goal: To train the eyes and attention to become steady and prepare the mind for
internal visualization.
 Signs of Progress:
o Reduced eye strain over time.
o Natural cessation of eye blinking.
o Enhanced ability to focus on a single visual point.

2. Retinal Afterimage
 What It Is: A colored image that arises automatically when eyes are closed after
prolonged gazing.
 Nature: Involuntary, photoreceptor-based, often flickering and short-lived.
 Colors: Usually complementary to the flame — green, purple, or bluish hues.
 Characteristics:
o It’s a residual effect of the photoreceptors (not purely mental yet).
o The image appears colored (complementary) and often unstable or flickering.
o It is involuntary — you just observe it arise.
o It lasts for 3–10 seconds before fading unless effort is applied.
 Purpose:
o Allows you to catch and fix the nimitta as it begins to form.
o This stage serves as a bridge between visual perception and mental visualization.
 Training Focus:
o Observe the afterimage calmly without trying to control it.
o Let the mind become familiar with its presence, position, and shape.
o Over time, extend the duration and clarity of the image through repeated
practice.

3. Uggaha Nimitta (Acquired Image)

 Definition: A mentally recreated version of the retinal afterimage that arises with the
help of memory and attention. The active, intentional phase where you consciously
try to hold and stabilize the inner image, beyond the retinal afterimage's natural
fading.
 Purpose:
o To train your attention to sustain the internal image.
 o To refine the image into paṭibhāga nimitta.
 Characteristics:
o No longer strictly dependent on immediate retinal stimulation. The image is
now purely mental, or at least mentally maintained.
o May still resemble the original flame in shape or color.
o You may begin to reshape, brighten, or center it.
o It’s fragile at first, requiring delicate attention — not force or strain.
o Can appear automatically when closing eyes, even without recent external
gazing.
 Practice Method:
o Alternate short periods of external gazing and image-holding with eyes closed.
o Begin to trace, center, and stabilize the image using attention alone.
o Gradually reduce reliance on external gazing as the mind recreates the image
with increasing clarity.

What Is Happening in Uggaha Nimitta?

A. Origin:
 The nimitta originates from the retinal afterimage, but is no longer passively
received.
 The mind actively reconstructs that afterimage, either from recent gazing or from
memory.
B. Nature:
 It still carries some characteristics of the original flame:
o Shape (e.g., pointed or round),
o Color hues (e.g., purple, greenish, reddish glow),
o Texture (may shimmer, ripple, flicker).
But it is not dependent on the eyes anymore — even if the eyes are closed and the retina is
no longer stimulated.

How Is It Different from Retinal Afterimage?

Feature Retinal Afterimage Uggaha Nimitta
Source Eye-based (photoreceptors) Mind-based (memory + attention)
Trigger Always after visual stimulus Can arise even without fresh gazing
Control Involuntary Increasingly voluntary
Stability Fades quickly Can be held and refined
Usefulness Transitional only Basis for entering samādhi

Why It Matters
 The mind in uggaha nimitta is learning to create form internally, not just receive
it.

4. Paṭibhāga Nimitta (Counterpart Sign)

  Definition: A purified, stable, and self-sustaining mental image that is independent of
external stimuli.
 Nature:
o Luminous, bright, refined.
o May lose resemblance to the original flame.
o No longer flickers or fades easily.
 Signs of Attainment:
o The image appears instantly upon closing eyes without prior gazing.
o It remains steady, centered, and clear for an extended period.
o The mind feels effortlessly absorbed in it.

Summary Table
Dependency on External
Stage Source Control Stability
Object

Real flame or visual Low to

External Gazing Physical gaze Full
disk moderate

Retinal Retinal
Involuntary Low High (fades quickly)
Afterimage photoreceptors

Uggaha Nimitta Memory + Attention Partial control Moderate Decreasing

Paṭibhāga High (with

Pure mental construct High None
Nimitta ease)
Complete Practice Flow for Inner Trāṭaka (with Contingencies)
Duration: ~20–30 minutes (adjust as needed)

1. Preparation (2–3 min)

 Sit comfortably, spine tall.
 Let your breath settle.
 Set a soft internal intention: “I will receive, not create.”

2. External Gazing – Phase 1 (1–2 min per round)

 Gaze at the flame without blinking.
 Use gentle effort, not strain.
 Let the image imprint deeply on the visual field.

3. Eyes Closed – Inner Observation (1–2 min)

 Gently close eyes, keep gaze steady at the inner space (chidākāśa).
 Observe the afterimage — do not interfere.
 When it begins to fade or dissolve, just watch.
o If something stable, bright, and non-retinal arises, stay with it.
o If nothing arises, go to next step.

4. Decide: Wait or Repeat?

Situation What to Do
Afterimage fades & mind stays Wait silently in the inner space for 1–2 minutes. Be
alert, open, still receptive.
Afterimage fades & mind gets dull Repeat external gazing (Phase 1) again. Maximum 3–
or image feels absent 4 rounds.
Stop all effort and just sit in stillness with open
Still no inner flame after 3–4 rounds
awareness on the inner space (rest phase).

5. Rest Phase – Letting Go (2–5 min)

 Drop all technique.
 Simply sit and watch the inner space.
 Let the inner flame arise naturally if it wants to.
 No expectation. Just pure presence.

6. Completion (1 min)
 Gently open the eyes.
 Bring awareness back to the room.
 Bow inwardly to the stillness that holds the sign.

Key Tips to Remember

  Don’t exceed 3–4 rounds of outer gazing in one session. Retinal fatigue can dull the
mind.
 If inner flame doesn't arise, it’s not failure. Each round conditions your inner
optics and trains your citta to become receptive.
 Treat every session as tilling the soil. The seed sprouts when the field is truly ready.
 During uggaha nimitta, the mind is still recreating the retinal afterimage, but it's
doing so with increasing autonomy, clarity, and intentionality.The goal is to refine
this image so thoroughly that it becomes paṭibhāga nimitta — a purely mental,
radiant, self-sustaining object.
 The true nimitta never arises from “trying”. It descends when the mind becomes
still enough. Your job is to prepare the field — not to force the image.
 Recommended Focal Point: Just Above the Tip of the Wick
Why?
Focusing just above the wick, near the base or lower third of the flame, offers:
Sharp visual contrast (flame–wick boundary),
Stable shape, helpful for imprinting a clear afterimage,
Less visual agitation, compared to focusing on the flickering top of the flame.

Key Differences Between Trāṭaka Nimitta and Ānāpānasati Nimitta

Aspect Trāṭaka Nimitta Ānāpānasati Nimitta

Object type Visual (form-based; candle/flame) Energetic/tactile (breath, prāṇa flow)

Sensory base Primarily visual (chakṣur indriya) Primarily somatic (vāyu + sparśa)

How nimitta As eidetic, visual image in chidākāśa As subtle luminous/energetic sign that
arises through image-retention and stillness replaces tactile breath sensation

Mental effort Often easier for beginners due to Requires deep internalization and complete
required reliance on form refinement of awareness

Often takes months to years unless

Typical time 2–4 weeks of steady practice (if visual
practitioner is already skilled in
frame faculties are trained)
concentration

Needs precise balancing of effort and

Progression Can generate exclusive attention early,
relaxation; prone to dullness or
quality even in intermediate stages
overexertion

More suitable for those with visual

More suitable for those seeking deep jhānic
Path alignment imagination or meditative image-
stillness or vipassanā foundation
based focus