Hi,
I've decided to aim for first jhana, and I am thinking about using the kasina method as I always have unpleasant sensation in the body tthat are ver distracting and I think are a hinderance in developing my concentration.
I was wonderinghow effective it is compared to breath meditaion and what is the best way to go about it> I was thinking of using a disk.
Thanks.

Hi j m m

Not sure if this is the best way, this is how I did it: cut out a grey disk by tracing a saucer on a breakfast cereal package and cutting it out. Stick it on a wall or the back of a door at a height you can comfortably look at when seated a little over arms' length away.

Then sit and look at it. Relax. If you strain, you might have tears and other fluids running down your face. Have tissues ready.

You can also concentrate on the after-image you get when closing your eyes after some time. When it vanishes, open your eyes and build up a new one.

Build up slowly, first 5 minutes, and so on. This also keeps you from straining too much.

Cheers,
Florian

Just different, with different side-benefits, and it is sometimes a matter of personal fit.

Breath is more borning for most, but has the advantage of connecting you to your body and also the breath exists on that strange line between control and not control that is very interesting.

Kasina leads to more images, obviously, so not as bodily focused, and most people could use connecting to their bodies, but the visually-created objects give very rapid feedback about how your concentration is, as even a few seconds of slackness and the object begins to face, buckle, morph, etc., so they tend to develop stronger concentration faster for most, as they are very interesting.

What is your interest in the first jhana? What are you trying to accomplish and why?

Another common visual object is a candle flame. Stare it at for about as long as you can stand it, then close your eyes. Stare at the after-image on the back of your eyelids. For me, it solidifies into a red dot within about thirty seconds of steady concentration or so, and if I can keep it up after that it starts morphing into a 3-D shape. It's very cool.

The part about this method that I struggle with-- keeping the eyes closed. My physical eyes immediately try to "look" when something interesting happens and it blows the whole thing. It can be quite frustrating.

Candle flame is really good: burns a nice visual purple spot fast that makes for a good learning sign that is easier to turn into the Nimitta than most other objects. Good advice.

Fisrt of all thanks for all the advice,
Heres what I've been up to so far..
I went looking for something to use a a disk and saw an old protein tub with blue lid..perfect. So I sat three times 15, 15 and 25. I definitely found it easier to get concentrated than using the breath, but I suppose that could be the novelty factor. each of the three times I tried to see of I could see a learning sign but nothing. The last sit though I think i hit access concentration, everything except the disc seemed to fade to the background a bit. As soon as I noticed though I couldn't help myself and had to look around and lost it again. The disc also seemed to pulse a bit the last time.

I'm wondering how to know when to close my eyes? I haven't had any problem with streaming eyes or nose so far. Ya I was wondering about using a candle flame..I'll give that a go today and see how it compares to the disc.

Daniel to answer your question I want to experience all the Jhanas firstly out of couriosity. I also want to improve my concentration with the eventual aim of moving to vispassana. But I also feel that significantly improved concentraion would help in other areas of my life...I'm studying at the moment, so I'm gonna give concentration practices a go till the end of the summer and see what happens.
Thanks