Kasina meditation (Buddhism)

or total fields on which the mind may concentrate in meditation. These are the four colour kasinas (white, yellow, red, blue) plus nature or consciousness - [vijnana]

, earth, water, fire, sound and space. Some sources list air or wind kasina instead of sound and some list light kasina instead of nature. Meditation commences with attention to a particular representation of the subject chosen - for instance, a disc of earth or a bowl of water. With practice the subject is called to mind without seeing its physical representation - although any distortion or imperfection in the original representation is still visualized. Finally the essence of the subject is brought to mind in its perfect state. Successful completion of the exercise results in the state of the first jhana or absorption. Some sources indicate that this form of meditation focuses attention or the mind on a particular emotion or mood, or on what gives rise to this emotion or mood.