Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Eyes Open/Closed?

GlowGlow Veteran
edited March 2010 in Meditation
Many (most?) meditation instructions recommend closing the eyes during meditation. I have always kept mine open. (Reason being is that in the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha's instruction is to for the monk to "establish mindfulness in front of him.") I've since heard convincing arguments for (Ken McLeod) and against (Kabat-Zinn). What does everyone else do?

Comments

  • Now-Is-realityNow-Is-reality
    edited January 2010
    I tend to close my eyes, though I have heard keeping them open is better... but I am still a beginer so I distracted by opening them sometimes.
    I think opening them could be better justified merely because you should be open and present, not closing yourself off, I guess?
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited January 2010
    One of my theories on why the Buddha may have to told his monks to be mindful of what was in front of them was because, well, it was India 500 B.C.E. and a monk sitting with his eyes closed in the forest was liable to become a target for a hungry tiger or an elephant stampede or monkeys, lol.

    I actually find it easier to let go of the distraction of the thoughtstream with my eyes open. When I close them, I easily get pulled into the activity of the mind. Also, I do think it feels to feel more open and present. Sensory information is coming through all the other senses (touch, smell, sound, etc.), so it made sense to me to include sight as well.
  • limbolimbo
    edited January 2010
    I've seen several conflicting interpretations of that line (mindfulness in front of him) and I think the reason for the large number of interpretations is the very laconic nature of the Satipatthana Sutta, causing people to try and get all that they can out of every word.

    Personally I believe that meditation is a very personal, experiential and experimental practice so you can read as many interpretations of the suttas as you care to, you can read the many commentaries and the interpretations of those as well but eventually it comes down to whatever works for you. If meditating with eyes open works for you, go ahead and do it.
  • jinzangjinzang Veteran
    edited January 2010
    I meditate with eyes open, it's how I was taught. Plus I find that when I close them I tend to fall asleep.
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited January 2010
    I meditate with eyes open - usually focused at a point just beyond the nose.



    .
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited January 2010
    I do both. Eyes closed to reach vivid subtle focus and awareness of stuff like posture, sounds, smells, taste, thoughts, etc. Usually at the beginning of some kind of meditation in a relatively fixed position and eyes open to reach vivid subtle focus and awareness of stuff happening 'out there' along with maintaining vivid subtle focus on stuff happening 'in here' and eventually to the dissolving of the out there and in here duality into a kind of pervasive vivid subtle focus and awareness of whatever's happening, like a dance.

    I tend to do more eyes open meditation; especially 'off the cushion' as I engage with stuff happening during daily routine and eyes closed meditation when preparing for the day or resting into sleep and maybe during sleep, a little bit.

    :):):)
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited January 2010
    Zazen. Eyes open, settled on the floor three feet in front.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited January 2010
    I experimented with a method with the eyes closed once and I noticed that when I opened them I felt a little bit spaced out. The meditation I usually do is the practice of coming back to the outbreath and letting go into space. I don't feel spaced out with that practice. Edit: looking back I can see that I am using space in two different ways, the space of experience (second) and spaced out (meaning sort of high or a rush).
  • ZenBadgerZenBadger Derbyshire, UK Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I do both depending on my situation at the time. Eyes open is my default method but if my eyes are distracting me by watering or twitching then I close them. If I am meditating early or late, just by the light of the offertory candles, then it is easier to keep my eyes open than in the middle of a summer day when the ambient light can change rapidly and lead to distracting thoughts. In this situation I will either close the curtains or more often just close my eyes.
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Thanks for the perspectives guys. Very interesting. I guess this is just something like sitting posture where whatever works best for the individual is the best course. I'm actually curious to try some of your techniques now.
  • FenrirFenrir
    edited February 2010
    I have found that eyes open, alighting the gaze about 1m in front and then defocusing to be most useful in mindfulness meditation. This way it is easier to maintain a relaxed focus with significantly less mental "chatter". I used to meditate with closed eyes but found that opening them enabled much more stable and prolonged meditation.
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I have never done it with eyes open. Don't you get disturbed that way? Do you have to sit in the dark and do it when you meditate with your eyes open? How about blinking? I feel that maybe it is distracting but got to try it and see
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Deshy wrote: »
    I have never done it with eyes open. Don't you get disturbed that way? Do you have to sit in the dark and do it when you meditate with your eyes open? How about blinking? I feel that maybe it is distracting but got to try it and see
    Well, my mindset is that it's no more disturbing than sensations of the body or sound. I read a quote by Ajahn Chah once that said: "When my mind does not go out to disturb the sound, the sound does not disturb me." I find the same with sight. Blinking likewise is no more disturbing than breathing.
  • appleorangeappleorange
    edited February 2010
    You meditate with your eyes fully open.

    Meditating with your eyes closed is akin to sleeping or daydreaming. Feeling good and relaxed is not the point of meditation.
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    bubba buddha say, "eyes open, mout shut" specially when da popo come ta roust da camp!!!:eek:
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited February 2010
    appleorange wrote: »
    You meditate with your eyes fully open.

    Meditating with your eyes closed is akin to sleeping or daydreaming. Feeling good and relaxed is not the point of meditation.

    What is the point of meditation? :om:
  • appleorangeappleorange
    edited February 2010
    haha,

    there is no point. if anything is to be stressed, it is posture. once posture is established, you just stare at the wall.
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited February 2010
    Deshy wrote: »
    I have never done it with eyes open. Don't you get disturbed that way? Do you have to sit in the dark and do it when you meditate with your eyes open? How about blinking? I feel that maybe it is distracting but got to try it and see
    yeah, i think it's good, cause you know most of the waking day is usually spent with eyes opened anyways.

    it seems like a subjective thing though in some cases. for me my default method is with eyes open, but sometimes when i do it with eyes closed i feel more intimately in touch with my inner feelings because i'm less distracted by the somewhat domineering sensory experience of sight, and i don't often get sleepy. i always wondered how people could fall asleep during class, i was never able to.
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Both ways are taught. There is a kind of half way position where you relax you eyes and allow them to find a point about three feet in front of you at floor level, so slightly looking down. If you are in a group this might mean the cushion of the person in front but no matter...you then half close your eyes..
    The important thing is to find by trial and error what works best for you. Hands on instruction is invaluable to help you find what works best.
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited February 2010
    appleorange wrote: »
    haha,

    there is no point. if anything is to be stressed, it is posture. once posture is established, you just stare at the wall.

    Oh just asked you know. ;) Since you said "Feeling good and relaxed is not the point of meditation" I was wondering you meant there is a point but that is not feeling good and relaxed.

    But really, you need to have a meditative goal aka a point. For most Buddhists it is the attainment of Nibbana, gaining the wisdom into non-self, suffering and impermanence. That is not to say you lustfully crave for the goal the moment you sit down. That is to say that you know where you need to go and you have a direction. Passively staring at the wall is not really going to get you anywhere. It might give you samadhi but no insight
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    I imagine meditation as the third part of the three-part instruction on how to train in the Buddhadharma - i.e. hearing, thinking and meditating.

    Where 'hearing' may be considered receiving information (teachings, et.), thinking may be investigating, analyzing, and verifying information using concentration techniques to reach some confidence about information, and meditating the repeat application of the verified information to stuff happening in a kind of habituation process - this application/habituation also applies to Calm Abiding and Insight.

    :):):)
  • RagsToRichRagsToRich
    edited February 2010
    I rarely close my eyes, but do sometimes.

    If you can meditate eyes open without too much distraction - no problem. If you can meditate eyes closed without falling asleep - no problem.

    Just pick and choose.
  • TurtleTurtle
    edited February 2010
    Interesting thread. I have not tried to meditate with open eyes very much at all but I will try it and see how it goes. During meditation I have a tendancy to kind of alternative a little which probably isn't a good thing - but I find that if I keep my eyes closed after a while it causes strain in the area of my eye and forehead and this becomes unpleasent and distracting.

    Sogyal Rinpoche reccomends keeping the eyes kind of 'half-half' with your eyelids shut two thirds of the way, and to slightly open them the more tired you feel.
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    I find it difficult to do walking meditation, working meditation, and reading and posting to forums meditation with my eyes closed! :facepalm:
  • JuanJuan
    edited February 2010
    Please help me with this one:
    When I meditate I have my eyes slightly opened my after some time, my eyes start getting dry and it becomes a reason of distraction.
    Happened to anyone?
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    yup! i blink. :) oh, mindfully.
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Turtle wrote: »
    Interesting thread. I have not tried to meditate with open eyes very much at all but I will try it and see how it goes. During meditation I have a tendancy to kind of alternative a little which probably isn't a good thing - but I find that if I keep my eyes closed after a while it causes strain in the area of my eye and forehead and this becomes unpleasent and distracting.

    Sogyal Rinpoche reccomends keeping the eyes kind of 'half-half' with your eyelids shut two thirds of the way, and to slightly open them the more tired you feel.
    He does, but he also says when he is giving personal instruction, that this is a general rule and that specific individuals might want to modify the practice somewhat.
  • BrigidBrigid Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Turtle wrote: »
    Interesting thread. I have not tried to meditate with open eyes very much at all but I will try it and see how it goes. During meditation I have a tendancy to kind of alternative a little which probably isn't a good thing - but I find that if I keep my eyes closed after a while it causes strain in the area of my eye and forehead and this becomes unpleasent and distracting.

    Sogyal Rinpoche reccomends keeping the eyes kind of 'half-half' with your eyelids shut two thirds of the way, and to slightly open them the more tired you feel.
    Hiya Turtle.

    Welcome to the site.

    Is that Jeff Bridges in your avatar? I love him. Very much. What a good guy.
  • Quiet_witnessQuiet_witness Veteran
    edited February 2010
    It all depends on the meditation technque I am doing. In my active meditation eyes open, when I am meditating in a seated position, they are mostly closed but I am focusing them a few feet in front of me. After my yoga practice in shavasana (not quite a Buddhist thing I know but what can I say I am a yogi-man) I close my eyes but keep from falling asleep by focusing my minds eye on my breath and body functions.

    So I guess what I am saying is that when my eyes are closed, they are still open and when open, they are still closed.
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    Glow wrote: »
    Many (most?) meditation instructions recommend closing the eyes during meditation. I have always kept mine open. (Reason being is that in the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha's instruction is to for the monk to "establish mindfulness in front of him.") I've since heard convincing arguments for (Ken McLeod) and against (Kabat-Zinn). What does everyone else do?

    Experiment with both and see the difference. There are pros and cons.

    P
  • shadowleavershadowleaver Veteran
    edited March 2010
    I often meditate while I'm driving. Not sure if I'm going to try that with eyes closed :)
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    shadowleaver wrote: »
    I often meditate while I'm driving. :)

    Mindfulness of avoiding pedestrians?:lol:

    P
  • shadowleavershadowleaver Veteran
    edited March 2010
    porpoise wrote: »
    Mindfulness of avoiding pedestrians?:lol:

    P

    Ha-ha-ha :)
  • priyajiivanapriyajiivana
    edited March 2010
    Deshy wrote: »
    I have never done it with eyes open. Don't you get disturbed that way? Do you have to sit in the dark and do it when you meditate with your eyes open? How about blinking? I feel that maybe it is distracting but got to try it and see
    i love meditating with my eyes open. as i've seen with other people posting, they agree with me when i say that i feel very spaced out and "out of it" if i meditate with my eyes closed, then at the end of the session open them. i think it absolutely depends on your experience, it might be easier at FIRST to try with closed eyes, THEN with open eyes. i think it's much more practical to meditate with open eyes, because you can incorporate everything that's in front of you into your meditation. is't not meant to be easy. it's a wonderful practice to discipline yourself to NOT become distracted by the things going on (or just being...) around you. then you don't feel like you're on a totally different plane when you're finished with your session.
    good luck!
    *namaste*
  • priyajiivanapriyajiivana
    edited March 2010
    Brother Bob wrote: »
    yup! i blink. :) oh, mindfully.
    haha! beautiful
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    Why meditate with eyes closed? To reduce distraction? But what's distracting about gazing at the floor or a wall? And is our concentration so weak that it can't cope with a visual input?

    P
  • priyajiivanapriyajiivana
    edited March 2010
    porpoise wrote: »
    Why meditate with eyes closed? To reduce distraction? But what's distracting about gazing at the floor or a wall? And is our concentration so weak that it can't cope with a visual input?

    P
    uhhm, yes?! especially with beginners, there's entirely too much visual stimulation to NOT meditate with closed eyes! it makes sense, and it can be very straining to meditate while staring off at a wall without looking all over the room. you've been there too!
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited March 2010
    I only meditate with eyes closed. My teacher talks about "unplugging the senses" through concentration, and it seems to me it's much easier to do that when your eyes are already closed. :)
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    Lincoln wrote: »
    I only meditate with eyes closed. My teacher talks about "unplugging the senses" through concentration, and it seems to me it's much easier to do that when your eyes are already closed. :)

    Perhaps because visual input is the most significant in forming our experience? But it depends if what you're looking at is distracting really, doesn't it? Also we can't "unplug" the other senses.

    P
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited March 2010
    porpoise wrote: »
    Also we can't "unplug" the other senses.
    I guess you and my teacher have a difference of opinion.
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    Lincoln wrote: »
    I guess you and my teacher have a difference of opinion.

    So what is the method for unplugging the senses taught by your teacher?

    P
  • TarHeel100TarHeel100
    edited March 2010
    I am just a beginner myself, but I find I can very easily quiet the mind with my eyes closed. I do not have any issues falling asleep and I have already been sitting as long as 45 minutes at a clip (and could probably go longer). I think I would have a much harder time letting go of sensory stimuli and focusing on my breath with my eyes open.

    Basically, the approach Lincoln is referring to is working very well for me so far.
  • TimKTimK
    edited March 2010
    This is an interesting thread. I think I assumed that most people meditate with their eyes closed. I'm interested though, when we are saying "open" is it completely open or partially? I have read meditation instruction from multiple sources that teach the eyes should be slightly open looking down.
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    edited March 2010
    TimK wrote: »
    This is an interesting thread. I think I assumed that most people meditate with their eyes closed. I'm interested though, when we are saying "open" is it completely open or partially? I have read meditation instruction from multiple sources that teach the eyes should be slightly open looking down.

    There are many different approaches in different traditions, and for different practices, and I don't think there is a "right" method. I recommend you experiment and see the differences.

    P
  • TimKTimK
    edited March 2010
    I supposed I should have been more clear on my question. I usually meditate with my eyes closed or just barely open. I was more asking whether or not those that say "open" do partially opened or fully opened. I had an excellent opportunity to practice my mediation today while getting an MRI. Focusing on your breathe can be tough with the noises and confined space.
  • priyajiivanapriyajiivana
    edited March 2010
    i keep my eyes mostly open, not halfway, so to speak. it's easier for me to make the transition from "meditation" to "breakfast" or "laundry" or whatever is next in my day. i feel very detached if i keep my eyes closed and meditate, then open my eyes for the rest of my day. again, i do think it's all about what's more comfortable. ;)
  • mwbworldmwbworld
    edited March 2010
    I generally start with eyes closed but periodically open them for several minutes at at time as well.
  • MarmaladeMarmalade
    edited March 2010
    I'm an eyes open guy. I actually find it hard to do eyes closed because I feel like I'm trying to do something, or make something happen, or realize some great truth, instead of chilling :cool:
Sign In or Register to comment.