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**yharmon6614** · 03-09-2012, 05:12 PM

There's another reason for doing what you do whether its with eyes open or closed. If you are in a room full of people, it will be easier to maintain concentration on your meditation with your eyes closed. This is why they teach this in goenka retreats.

My zen monk taught us to keep them open because it helps you not get distracted by your thoughts so much but if you are in a room with others and they are in your line of sight, or your peripheral vision even, then they will be distracting so its better to close them.

I personally find it easier to close my eyes as my lids get heavy.

In zen if you meditate in a monastery, the meditators face the wall so they are not going to be distracted by any activity or people so meditating with open eyes makes sense in such circumstances.

So apart from how it feels re your eyes, consider also which is best for your concentration.

03-09-2012, 05:12 PM	#15
yharmon6614 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 387 Senior Member	There's another reason for doing what you do whether its with eyes open or closed. If you are in a room full of people, it will be easier to maintain concentration on your meditation with your eyes closed. This is why they teach this in goenka retreats. My zen monk taught us to keep them open because it helps you not get distracted by your thoughts so much but if you are in a room with others and they are in your line of sight, or your peripheral vision even, then they will be distracting so its better to close them. I personally find it easier to close my eyes as my lids get heavy. In zen if you meditate in a monastery, the meditators face the wall so they are not going to be distracted by any activity or people so meditating with open eyes makes sense in such circumstances. So apart from how it feels re your eyes, consider also which is best for your concentration.
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