[legal-advicer]

I was wondering if anyone could comment on reasons for keeping eyes opened or closed when meditating.

I've had more experience with eyes open, hence am more comfortable with it... but was introduced to eyes closed during a vispassana training.


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[Kemapreedasse]

hi sully,

i am happy to comment

it is best to have the eyes in a manner that feels natural

if open eyes feels best for you then have open eyes

often, it is advised to keep the eyes open, despite this being difficult for some

kind regards

element


COOL, CONCENTRATED EYES

Now, the eyes. Should we leave them open or should we close them? Many people believe that they must close their eyes that they cannot meditate with open eyes. If you are serious about what you are doing and have a sufficiently strong mind it is not difficult to practice with the eyes left open. Begin with the eyes open. Open them with the determination to gaze toward the tip of the nose. This is not at all impossible. It just takes a little effort to do so. Gaze toward the tip of the nose so that the eyes will not get involved in other things.

When we close our eyes we tend to be sleepy, so be careful about closing the eyes. Also, when the eyes are closed they become warm and dry. Mediating with the eyes open will help us to stay awake and will keep the eyes cool and comfortable. Further, this will help the mind to be concentrated; it will aid the development of samadhi. As samadhi (concentration) develops about half way, the eyes will close naturally by themselves. The eyelids will relax and drop shut on their own. There is nothing to worry about. The complete technique is to begin with the eyes open. Gaze at the nose tip until samadhi develops, then the eyes will close on their own. That takes care of the eyes.

Practicing with the eyes open and gazing towards the tip of the nose is automatically a noticeable level of concentration. If we establish all of the mind upon gazing toward the tip of the nose, we will not see anything else. If we can do this, it will be a certain type of samadhi. We will profit from having this much concentration right from the start. Merely look toward the nose without seeing anything else. If all of the mind, all of its interest, is set on looking at the nose, then nothing else will be seen. This samadhi is not insignificant. Therefore you ought to try to start with open eyes.

Please observe that this is something anyone can do. We are intent upon gazing at the nose, at feeling the nose and at the same time we feel the body breathing. Both can be done. It may seem that both are being done at exactly the same moment, but they are not. There is not anything unnatural or supernatural about it. Because of the mind’s great speed it is possible for the eyes to be gazing at the tip of the nose while being aware of breathing in and breathing out. You can see this for yourself.

Mindfulness with Breathing

[illilmicy]

Thanks for commenting Element,

Zazen taught to do meditation with eyes open not looking in straight line but in an angle of 45° so I got used to do it with eyes open... when anapanasati sometimes I close them for a few minutes but always meditation is done with eyes open.

Personally I do not felt comfortably with eyes closed... watching breath and mind is easier with eyes open.

I remember the roshi telling to close eyes when being in bed ready to sleep.

[Soadiassy]

Hi Sully,

I was originally taught to meditate with eyes open and have continued to do so because it feels natural to me.

with kind wishes,

Aloka

[Zdfjpbth]

I usually keep them closed because my eyes tend to get dry. It's a condition called dry eye syndrome.

[sXVUOUVC]

I use both depending on my energy level. If I'm tired, then I open them partly or fully. This prevents me from drifting off. If I'm well-charged, then I close them as this tranquilizes my mind and stills the internal dialogue.

It's a case for me of gauging the situation.

[Plaumpholavup]

Originally I used to meditate with my eyes closed, until I was training with a new teacher, who encouraged eyes open. It took a while for me to adapt, but have to say that now, prefer to keep eyes open. If I'm feeling agitated though, or find that I have a difficult experience arise during my sitting, I will close my eyes momentarily just to soften, release and let go of the disturbance.

[Fertionbratte]

Everyone, thank so much for sharing your thoughts; I have wondered about this for a while. I was also told that having eyes open helps keep you connected with your environment, the outside world.

[TorryJens]

I don't think about it. I certainly keep my eyes open doing walking meditation.

Peace

Gerry

[venediene]

I don't think about it. I certainly keep my eyes open doing walking meditation.

Yes Gerry, it can be helpful at times!

[maonnjtip]

For me my eyes are generally gently closed these days during meditation ... I have practiced different techniques which involved instruction regarding eyes open and eyes closed, now this is nto needed.

[Cinzomzm]

It's eyes closed for me... I can't stop blinking if I try to meditate with my eyes open! I think I will follow Gerry's suggestion if I take up a walking meditation practice though

[HitAttetlyTek]

I have always meditated with my eyes closed, but my focus has always been internal, concentrating on my breath and the state of my mind. I will have to try with eyes open to see how this connects me to my environment. Thanks for the comments!

[arerrurrY]

I closed my eyes most of the time but some times during meditation i open them unsure if thats me really meditating or not

[yharmon6614]

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.

[Alulursuifold]

I have never meditated with my eyes open.

I do not know why I meditate as I do, I just do.

Peace

Gerry

[HitAttetlyTek]

I usually keep them closed because my eyes tend to get dry. It's a condition called dry eye syndrome.

I have a similar issue with my eyes along with another that means if I try and meditate with eyes open it ends up looking like i'm hallucinating!
I've practiced Zen for a while but I keep getting told if my eyes are closed its not zazen. This has made me feel somewhat alienated from Zen so I am lookign for alternatives now.

[tousuarshatly]

Instruction in zazen practice has convinced me to keep my eyes half-open, half-closed. I was taught that the practical reasons for this are generally twofold: (1) to prevent dozing off and avoid tuning out the external world, as might happen sometimes with eyes closed, and (2) to limit the tendency of the eyes to roam out of boredom in search of something exciting, which can occur with eyes wide open.

After a couple of years at it, I've noticed that eyes fully open and eyes fully closed both have their drawbacks. Fully open has the drawback of sensory stimulation becoming quite the distraction. Fully closed has the drawback of mental stimulation becoming quite the distraction. With eyes neither fully open nor closed, softly focused and directed a few feet in front of one's seat, I feel I've found a middle point that works well for me.

It took me a while to acclimate to having eyes half-open, half-closed. My eyelids would flicker at first, but it was primarily because I was exerting small amounts of muscular effort to keep my eyes from closing while at the same time preventing them from being fully open. In retrospect, I was actually squinting. There's no need to squint to achieve the half and half state. Just let the gaze soften and the eyelids will naturally relax.

However, when I do vipassana, my eyes are closed. The eyes-closed state helps me in noting the changes the body and mind experience from moment to moment.

Experiment with different methods to see what works best for you.

[Hervams]

I was also wondering the same thing although I have better experience during meditation if I have them closed and then gradually open them through the meditation. It for some reason keeps my eyes from wanting to wander during meditation.