Tibetan Sun-Gazing Instructions

Quote from Tibetan Buddhism's exercises preparatory to the
achieving of Dzogchen - instant enlightenment. See paragraphs
four–five for sun-gazing instructions.

http://www.rinpoche.com/karmechagme/togel_main.html
[quote]
The fourth lamp is the gate for the appearance of wisdom. And, the
wisdom in this case refers to the display of Dharmata, and the condition
for its appearance is the use of the eyes in a particular way or gaze, in
connection with a source of light. Traditionally the sun is given as the
main example, but it can also be the light of the moon, an electric light,
or a light from a flame. Through the application of gaze you cause to
appear to the fourth lamp, or in the fourth lamp, the eyes, a rainbow-
like light phenomenon. And this embodies the purity of the Dharmakaya
and the five certainties of the Sambhogakaya, initially appearing as
multi-colored light and circles of light. The gate for that appearance is
the distant lasso water lamp. When you do this and apply the gaze and
make use of the four lamps explained thus far, what you will see looks
something like the tail of a peacock which contains circles that are
often five different colors, one surrounding another like circular
shields used in warfare.
[end quote]

RAMON COMMENTS: I think anyone who has experienced 'the paisley
visual phenomenon' on psychedelics would recognize this.

[quote continues]
What you are seeing with the fourth lamp is the fifth lamp, which is called
the pure lamp of the expanse. Here it's called the pure lamp of Dharmadhatu.
Through the meeting of the fifth and fourth lamps you experience the
spontaneous display of the nature of all things. Which means that what
you are seeing is not a created or composite physical phenomenon. Within
the rays of light which are created by the gaze you see not only large
circles or spheres but lots of minute or little ones, like a net of pearls
or little drops like fish eyes, and sometimes they appear in moving patterns
of lattice networks. That aspect of what your seeing is the appearance of
the unceasing activity of Nirmanakaya.

What you experience is called the display of the Trikaya in the form of
rainbow light; they are the unlimited display of the same nature the
Dharmata. What you are seeing is the three kayas as the unified
appearances. Know that they appear in different ways; know that in
reality the different modes of appearances of the three embodiments are
in essence indivisible from reality itself.

The way you do this is by using a light source and in this text the example
used is the sun. Usually you use the sun as soon as it has arisen or as it
sets. But, whenever you do it, it has to be done in a certain way for this
to work and for it to be safe.

First thing is, you do not look at the sun. You're not trying to get the
direct light of the sun into your eyes. Nor do you look at the rays of the
sun in the usual sense, as the sun has rays coming out of it. What you do
is, you look one cubit below the sun, some distance from it, and you cause
the appearance of rays by squinting. By closing your eyes half way, you
adjust them exactly as to how much you close them, to what or how much
you need to, in order to generate the appearance of rays. When this
happens, one of the things that happens is, you cause the appearance of
refractions of the light, so that it appears in different colors. The
squinting of the eyes causes the rays of light to appear like aligned
weapons, like parallel spears, which seem like a downpour of weapons
shooting into oneself at your heart.
[end quote]
RAMON COMMENTS: The above explanation points to the direct
connection between sunlight pouring into the eyes and the ecstasy
triggered in the heart, along with a perceptible increase in the
heartbeat. It sounds like a version of tratak (eye-fixating)to me,
which hearkens back to some various earlier postings of mine... As
for sun-gazing, I've done it in _dappled_ sunlight for 40+ years,
using semi-shade such as within a redwood grove. I discovered
early-on that sungazing stops all discursive thought and one
rests in just pure awareness of awareness.
[quote continues]
This one aspect of this training and one benefit of this is that you
prepare yourself for the appearances of the bardo. Because, in the
bardo after death the light of wisdom appears in part as brilliant
rays of light that you perceive as threatening, as weapons, as something
that you have to be afraid of. So one thing that you are doing in this
practice is learning to recognize such phenomena as your own display,
not as something coming from outside yourself.
[end quote]