Meditation Without References
I can easily stay focused, but I cannot narrow my attention to the sensations at the tip of the nose.


If you are craving when you manage to get the attention, or being averse when you cannot, you are not doing the meditation right.

Early on, the results are not due to the fact that you were (or weren't) able to keep your attention: they are due to whether you had sustained effort, to keep your attention, by bringing your mind back to the middle of the upper lip of the nose area. This is what Vitarka and Vicara are.


  Yet, neither seem fruitful in my practice. I remain very weakly focused on an imprecise object, more or less the face and nose area.


You seem to be craving to be able to do this.

Initially say you mind stick to the chosen object, nevertheless you should continuously try to bring it back. At the start of the breath, see if the breath is on the chosen spot: if not, bring it back, if it is on the breath still redirect it back to the chosen spot as when you would bring it back when the attention had gone away.

When your mind goes away to another object, or just thinking and pondering, there are three sensations which come by: i.e. sensations are pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Try to see the thing's sensation before bringing your mind back. For example if you get a leg pain, see the pain and some aspect of its impermanence. Then bring back your mind.