The Art Of Meditation
By Master
Sheng-yen Lu
Translated and published by Lei Zang Si Singapore
This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 45th book,
坐禪通明法.
CHAPTER
4 - Visualization
"I often think that the life of a human is a drop of the True
Nature, and that the light in the Universe fills up the six
directions." --Master Sheng-yen Lu
During my meditation, I usually first visualize my whole body as
transparent, as luminous as colored glaze. Our body has three channels
of blood; the middle, the left and the right, all straight and parallel,
clearly visible. The middle channel is shaped like a loudspeaker, large
at the top leading to the brain, and tapering off at the bottom. The
left and right channels go to the head side by side with the middle
channel, and then turn back to the nostrils.
Sitting in meditation, keep your mouth shut. Press the left nostril with
the ring finger of the left hand, and breathe through the right nostril.
Visualize that the luminosity of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas fills up
the whole Void, and that you are breathing in the luminosity through the
right nostril. When breathing is sufficient, press the right nostril
with your right hand. This time, the luminosity travels through the
right channel to the place below the navel, and then enters the left
channel, goes upward, and goes out through the left nostril.
All the karmic hindrances and black chi (prana) and all the devil's
hindrances are washed away by the luminosity in the right channel, and
are expelled through the left nostril. (editor's note: This practice was
later formalized by Grand Master Lu as the Nine Round Breath Technique,
and is used by True Buddha cultivators as a prelude to meditation)
Perform the practice three times; take in the luminosity from the right
nostril, and expel the black chi through the left nostril. Then, press
the right nostril with the ring finger of the right hand so as to let in
the luminosity through the left nostril, which goes to the right channel
to drive the karmic hindrances out through the right nostril. Now press
the left nostril with the ring finger of the left hand, and follow the
same procedure, but for different directions--take in the luminosity
through the right, and let out the black smoke through the left. Perform
this practice three times.
Finally, form the "meditation mudra". In a meditating
position, put the two hands on your lap, with the left hand on the right
hand and the two thumbs touching. Visualize the two nostrils, and inhale
the luminosity. The breath enters the right and left channels
(simultaneously), and the two merge below the navel chakra and enter the
middle channel. When they get to the top of the crown, they are blocked
and go back to the navel area. Then they ascend along the original
channels until the black smoke exits through both nostrils. Also perform
this practice three times.
The present writer knows that this practice is the initial training for
meditation. It is a training for inhaling the light and exhaling the
dark. The light from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pour into the body
while the dark smoke of karmic hindrances are driven out of the body.
Honestly, if you practice this and get to know all about the ins and
outs, all your capillaries will emit light, because the light of all
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas has entered your body, and the black smoke
inside has been eradicated. This spiritual power can wash clean all
afflictions, ignorance, desire and other sins. Naturally, the fruition
of Buddhahood will be achieved.
In addition, there are four visualizations:
1.Visualize the Root Guru appearing in the space
before and above you, who sends down a beam of light to cover you up,
so that you can sit still without fear.
2.Visualize the Root Guru moving onto your crown
chakra, emitting strong light. Nectar from the light empowers you to
fill up your body and eradicate all sins and hindrances. Black smoke
exits from all capillaries, and then you feel relieved and peaceful,
with great freedom.
3.Visualize the Root Guru turning into a drop of light
about the size of a grain of rice. The light enters your body through
the crown chakra to the moon disk lotus seat. Now the Root Guru is on
the lotus seat above your heart.
4.Visualize the Root Guru growing bigger and bigger to
the same size as you, so that you and the Root Guru become one. At
this stage, you are the Root Guru, and the Root Guru is you. When the
two become one, there is no more difference between your achievement
and that of the Root Guru.
During each visualization, you must recite the Root
Guru's Heart Mantra a hundred and eight times. This is the supreme
method of visualization that all enlightened people practiced; it is
also the supreme method by which all Buddhas, out of kindness and
compassion, radiate various types of light to embrace the sentient
beings. It is an inconceivable method to attain Buddhahood and to subdue
devils and eradicate karmic hindrances. It is the most solemn and
secretive. Today I disclose this great method without the slightest
reservation. This is a great event in the human world, and a great event
for the Ling Xian School.
In fact, this Tantric visualization is no different from the
"refined thinking" in Taoism. In what follows, I will explain
why this is so.
Light comes from the same wind (prana) from Heaven and Earth, Yin and
Yang. This wind exists both in an individual and in the air. In either
visualization or refined thinking, there is no response at the initial
stage--it seems there are responses, but it also seems that there are
not. However, in any event, if you persist in practicing for a hundred
days, a light drop seems to suddenly appear from the Earth. This little
light drop is the result of a hundred day's training. With this light
drop, there will be some response. If one does not persevere in his
practice, visualization will come to no avail.
Other people tend to think that, in our meditation, one breath lasts
only one tenth of a second, but I think that one breath lasts as long as
a hundred years. We should know that ordinary people's breathing is
indeed very brief, but breathing in meditation lays the foundation for
ten thousand years and stops you from falling into the cycle of
thousands of births and deaths. Isn't that breathing long lasting?
Ordinary people's breathing is emotion-based, and the Yang prana goes
away with each passing day. After decline and death, what awaits them is
the nether world and the cycle of the six realms of existence, with
thousands of births and deaths. The practitioners' breathing is the Yang
prana leading to the luminosity, never to decline or exhaust. This
spirit and energy all concentrate at the crown chakra, which makes it
easy for them to live long or to ascend to Heaven.
I often think that the life of a human is a drop of the True Nature, and
that the light in the Universe fills up the six directions. We can use
this light drop in our meditation day after day---this will be
inconceivable achievement of luminosity. Our practice should not cease
even for a single day--any interruption in practice will result in the
decline of the light. One can practice from the simple to the complex,
moving from a crude manner to a more elaborate fashion, but never in and
"off and on" style, let alone stopping altogether. Persist
until all your body radiates strong light and your True Nature takes
refuge in the Ocean of Truth. That is the final realization.
In my meditation, Master Padmasambhava told me that the meditation
posture should be like that of Buddha, majestic and dignified. The back
of the seat should be slightly raised so that the breathing is even and
smooth. It is best to sit in the Full Lotus Position; if that proves
difficult the Free Position will also do. The Meditation Mudra is
preferred, although you can also form the Root Guru Mudra, if you are
following his teachings. The two shoulders should be straight and on the
same height. Remember that it is best to breathe evenly and gently;
heavy breathing or gasping are not good. Keep your eyes on the tip of
your nose, with the upper eye lashes fallen, or keep looking straight
ahead without too much effort. Keep the tongue raised to the hard
palate. This is standard posture for meditation.
The first problem that a beginning practitioner has is unceasing
distracting thoughts. This is only normal. Beginners should not be
afraid of distracting thoughts; whenever they rise, it is best to ignore
them. If you have to deal with them, just trace their source and stop
them where they rise. First stop the distracting thoughts and use
visualization to prevent their continuing flow. This is what we call
"stopping evil thoughts and meditating on the truth" in
Buddhism, or "meditative stability and wisdom." With
tranquility, you can stop evil thoughts; with wisdom, you will emit
light.
The meditation for luminosity is a great method leading to Buddhahood
and godhood. All sages praise it:
Shakyamuni Buddha says, "Meditate on one's mind and attain
realization."
Lao Zi, the sage of Morality, says, "Inner visualization results in
light.".
Master Padmasambhava says, "Enlightenment goes with
emancipation.".
Some people say that this light is neither inside our bodies nor
outside, but pervades the thousands of worlds. I say that the light is
both inside and outside and pervades both Heaven and Earth. When your
light radiates in meditation, the light in the Universe will radiate in
response to your light!
What is ridiculously childish is that some self-styled monks who have
not realized this in their practice-who have never sitten in meditation,
not do they know much about it, nevertheless ask people to believe in
them. We can ask: "What is there to believe in? What is the
difference between such belief and Christianity or Catholicism? What is
the use of it?"
Source: http://www.padmakumara.org
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Up Preface 01 - Cultivation of the Mind 02 - Removal of Karmic Hindrance and the Four Preliminaries 03 - The Struggle Between True Nature and Consciousness 04 - Visualization 05 - The Active Original Spirit 06 - Workings of the Five Aggregates 07 - Correct Responses in Meditation 08 - Evidence for External Empowerment 09 - The Three Stages in Meditation 10 - Wisdom in the Threefold Contemplation 11 - The Light of the Third Eye 12 - Merit in Making Offerings 13 - The Secret Empowerment I Received 14 - What Is Meant by Wild Fox Zhan? 15 - Tantric Practice of Meditation #1 16 - Tantric Practice of Meditation #2 17 - Tantric Practice of Meditation #3 18 - Tantric Practice of Meditation #4 19 - Tantric Practice of Meditation #5 20 - Realization of the Pure Land Practices 21 - Realization of the Taoist Practice 22 - Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra: A Realized Realm 23 - The Equality of Tantrayana and Sutrayana 24 - Another Evidence for Remote Spiritual Healing 25 - Talisman Healing of Asthma and More 26 - The Root Guru Response Method 27 - The Divine Hand and Spiritual Healing 28 - Responses to Good God's Foresight 29 - Beware of "Absolute Emptiness"
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