佛 光 山 南 華 寺
Fo Guang Shan - Nan Hua Temple
Meditation Guide
"Meditation is exercise for the mind; everyone needs it."
- FGS Founding Master Hsing Yun
Meditation Part 1
In recent years the practice of meditation has spread from the East to all parts of the West, and expanded from being confined to the cloistered halls of the monastery to the lay community. Meditation allows us to make our busy lives tranquil and refreshed. For people living in today’s hectic society, being able to sit in meditation a few minutes each day and occasionally participate in meditation retreats at a Buddhist temple can help to find the energy to keep moving forward.
Some Buddhists trace the origins of the Chan School, the Buddhist meditation school, to the assembly on Vulture Peak when the Buddha held a flower aloft and his disciple, Mahakasyapa, smiled. Though this event shows the transmission of the wordless teachings of Chan to Mahakasyapa, the Buddha did not only give the gift of Chan to him, but to each and every living being. Chan is not some mysterious and obscure phenomenon, nor is it unique to Buddhism. The human world is filled with the subtleties of Chan, and there is nothing in nature that does not reflect its wondrousness.
Meditation is a light for all humanity. It can connect each of us to one another and the outside world. Meditating is social and humanistic, with each Chan practitioner connected through transmission of the teachings with every other. Throughout the history of the Chan School there are thousands of stories of people and their transmission of the Dharma.
Modern life is complex and disordered; we need the power of meditative concentration to calm our restless minds and bodies. The wave of industrialization that has swept across the globe since the twentieth century has quickened the pace of life, and increased production has stimulated people’s desire for enjoyment. With technology people are now frenetically engaged in making a living all the time and have forgotten to stop for awhile and look at themselves. The competitiveness of life has made the sense of alienation between people more and more severe; and excessive sensual enjoyment has anesthetized the spirit. The words “nothingness” and “loss” are now commonplace in our modern era. Meditation is truly the best medicine to mend the abuses of our times.
Meditation Part 2
I. The Right Attitude for Meditation
Meditation should not be done for the sake of the practitioner alone. One who wishes to practice meditation must have the great kindness, compassion, and zeal of a bodhisattva.1 They must not be selfish and only wish liberation for themselves. Therefore, to meditate we must:
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Contemplate, reflecting upon ourselves and looking into our behavior.
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Improve, and constantly progress.
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Cultivate, without looking outside ourselves.
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Abandon all notions, and not be concerned with success or failure.
As one enters a meditation hall to begin to practice, one should put aside everyday concerns and be ready to receive instruction. Likewise, the rules and regulations of the meditation hall should be strictly observed, and one should not bend the rules or seek special privileges to make things easier. We should nurture the compassionate mind, for a compassionate person is gentle by nature and can more easily enter deep meditation. We must do what is right and refrain from doing what is wrong, repenting our misdeeds no matter how big or small. We should decrease our distractions and maintain regular habits of eating, drinking, and sleeping. Lastly, we should have faith, and believe that each of us, and all living beings, possesses Buddha nature, and trust that our teacher is a well-cultivated person.
II. The Benefits of Meditation
Chan is a flower for all mankind, shining its light on human life. Chan is wisdom, humor, and the true mind. It is our intrinsic nature; a treasure shared in common by the entire human race.Though Chan comes to us from the ancient past, it is a wellspring of happiness for modern people. Chan can expand our horizons, fortify our willpower, improve our health, enhance our wisdom, harmonize the spirit, transform bad habits, temper the mind, and enhance memory.
The Chan practice of meditation allows us to reduce the afflictions of daily life, and change our view such that it does not run in opposition to reality. Many contradictory and contrasting phenomena can actually be brought together. Meditation allows us to adopt the temperament of a wandering monk, who comes and goes as he pleases. Whether we are rich or poor, we are alright. We become able to see through the illusions of the world and attain the freedom of liberation. The benefits of meditation outshine everything else.
Meditation Part 3
Through meditation our fears disappear. Even the cycle of birth and death no longer frightens us. Through meditation our minds become focused and we gain strength. When the mind is concentrated and we are able to gain insight, it becomes easy to fulfill our aspirations—nothing can fail. Additionally, it is through the practice of meditation that we can obtain measureless meditative bliss, Dharma joy, and many other benefits:
1. Stress Relief
The stress of daily life comes from the scattered confusion within the mind and our mistaken understanding of the way things are. Meditation quiets the mind and stills our thoughts so that we can return to our intrinsic nature. This helps us to distinguish the correct view from the wrong ones, so that we can rectify our misapprehensions. By correcting our view, the stress of daily life can be dispelled as well.
2. Improved Health
The sutras say, “When the mind arises, all phenomena arise.” Modern medical science has proven that emotions like worry, greed, and anger play a large part in the illnesses of the human body. Meditation gives us a peaceful temperament, allows us to breathe calmly, and makes us feel refreshed. Meditation also enhances circulation and boosts metabolism. Not only does meditation make us healthier, it can relieve sickness and help us live longer.
3. Elevated Morality
In today’s society with its technological advances and material abundance, most people spend their days restlessly seeking sensual pleasures, fame, and power. In this way they cloud their minds and lose the sense of who they are. But by befriending meditation we can become our own masters and no longer be slaves to material things. Then we can elevate our own internal sense of morality, and transform our disposition
4.. Happiness
The Buddha once said, “Meditation enables us to abide in Dharma joy within the world.” Dharma joy is a wonderful kind of happiness that is produced from the tranquil mind. Such joy cannot be compared to the five desires of everyday existence: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. All those who diligently practice sitting meditation can obtain bliss.
Meditation Part 4
I. Wisdom
The Suramgama Sutra says, “Take focusing the mind as your precepts. Meditative concentration arises from the precepts; wisdom arises from meditative concentration.” Meditation calms the body and spirit, and purifies the mind. Not only does this develop one’s intrinsic wisdom, it allows one to win the love and respect of others, making all things easier to accomplish. This is why meditation is also part of the path to cultivate merit and wisdom.
II. Seeing Intrinsic Nature
When he achieved enlightenment, the Buddha said, “All sentient beings have the Tathagata’s wisdom and virtue, but they fail to realize it because they cling to deluded thoughts and attachments.” Meditation eliminates affliction and deluded thoughts, allowing us to be quiet both within and without. When the mind reaches Nirvana, it fully expands into enlightenment. This is why the meditation hall is also called “the Buddha’s court.” As long as we put in the effort, we will be able to see intrinsic nature and attain Buddhahood.
III. The Practice of Meditation
As Chan Master Rujing said, the purpose of meditation is to liberate the mind and body. It is not necessary to burn incense, perform prostrations, recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, do penance, or read sutras. Simply sitting in meditation will do. In the Chan tradition, meditation does not mean pondering something in deep thought, much less the inactivity of sitting blankly.
Sitting meditation is different from chanting sutras or paying homage to the Buddha. A meditator must cast off all mundane phenomena, not be moved by worry or doubt, and practice meditation as the teaching of the greatest, most supreme happiness. Meditation is like returning home and sitting firmly and peacefully upon the seat of one’s own Dharma nature. In meditation, one breathes just as all of the Buddhas of the ten directions, and wanders freely in the ocean of the dharma realms.
To realize sitting meditation’s goal of liberating the mind and body we must free ourselves from the delusion of discriminating thought; even the world of the Buddha and enlightenment must be washed away without a trace. Amid the silence and the curling smoke of their ancient temples, Ch'an masters sat in meditation,burning stick after stick of incense.*2 They dedicated their lives to sitting meditation and made it their goal to put an end to delusion and the agitation of the body and mind. They hoped that through endless meditation they could purify the mind and merge into limitless time and space, attaining freedom and liberation beyond enlightenment or delusion. If you wish to enjoy this kind of meditative bliss, you must actually go and sit in meditation. Only someone drinking a glass of water can know if the water is hot or cold, and meditation is the same way.
Meditation Part 5
Experienced mediators can enter meditative concentration no matter where they are, be it beside a stream in a forest, inside a mountain cave, or among some graves, but for those beginning the practice it is best to choose an indoor area that is away from outside noises. Such locations bring better results. The lighting in the room should be moderate: too much light is harsh on the eyes, while too little light can make one drowsy. It is best if an image of the Buddha is placed in the room, so that one can make offerings by burning incense as a source of inspiration. One should also not sit where there is a draft to avoid catching a cold.Before sitting in meditation one should also pay attention to how one eats and dresses. One should not meditate less than an hour after finishing a meal, since at that time blood has rushed to the stomach and intestines and one can easily become drowsy. One should not be too full or too hungry; seventy to eighty percent full is best. One’s clothing should be loose, comfortable, and soft to promote good circulation. Having sufficient sleep will also prevent one from falling asleep during meditation and wasting precious time.Once all preparatory work is complete, one can then begin sitting in meditation. In the Chan School, sitting meditation is generally divided into three stages: (1) regulating the body, (2) regulating the breath, and (3) regulating the mind.