The Method for Practice of Meditation

Excepted from Manji edition of continuation of the Tripitaka, vol. 110.

In AD 677, an Indian monk, Buddhapala, came to China and people asked him how to

practice meditation

Q: As for practice of meditation, is sitting meditation an only method?

A: Meditation can be practiced in four-forms: walking, standing, sitting and sleeping. If

practicing only by means of sitting, one can easily attacked by demons.

Q: What is the method of sitting meditation?

A: It is "sitting with legs crossed." It can be either left leg above the right or right leg above the

left. If you can not sit with legs crossed, you can sit with legs half crossed: put right leg on the

left. Put hands on legs with palms facing up. Put right hand on the left palm. Don't put the left

over the right. Close eyes and mouth. Tongue should touch upper hard palate, or touch upper

teeth. Close eyes and mouth gently. Everything should be slow and relaxed. If you are not

used to closing eyes, you can open in little. If tired, you can change to other forms.

Q: Here (in China), it is popular that one put left [hands and legs] on one's right. Why is your

method is opposite?

A: In the West (India), this kind of sitting meditation is the heritage of all buddhas. This is

dharma-print. The people here changed it voluntarily. I don't know the detail.

Q: When sitting meditation, can I lean my body against something or bending or lifting of my

head?

A: You must sit upright. If your body is relying on something or bending, you will soon get sick.

Q: What is walking meditation?

A: Walking meditation meats practice of meditation by walking. You should walk on a flat

place within an area between 20 to 45 steps. When you walk, your left hand becomes fist with

the thumb on the center palm. Then handle the left wrist with your right hand. First, you need

to sit a little while and let you mind concentrated on the tip of your nose; then walk. Walking

should be not too slow nor too fast. Walking should follow your mind. When reach to the

boundary, you should turn back, stand a while, then walk again. While walking, you can open

your eyes; when you stop walking, close your eyes. Walk just like this. When tired, have a

rest. Walking only at daytime, one does not practice walking meditation at night.

Q: Can many people walk together?

A: People should keep distance and don't walk closely.

Q: Now, I know how to practice walking meditation. However, the teachers here did not teach

it. Would you please explain this to me?

A: Wu-chang has a place where the Buddha and Maitriya Bodhisattva practiced walking

meditation. That place is now exist; and stones of border are still there... Walking meditation is

usual from ancient up to now, but people here (in China) are confused...

Q: What is standing meditation?

A: "Standing" means that you stand upright with mind concentrated. Two hands are just like

walking meditation. When standing too long, you are tired or feel your two feet leaving the

ground. Then you need to stop practice.

Q: What is sleeping meditation?

A: Let your right side of body on the bed, have your head resting on the palm of the right

hand. Put left hand on the left side of your body. Relax your left legs upon the right. If you are

sick, you can sleep whatever position as long as you feel comfortable. All the forms of practice

are dharma-print.

Q: On which Vehicle above methods of meditation rely?

A: On Mahayana.

Q: How about Theravada and the Heresies? Don't they use the four-form of meditation?

A: At beginning, the Hinayanists do not use these four, perhaps, later on, they do. The

Heresies completely do not.

Q: Heresies and all three Vehicles practice meditation, what are the differences concerning

the concentrating mind and removing objects?

A: The Heresies attach to Self when they practice meditation; Hinayanists think of dharmas

while practicing Sam(dhi.Mahayanists practice (amatha and vipa(yan( to remove Self and

dharmas.

Q: I want to learn meditation, what is first step?

A: You should first produce the mind of great compassion, and discard the mind of revenge

forever. Then you can practice meditation. If desire, hatred arise, you should immediately

abandon them make a repentance. Just like you beat the water with stick, the wave arises but

disappears soon. With the continuation of evil idea, you can not practice meditation.

Q: For the beginner, should one observe the characteristic of nothingness (Wu-xian)?

A: One should gradually practice. I have not seen anybody suddenly gained the characteristic

of nothingness.

Q: What is the order for gradual practice?

A: At beginning, you should have your mind dwell inside the city of Chang-an; do not let your

mind out the city. Gradually, your mind dwell within a monastery, then within a room, and

finally on the tip of your nose. Let your mind back to the tip when it is out.

Q: How to practice "the tip of nose"?

A: Think the tip of your nose like a drop of dew.

Q: When this "thinking" is completed, what is the next?

A: Next, think your navel as a small spring among the sands. After completing this thinking,

you may see light or all stuffs inside your stomach. Next, observe the top of your head like 

mouth of a jar. This jar then becomes your whole body up to the ground.

After this thinking is clear, observe the top of your head; after your head, then make your mind

dwell on a place up on your top of head four fingers. After that, you will gradually feel your

body is free, later gradually gain the vipa(yan( of non-characteristic. From shallow to deep, it is

like climbing up a ladder.

  Start observing from your tip of nose or the top of your head, you may gain the

samadhi of light of fire, or directly the non-characteristic. The order is not fixated.

  If the one step of "thinking" is completed, your feeling of dislike may arise.

When the feeling of dislike arise, it is easy to discard [this "thinking", and go to next step of

"thinking"].

  Whether one observes the vinaya or one breaks vinaya, they all can practice

meditation. However, observing vinaya is priority to meditation....

  For the Theravada, once one breaks an important vinaya, one will be

abandoned and can not practice meditation anymore. According to this, they say, "Vinaya is

not clear, samadhi can not arise." However, in Mahayana, if one stops one's discursive mind,

this is considered as true repentance. Because of this true repentance, the obstructions

disappear and the vinaya arises, so one can gain samadhi.

Q: What is the method that mind can quickly be concentrated?

A: One who seeks the quick method is lazy person. Don't seek "quick". Abandon all thought;

stop all seeking. Not seeking, not non-seeking, one can gain samadhi....

  There are many marks of samadhi: head like man's body, or feel your body full

with dirty, etc. These are the marks of obstruction. In that case, one should change other

forms of practice or stop practice.

  If you feels that bugs or ants climbing on the body, or like cloud arise from your

back, do not fear nor touch it. Or you feel oils dropping down from your face; or see light etc..

These are the marks of pre-samadhi.

  Or you feel body light and happy... this is mark of pre-noble feet samadhi. Or

you feel body light but hurt, there is wind. Or you feel body hot, this is mark of fire-light

samadhi.

  Or you see whole room with light, this is pre-first dhyana. Or you smell

wonderful fragrance, this is the mark of successful samadhi. There are many marks, I can not

detail. However, whether it is good or bad mark, you should not worry or cheer; just keep your

mind quiet.