PureInsight | May 18, 2017
[PureInsight.org] Recently I have been sharing with fellow practitioners about entering into concentration in meditation. I have written down a few experiences to share with fellow practitioners. Please point out anything inappropriate.
When I obtained the Fa, it was quite easy for me to sit in double lotus position and enter into tranquility. Even before cultivation I could enter into tranquility quite easily. In my understanding, this is due to cultivation in past lifetimes. I later realized that my mind was basically empty but I had actually fallen asleep, so my meditation did not achieve the results of purifying the body. As I began taking on more projects, I still felt tired. I realized that I was walking the old forces’ arrangements. My subordinate consciousness was using my body to cultivate.
In order to rectify this situation, I started by correcting my posture. When the subordinate consciousness cultivates, the body must be as comfortable as possible. The master consciousness must completely relax for “him” to cultivate. Comfortably sitting there with a bent back is actually a manifestation of the master consciousness not being clearheaded. I thus made an effort to maintain a “straight back posture”.
Maintaining this posture without slacking for an hour is not easy.
In Zhuan Falun, Master said, “When our great heavenly circuits are about to open, a situation will occur wherein some people will lean forward during the sitting meditation. Because the circulation in one’s back is opened better, one’s back will feel very light while the body’s front will feel heavy. Some people lean backward and feel their backs are heavy while the fronts of their bodies feel light. If all of your body is opened well, you will feel as if you are being lifted up, like levitating off the ground. Once you can truly levitate, you will not be allowed to levitate —but this is not absolute.”
My understanding is that having a bent back, leaning back or forward is the result of having karma. Only by eliminating this karma can the
Macro-Cosmic Orbit open. The body will naturally levitate, and one can more easily maintain a “straight back posture”. I thus eliminated thoughts of sitting comfortably. When I got into the “straight back posture”, I tried not to move. However, the feeling of anxiety inevitably followed. My legs never used to hurt that much during the hour of sitting, but now they began to hurt after only half an hour’s practice. Sometimes it was a heart-piercing pain. My previous comfortable sitting position became a huge temptation, and I wanted to give up the state of sitting as straight as a pen. At the very least I would want to move my body just a little. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to enter tranquility. The mind is like a raging river, and everything begins to surface. Sometimes in order to avoid the feeling of anxiety, I would think about other things to take my mind off the pain. I tried focusing on the music, reciting “Lun Yu” or Hong Yin in my mind, or making an effort to suppress these thoughts, which had a small effect but did not fundamentally resolve the problem.
Master said in The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection, “Falun Dafa cultivates a person’s main consciousness. Cultivators have to consciously cultivate their minds, abandon all of their attachments, and improve their character. You cannot be in a trance or lose yourself when practicing the Great Way of Spiritual Perfection. Your main consciousness should govern you at all times as you do the exercises.”
My understanding is that, if one is unable to enter tranquility during meditation, it is interference by various attachments, karma, or the old forces. If unable to enter tranquility, one must seize this opportunity to clearly cultivate and eliminate attachments. If things surface in one’s mind, one must not follow them and should instead think about what attachment is resulting in one not being able to let go. Find the attachment and say to it, “I am a Dafa disciple. This attachment is not mine. I do not want it.” Maintain this strong righteous thought. When a notion enters the mind, eliminate it. Gradually no notions will enter the mind, and one will naturally enter into tranquility.
During this process, it is also important to not move one’s body. The word “concentration” in “entering concentration” has the meaning of being still. If the body moves slightly, then that may reduce the state of concentration. When there is a lot of pain, one will want to move. Actually pain is not the main reason one cannot enter concentration. Being attached to pain and being unable to endure is the actual reason. Therefore, try not to think about the pain. Focus on eliminating thought karma and not moving your body. You must remind yourself that pain is eliminating karma, which is a good thing. Any amount of pain can be overcome. One hour is not a long time. It will pass by very quickly.
After persevering for a period of time, I realized that sitting with a “straight back posture” was no longer difficult. Crossing my legs while sitting straight felt very refreshing and comfortable. I later stopped sitting in the comfort chair at my company and instead replaced it with a hard chair. I sat straight or crossed my legs in front of the computer, maintaining a “straight back posture”. I tried to incorporate the mindset of eliminating notions during meditation into my everyday life. Whenever a notion surfaced in my mind, I would first judge whether it met the Fa principles of Zhen Shan Ren. If yes, then I would allow it. Otherwise I would eliminate it. After a while, this state of mind influenced my meditation. Entering concentration became even easier. The pain gradually lessened and everything formed into a positive cycle for my cultivation state.
During this process, there will be recurrences. When the good side is separated, it will seem as if one cannot enter concentration again. Therefore, persevering in Fa study is very important. Studying the Fa and cultivating one’s heart is the basis for truly entering into good concentration.
The above is my own experience at my limited level. Please point out anything inappropriate.
Thank you, and heshi!
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/157618
