緇門警訓 1.65

1.65

Bodhisattvas studying prajñā should first arouse great compassion and give rise to vast vows, vigorously cultivating samādhi and vowing to deliver sentient beings, not seeking liberation for oneself alone. Thereupon, let go of all conditions and rest from myriad affairs. Body and mind become one; movement and stillness are without gap. Measure your food and drink, neither too much nor too little; regulate your sleep, neither restricting nor indulging. When wishing to practice seated meditation, thickly spread a sitting mat in a quiet place, loosen your belt, and let your deportment be orderly. Then sit cross-legged: first place the right foot on the left thigh, and the left foot on the right thigh. Or the half-lotus posture is also acceptable: simply place the left foot on the right foot. Next, place the right hand on the left foot, and the left palm on the right palm, with the pads of both thumbs supporting each other. Slowly raise the body forward, shake and vibrate left and right, and then sit upright with an aligned body. You must not lean left or incline right, bend forward or tilt backward. Make the waist, spine, head, and neck joints support one another like a stūpa. Moreover, do not raise the body excessively, which causes breathing to become short and uneasy. You must have the ears aligned with the shoulders, the nose aligned with the navel, the tongue resting against the upper palate, and the lips and teeth touching. The eyes should be slightly open to avoid falling into drowsiness. If one attains meditative concentration, its power is supreme. Ancient eminent monks who practiced concentration always sat with their eyes open. Formerly, Chan Master Yuantong of Fahua also rebuked those who sat in meditation with closed eyes, regarding it as the ghost cave of the black mountain. This contains a profound meaning, which the realized understand. Once the physical form is settled and the breath regulated, then relax the abdomen, and do not think of any good or evil. When a thought arises, immediately become aware of it; upon awareness, it vanishes. For a long time forgetting conditions, it naturally becomes one piece. This is the essential method of seated meditation. I consider seated meditation to be a dharma-gate of peace and joy, yet many people incur illness from it, solely because they do not employ the mind skillfully. If one skillfully attains this meaning, naturally the four elements will be light and tranquil, the spirit fresh and sharp, right mindfulness clear, and the taste of the Dharma nourishing the spirit, in quiescent and pure joy. For those who have already had illumination, it can be described as like a dragon finding water, like a tiger leaning against a mountain. For those who have not yet had illumination, it is also blowing on a fire with the wind—not requiring much effort. Just discern a willing mind; you will surely not be deceived. However, when the Way is high, demons flourish, with adverse and favorable conditions in ten thousand ways; but if only right mindfulness can manifest before you, nothing can obstruct you. As the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Tiantai Cessation and Contemplation, and Guifeng's Protocol for Cultivation and Realization fully explain demonic matters: preparing against the unforeseen cannot be neglected. When wishing to emerge from concentration, slowly move the body and arise gently; do not be abrupt. After emerging from concentration, at all times always rely on expedient means to protect and maintain the power of concentration like protecting an infant; then the power of concentration will easily be achieved. Now, the one gate of meditative concentration is the most urgent matter. If one does not rest in meditation and quiet the thoughts, reaching this point one will inevitably be bewildered. Therefore, to search for a pearl, one should quiet the waves; in moving water, taking it must be difficult. When the water of concentration is clear, the jewel of the mind is naturally seen. Thus the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment says: "Unobstructed, pure wisdom all arises depending on meditative concentration." The Lotus Sūtra says: "In a quiet place, cultivate and gather one's mind, resting immovably like Mount Sumeru." From this we know that transcending the ordinary and surpassing the holy must rely on quiet conditions; shedding the body while sitting or passing away while standing must depend on the power of concentration. Even striving to accomplish it in a single lifetime, one still fears wasting time; how much more so if one procrastinates—how will one resist karma? Thus an ancient said: "If one lacks the power of concentration, one willingly submits to the gates of death; closing the eyes to return empty-handed, utterly drifting." May all Chan friends read this text three times; benefiting oneself and benefiting others, together accomplish right awakening.