Breath Counting Exercise
What comes next? One next does a breath counting exercise. In my opinion, breath counting is advantageous for people who have too many disruptive thoughts. If one's mind is very busy and constantly thinking about this and that, then one must do the breath counting exercise. The simplest way of breath counting is to inhale and count "one" and exhale and count "two." An alternative would be to count after each inhalation and exhalation; that is, inhale and exhale then count "one," inhale and exhale and then count "two." One can use either of these methods as one chooses.
One next starts counting the breaths — one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, etc. Some people suggest that one should count up to the number of one's age. [audience laughter] For example, I am now forty-eight years old, so I will count my breath until I reach the number forty eight. What happens after forty eight? One goes back to the beginning and starts over again. One does this because, if one reached the number one hundred, it would require counting in three digits, and it is too cumbersome to count in three digits. If one just keeps on going, one will reach one thousand and then need to count in four digits. [laughter] Too many digits!
A certain power and rhythm occur when one counts breaths up to one's age again and again. This enhances the mental rhythm which helps to regulate the breath. Do not try to count all the way to one or two thousand.
In fact, this repetition of numbers from one to the number of years of one's age is actually a skill employing numbers to bring one's mind into one-pointedness. Counting one's breath this way, one will gradually cease counting and enter into a state free of thoughts. When all thoughts vanish, the realm of stability arises. When this realm of stability occurs, one's physical and mental being transform into emptiness [complete openness]. One completely forgets oneself in meditation, and the boundary between the "outside" and "inside" of oneself is abolished.
With the shattering of this boundary between the external and internal, the self-grasping consciousness or ego is also shattered. Some people feel capable of floating up into the air during this condition. Depending on the balance of the five esoteric elements (earth, water, fire, wind, and space) in each individual, there may arise different sensations, such as floating in an ocean or on other body of water, or even floating on currents of wind or light. Some might experience as though in the midst of fire or as though part of the earth, strong and firm as a mountain. Some are suspended in the air, which is a total dissolution of self-grasping. Of the various states of stability, immersion in the nature of space is highest.
The subtle energetic balance of each person is individual and tends to emphasize one of the five esoteric elements, which is what brings about corresponding meditative experiences. People who have a strong earth element will feel as firm as a mountain; people who have a greater component of water will
feel a cool breeze; people who are mostly fire element will feel as if they are inside a burning fire; people predominately of the wind element will feel as if they are being wafted by winds. These five elemental experiences are archetypal and manifest themselves in association with the state of "ablation of ego." Sometimes one feels as if one has become very small. Other times one feels very large, as if one fills up the whole universe. This is how it is described in the sutra: "In expansion, one becomes Mount Meru; in contraction, one becomes the size of a chestnut or hides within a mustard seed." All of this is generated during the state of stability. When one attains the state of stability in Samadhi, a very profound and deep insight will arise.
I have now taught everyone how to do the Nine Round Buddha Breath and Breath Counting Exercises. The Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, the entering of the Personal Deity into self and the entering of self into the Personal Deity, and the Breath Counting Exercise are the three steps that one should do at the beginning of entering into Samadhi. In other words, in entering into Samadhi, one must first perform the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, followed by the visualization of the entering of the Personal Deity into self and the entering of self into the Personal Deity, and then the Breath Counting Exercise. When these three exercises are successfully completed, one will enter into a state of stability.
The Dual Employment of Chih and Kuan
What should one do if, when the breath-counting method has brought one to near-stillness of awareness and then a thought suddenly arises? At such a moment, one should immediately visualize oneself as Amitabha again and restart the counting of breath. If another thought arises after one resumes counting, then one must again revert back to the visualization of oneself as Amitabha. When one enters into the state of no thought, one will no longer have to engage in visualization. As soon as a thought arises, one has to resume visualization of oneself as Amitabha.
This alternation of the states of "cessation of thoughts" and "visualization" is the technique known as the Chih [cessation] Kuan [view or visualization] Method. This way of employing the Chih Kuan Method is a simple one; there are other more subtle ways of using this technique. Chih is the dissolution of thought. Kuan refers to clear visualization which blocks unwanted thoughts and returns awareness to the state of nonthought. When one achieves a lucid visualization, one can again enter into the state of non-thought. If thoughts arise, one immediately returns to visualization. This is the dual employment of Chih and Kuan. When one puts a great deal of effort into developing this skill over many years, one will become sufficiently skillful to be able to enter into Samadhi every time. There are many levels of Samadhi which correspond to many realms of being. Many old practitioners or old monks, if they are not adepts in this cultivation will, when asked what Samadhi is, reply that Samadhi is to fall asleep and drool! [laughter]
Basics [26]. More to come.....
Readers can write to purekarmaservices@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
What comes next? One next does a breath counting exercise. In my opinion, breath counting is advantageous for people who have too many disruptive thoughts. If one's mind is very busy and constantly thinking about this and that, then one must do the breath counting exercise. The simplest way of breath counting is to inhale and count "one" and exhale and count "two." An alternative would be to count after each inhalation and exhalation; that is, inhale and exhale then count "one," inhale and exhale and then count "two." One can use either of these methods as one chooses.
One next starts counting the breaths — one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, etc. Some people suggest that one should count up to the number of one's age. [audience laughter] For example, I am now forty-eight years old, so I will count my breath until I reach the number forty eight. What happens after forty eight? One goes back to the beginning and starts over again. One does this because, if one reached the number one hundred, it would require counting in three digits, and it is too cumbersome to count in three digits. If one just keeps on going, one will reach one thousand and then need to count in four digits. [laughter] Too many digits!
A certain power and rhythm occur when one counts breaths up to one's age again and again. This enhances the mental rhythm which helps to regulate the breath. Do not try to count all the way to one or two thousand.
In fact, this repetition of numbers from one to the number of years of one's age is actually a skill employing numbers to bring one's mind into one-pointedness. Counting one's breath this way, one will gradually cease counting and enter into a state free of thoughts. When all thoughts vanish, the realm of stability arises. When this realm of stability occurs, one's physical and mental being transform into emptiness [complete openness]. One completely forgets oneself in meditation, and the boundary between the "outside" and "inside" of oneself is abolished.
With the shattering of this boundary between the external and internal, the self-grasping consciousness or ego is also shattered. Some people feel capable of floating up into the air during this condition. Depending on the balance of the five esoteric elements (earth, water, fire, wind, and space) in each individual, there may arise different sensations, such as floating in an ocean or on other body of water, or even floating on currents of wind or light. Some might experience as though in the midst of fire or as though part of the earth, strong and firm as a mountain. Some are suspended in the air, which is a total dissolution of self-grasping. Of the various states of stability, immersion in the nature of space is highest.
The subtle energetic balance of each person is individual and tends to emphasize one of the five esoteric elements, which is what brings about corresponding meditative experiences. People who have a strong earth element will feel as firm as a mountain; people who have a greater component of water will
feel a cool breeze; people who are mostly fire element will feel as if they are inside a burning fire; people predominately of the wind element will feel as if they are being wafted by winds. These five elemental experiences are archetypal and manifest themselves in association with the state of "ablation of ego." Sometimes one feels as if one has become very small. Other times one feels very large, as if one fills up the whole universe. This is how it is described in the sutra: "In expansion, one becomes Mount Meru; in contraction, one becomes the size of a chestnut or hides within a mustard seed." All of this is generated during the state of stability. When one attains the state of stability in Samadhi, a very profound and deep insight will arise.
I have now taught everyone how to do the Nine Round Buddha Breath and Breath Counting Exercises. The Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, the entering of the Personal Deity into self and the entering of self into the Personal Deity, and the Breath Counting Exercise are the three steps that one should do at the beginning of entering into Samadhi. In other words, in entering into Samadhi, one must first perform the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, followed by the visualization of the entering of the Personal Deity into self and the entering of self into the Personal Deity, and then the Breath Counting Exercise. When these three exercises are successfully completed, one will enter into a state of stability.
The Dual Employment of Chih and Kuan
What should one do if, when the breath-counting method has brought one to near-stillness of awareness and then a thought suddenly arises? At such a moment, one should immediately visualize oneself as Amitabha again and restart the counting of breath. If another thought arises after one resumes counting, then one must again revert back to the visualization of oneself as Amitabha. When one enters into the state of no thought, one will no longer have to engage in visualization. As soon as a thought arises, one has to resume visualization of oneself as Amitabha.
This alternation of the states of "cessation of thoughts" and "visualization" is the technique known as the Chih [cessation] Kuan [view or visualization] Method. This way of employing the Chih Kuan Method is a simple one; there are other more subtle ways of using this technique. Chih is the dissolution of thought. Kuan refers to clear visualization which blocks unwanted thoughts and returns awareness to the state of nonthought. When one achieves a lucid visualization, one can again enter into the state of non-thought. If thoughts arise, one immediately returns to visualization. This is the dual employment of Chih and Kuan. When one puts a great deal of effort into developing this skill over many years, one will become sufficiently skillful to be able to enter into Samadhi every time. There are many levels of Samadhi which correspond to many realms of being. Many old practitioners or old monks, if they are not adepts in this cultivation will, when asked what Samadhi is, reply that Samadhi is to fall asleep and drool! [laughter]
Basics [26]. More to come.....
Readers can write to purekarmaservices@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
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