Cultivation of Concentration and Chan Meditation for Realization of the Way (Part 1)
**Section Four: Breathing and Meditation**
I. Breathing is closely related to our physical health, meditation, and longevity. A person in poor health will inevitably have rapid or short breaths, with a short and obstructed respiratory pathway. Their breath can only reach the throat before being exhaled; otherwise, they would feel suffocated. For some, the breath only reaches the chest before being exhaled, resulting in short breaths and poor physical condition.
Those skilled in meditation can direct their breath to the dantian in the lower abdomen, with a long respiratory pathway. It takes them a long time to complete one breath, without any obstruction, ensuring good health. Once the breath reaches the dantian, the mind can settle, and distracting thoughts diminish. Generating a distracting thought becomes exhausting, leading to a reluctance to speak excessively, thus reducing energy consumption. At this stage, afflictions can be subdued, the mind becomes clearer, thoughts become more focused, contemplation becomes profound and penetrating, and wisdom easily manifests.
When skilled meditators attain the fourth dhyana, breathing ceases, energy consumption becomes minimal, their health improves, and their lifespan extends. At this level, practicing supernatural powers becomes effortless and immediately attainable. To maintain health, purify the mind, and subdue afflictions, we can train our breathing in daily life to direct the breath to the dantian. Reciting the Buddha’s name can be used for training; once the breath is regulated, meditation arises, bringing mental clarity and abundant energy.
While reciting the Buddha’s name, adjust the breath: first, exhale turbid air from the lungs through the mouth until it is completely expelled. Then, close the mouth and inhale through the nose, allowing the airflow to slowly reach the dantian in the abdomen, or even further downward for direct expulsion. The longer this pathway, the more pathogenic qi is expelled, and the better the physical condition. After inhaling to the dantian, pause briefly or take another breath before exhaling through the mouth. While exhaling, recite “Amita” or “Buddha,” either aloud or mentally. When the breath reaches the dantian, recitation may cease, and even the inner recitation of the Buddha’s name may stop; at this point, shift to recollecting the Buddha. After exhaling fully, pause briefly before closing the mouth and inhaling through the nose again. Practicing this for ten minutes or a few minutes calms the mind. At this stage, one can rely entirely on recollection of the Buddha or contemplate a Buddhist teaching. This meditative stability allows for deeper practice, making it easier to attain a state of single-mindedness.
II. Adjusting the Breath Quickly Calms the Mind
Before meditating or engaging in contemplative practice, adjust the breath to quickly calm the mind. First, exhale turbid air from the chest through the mouth, taking as long as needed to expel it completely. Then, close the mouth and inhale through the nose, directing the airflow to the dantian in the abdomen. After a few such breaths, the mind will settle. Subsequently, sit in meditation, prostrate to the Buddha, contemplate the Dharma, observe the truths of the Four Noble Truths, practice the four foundations of mindfulness, or recite sutras, the Buddha’s name, or mantras. When a certain level of meditative stability is attained, the mind becomes tranquil, and the qi channels in the body begin to circulate. When the qi ascends from below to the chest, a very comfortable sensation arises in the chest, like a misty expansion, with extremely subtle breath, making even the shoulders feel light.
Especially in the first dhyana, the internal organs seem to disappear. The breath becomes light and slow, almost as if about to cease. The body feels extremely light and agile, and the mind experiences nothing but comfort, joy, and delight, without any unpleasant sensations. When the breath is well-regulated during sitting meditation, the qi channels immediately begin to circulate. Once the qi reaches the dantian, distracting thoughts diminish or vanish, and the urge to speak dissipates. During daily prostrations to the Buddha, exhale fully each time the head is raised, allowing the airflow to impact the chest. This creates a very pleasant sensation, relaxes the body, and accelerates the arising of meditative stability.
III. Using deep breathing to adjust the breath aids sitting meditation and facilitates mental calmness. The method is to first exhale turbid air from the chest until it is completely expelled and the abdomen is sunken, then remain still. Next, inhale through the nose until full, with the abdomen expanded, then remain still. With each inhalation and exhalation, turbid qi is eliminated, and clear qi rises. The qi channels will then circulate to the shoulders or head, resulting in mental clarity, physical lightness, and mental stillness.
After deep breathing, if the mind remains unsettled, use the breath-recitation method to regulate the body and mind. This method primarily addresses the obstruction of the Ren meridian, which causes mental restlessness. After exhaling turbid air and inhaling fully, recite “Amita” while exhaling, using deep throat resonance to allow the sound vibration to resonate through the internal organs, unblocking their qi channels. On the next exhalation, recite “Buddha.” Recite while exhaling, not while inhaling. After practicing for a while, the respiratory pathway lengthens, improving health and calming the mind.
Finally, the qi channels will ascend to the shoulders and head, bringing mental refreshment and clarity. The sound flow enters through the mouth, passes through the throat to the lungs, then to the chest and dantian, and finally exits through the mouth. With repeated practice, the chest vibrates, unblocking the Ren meridian. Generally, when qi reaches the dantian, the person becomes calmer, with few distracting thoughts, enabling the attainment of stillness. When meditative stability deepens, distracting thoughts vanish. After developing meditative stability, one can visualize the flow of qi channels, directing qi from the dantian downward and out through the soles of the feet, depending on individual visualization ability and breath endurance.
