Four Mindfulness Foundations Observational Practice Experience

Chapter Four: Issues in Contemplation Practice

1. How to Eliminate Karmic Obstacles Arising in Practice

Everyone has many karmic obstacles. When cultivation reaches a certain stage, these obstacles will manifest to block the path. This is an obstruction that gradually appears during the diligent practice stage. When obstructive conditions arise, practice inevitably becomes difficult, leading to phenomena of laxity. The cultivation process involves alternating periods of diligence and laxity. When karmic obstacles appear, feelings of irritability arise. At this point, one cannot concentrate, diligence falters, and laxity sets in. This is when the need to eliminate karmic obstacles arises.

How does one eliminate karmic obstacles? First, repent before the Buddha for karmic offenses committed since beginningless kalpas. Simply recite the repentance text from the morning and evening liturgy. Confess the offenses of this present life before the Buddha, vow never to commit them again, and a portion of the karmic seeds will be eliminated, reducing the obstructions to cultivation. Second, recite the Earth Store Sutra and dedicate the merit to karmic creditors, relatives, and family members from beginningless kalpas. Third, increase the recitation of the Shurangama Mantra to eliminate karmic obstacles, strengthen the resolve for the Path, and accelerate cultivation.

The power of mantras is immense. Relying solely on one's own strength to achieve success in cultivation is difficult; one must rely on the blessings and power of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma-protecting deities to shield us from some karmic obstacles and prevent interference. Only after eliminating some karmic obstacles can one continue diligently and ultimately achieve some attainment. Therefore, before attaining the Path of Seeing, recitation of the Shurangama Mantra must not be interrupted. Set a fixed number of recitations and persist daily. The blessing power of the mantra is immense. Once accustomed, unexpected effects will arise, and one will change imperceptibly.

2. How to Deal with the Feeling of Boredom During Sitting Contemplation

If one feels bored and finds contemplation meaningless during sitting practice, it indicates the manifestation of the habit-energy of the manas (intellect). The manas is attached to worldly dharmas, preferring the lively activities of the five aggregates, worldly affairs, excitement, and gain. It dislikes stillness and non-action, and resists restraint. At this time, one should reconsider the benefits of contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, reflect on the purpose of cultivation, and review the supreme fruits of practice described at the end of the Satipatthana Sutta. This will help eliminate some negative emotions. The habit-energy of the manas is difficult to subdue; treat it like a child, employing both kindness and firmness. Usually, contemplate the impermanence and suffering of the world, repent karmic obstacles and afflictions from beginningless kalpas, generate great resolve, long-term determination, and renunciation mind, and rely on the pull of vows to continuously advance on the Path.

What are the benefits of contemplating the breath? Worldly benefits include improving physical health, purifying the mind, prolonging lifespan, bringing comfort and ease to body and mind, fostering joy and happiness, softening the mind, subduing afflictions, enhancing moral character and cultivation, improving thinking power, refining mental subtlety, and increasing wisdom. Human life exists only between breaths. With inhalation and exhalation, there is life; without them, life ceases abruptly. Breath represents life. Contemplating the breath allows one to perceive how fragile, unreliable, impermanent, and full of suffering every life is. Can the five aggregates, which depend on breath, be the self? Contemplating thus in meditative concentration, observing back and forth, the view of self weakens, self-attachment diminishes, afflictions lessen, and it becomes possible to sever the view of self and partially realize the fruit of liberation.

3. How to Handle Sensory Perceptions of Consciousness During Contemplation

Initially in contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, focus primarily on observing the breath. Ignore other things for now; do not scatter attention, concentrate energy solely on the breath. If bodily sensations like pain, numbness, or itching arise, do not pay attention to them. Always remain focused on the breath, not straying from the subject. If pain or other sensations become unbearable and disrupt contemplation, adjust the body to make it more comfortable, then continue concentrating on contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. If bodily sensations like lightness, comfort, joy, feeling large or empty arise, do not pay heed or cling to them. Continue directing the mind to the breath, observing the breath, and ignore everything else.

Only by single-mindedly continuing contemplation, becoming increasingly focused and clear, with deeper and more penetrating awareness, will the manas become increasingly lucid. Only then can one truly perceive the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the breath and the material body, and perceive the emptiness of body and self. This is the knowing of wisdom. After knowing this, body and mind both transform; one is no longer the ignorant, deluded person of before.

4. How to Face Suffering Encountered in Practice

When feeling suffering, carefully observe its essential nature. After observing for a long time, the suffering ceases. Everything that appears in life seems very special to us. But after observing these things for a long time, they seem insignificant; nothing really matters. Observing the five aggregates and eighteen realms is the same. After prolonged observation, one knows the five aggregates and eighteen realms are nothing, all empty and devoid of self. Whatever one pursues is ultimately empty; joy is empty, suffering is empty. It is better to let it be, without grasping or clinging. Thus, sever the view of self, lessen self-attachment afflictions, and suffering ceases.

5. Why One Becomes Dull and Slow in Daily Life After Sitting Meditation

Meditative concentration, on one hand, can slow mental activities, eliminating some restlessness. One will not exert effort on unimportant matters, let alone curry favor with the powerful. On the other hand, meditative concentration can focus the mind, deepen and refine thinking, and sharpen reactions. Initially, speech and actions may seem clumsy, and initiative may be weak, but observation becomes deep and penetrating, the mind becomes subtle and agile. Observing people and events becomes more precise and detailed than before; one is less easily deceived in important matters. It may seem like great wisdom appearing as foolishness, but in reality, the mind is not applied to worldly dharmas; prajna wisdom is gradually increasing.

6. Why One Feels an Explosive Headache During Sitting Meditation

This is a reaction caused by the energy channels moving to the head, with some blockage of qi and blood in the head that cannot be cleared. Take slightly deeper breaths while silently reciting the Buddha's name in the mind. Visualize golden Buddha light illuminating the head, expelling sick energy and obstructions, allowing qi and blood to flow smoothly. Visualize the head bathed in golden yellow Buddha light, with black-gray karmic obstruction energy dissipating. Then, carefully feel the coolness in the head. After the head feels cool, take a few more deep breaths. Once settled, first stabilize well in concentration before resuming observation of the breath.

7. What to Do When the Mouth Feels Dry During Sitting Meditation

A lack of saliva in the mouth indicates the upper and lower burners are not communicating, with water and fire not harmonizing. Visualize according to the Tai Chi Bagua diagram: visualize fire descending from the right side of the chest to the dantian, and water rising from the left side of the dantian to the chest and throat, circulating back and forth. Then water and fire will harmonize, saliva in the mouth will increase, and swallowing it will nourish the body and internal organs. Visualization is very useful; the better the concentration power, the better the visualization effect. Visualization can almost solve all problems; it depends on whether one can visualize skillfully and with proper mental application, on the level of meditative concentration power, and also on one's merit and virtue.

8. How to Counteract Scatteredness During Contemplation

If the mind has not yet settled and concentration power is insufficient, contemplation will have little effect. At this time, one should contemplate fewer dharmas or not contemplate at all. If too many dharmas are contemplated, the mind becomes more easily scattered, causing meditative concentration to stagnate. One must master the balance in contemplation practice. Only as concentration power strengthens can contemplation penetrate deeper, and the scope of contemplation broaden. If the mind is found to be scattered, reduce the objects of focus, concentrate on one subject, or only practice calming (shamatha), not contemplation (vipassana). If the mind is not scattered and becomes increasingly focused, one can contemplate more deeply and with greater detail. Focus steadily on one point until concentration is very deep. Based on this experience, gradually add another point, step by step expanding the objects of focus. In this way, concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (prajna) deepen and increase equally.

9. Why the Phenomenon of Energy Activation Occurs During Sitting Meditation

During sitting meditation, with few objects of focus, the mind easily becomes empty, and meditative concentration arises quickly. During activity, with many objects of focus, meditative concentration is difficult to arise and maintain, and energy activation is also difficult to initiate. Only when meditative concentration during sitting is very stable, and energy activation is sustained, will meditative concentration manifest during activity due to inertia, and energy activation may also occur. If meditative concentration during sitting is not stable, it rarely appears during activity, and the phenomenon of energy activation is even less likely. The body's energy channels are very difficult to open, and the mind is not easily emptied.

The emptier the mind, the fewer obstacles there are for the body, and the easier and faster energy activation occurs, lasting longer, leading to deeper meditative absorption. Those with hindrances of nature (kleshas) find it difficult to activate energy; if activated, it quickly subsides. In the future, when the first dhyana arises, a similar phenomenon of energy activation occurs. The emptier the mind and the lighter the hindrances of nature, the faster and deeper the energy activation, the more it can pervade the entire body, the longer it lasts, and the deeper and more enduring the meditative concentration. So-called hindrances of nature refer to the mind having greed, hatred, delusion, afflictions, attachments, clinging to body and self, many dharmas occupying the mind, constant mental proliferation, grasping worldly dharmas as real, and unwillingness to relinquish them.

10. Who Controls the Body During Natural Breathing in Sitting Meditation?

During natural breathing, there is no direction by the manas, let alone by the consciousness. Unnatural breathing is controlled by consciousness and manas; voluntary breathing is directed and controlled by consciousness. Many of the body's inherent life activities are solely operated by the tathagatagarbha. Sometimes the manas may control them, sometimes consciousness may control them. Of course, consciousness control actually influences the manas, causing the manas to control. Natural operations, which we cannot perceive, do not necessarily involve the manas.

11. In Practice, Pay Attention to Cultivating Good Habits

Sit for meditation at fixed times and places. Over time, this becomes a habit. With a habit established, one is not afraid of noisy or disruptive surroundings; during sitting, the mind can become empty and focus single-pointedly on contemplation and reflection. Habit is the inertia of the manas. The manas is quite stubborn; for things done frequently, it acts according to routine without thinking. Habits have both negative and positive aspects. Utilize habits well to practice the Buddhadharma. Cultivating good practice habits yields twice the result with half the effort.

Investing a certain amount of time and energy to cultivate good practice habits is very worthwhile. It is like spending time, effort, and cost to create molds for mass production. This stage requires effort and time, but once the molds are made, producing products later saves immense time and cost – achieving twice the result with half the effort, saving at least fourfold to countless times the time and cost. This is very worthwhile. The stage of cultivating practice habits is arduous, with successes and failures, advances and retreats; it is difficult to persevere. At this time, one needs supervision and encouragement from others; having companions to mutually supervise makes it easier. What good practice habits need cultivation?

12. What to Do When Breathing is Shallow and Scattered Thoughts are Numerous

If the breath is not regulated and scattered thoughts are numerous, perform deep breathing, guiding the breath as much as possible to the dantian. As the breath lengthens, the body regulates itself, and scattered thoughts decrease. During deep breathing, inhale slowly and fully, letting the abdomen gradually expand. After inhaling fully, pause briefly, then exhale outward. After exhaling completely, the abdomen is sunken; pause again, then inhale. This alternation between inhalation and exhalation will lengthen the breath. Actively guiding the breath like this a few times is sufficient; afterwards, normal, natural breathing will be possible.

Deep breathing allows the breath to pass through various organs, removing blockages and incidentally clearing the Conception Vessel. Even after stopping deep breathing, the breath will gradually lengthen and reach the dantian, with scattered thoughts decreasing accordingly. The deep breathing method is relatively effective for countering scattered thoughts.

One can also use the deep breathing Buddha-recitation method to regulate the breath and counter afflictions and scattered thoughts. While taking deep breaths, recite the Buddha's name. After inhaling fully and pausing, during exhalation, slowly recite "A Mi" using a nasal or back-of-the-palace voice. The greater the vibration of the sound, the better; this opens the internal organs. During the next inhalation and exhalation, exhale while reciting "Tuo Fo." Reciting like this a few times regulates the breath. Focusing the mind on the breath and Buddha-recitation gradually increases concentration power. This method can be used at the beginning of each sitting session. When the air is relatively fresh, performing deep breathing can initiate dantian qi, lengthen the breath, improve health, reduce scattered thoughts, and naturally achieve abdominal breathing.