A Group Member's Experience in Meditative Practice

During recent daily morning and evening practices, I have tried various meditation methods such as the Six Dharma Gates, focusing on a single point, and mindfulness of breathing. I found that the practices taught by the master—sitting meditation combined with prostration to the Buddha, seated chanting of the Buddha's name, and deep breathing—are the easiest to implement and quickest to master, with excellent results. Particularly, seated meditation with prostration not only promotes blood circulation in the lower limbs but also stretches the Governing Vessel along the back, greatly aiding in unblocking the Conception and Governing Vessels. Moreover, it facilitates swift attainment of meditative concentration (samādhi). Once stabilized in that state of concentration, one can either maintain it or shift to contemplating the Dharma teachings—both approaches are excellent.

Among other meditation methods, focusing attention at the tip of the nose while observing the incoming and outgoing breath—like a gatekeeper—is relatively suitable. This prevents distraction by the breath and facilitates entering meditative concentration. Additionally, Chiang Ch'iao-wei’s successfully revised The Method of Seated Meditation from the Republican period, which involves focusing attention on the dantian (the sea of qi) without thought or deliberation, also easily leads to meditative absorption. These two methods—one guarding the "mysterious feminine" (the subtle point at the tip of the nose or upper dantian) and the other guarding the "sea of qi" (lower dantian)—both grasp crucial aspects of cultivating concentration.

The master once taught that the method best suited to oneself is the finest method. Cultivating concentration requires personally exploring and developing a set of methods that resonate with and prove effective for oneself; only then can one achieve swift success. Then, one should "suspend" the Dharma teachings within the mental faculty (manas), allowing the mental faculty to slowly digest and assimilate the teachings like an ox ruminating, ultimately returning them to the self-nature.

In spiritual practice, the key lies in one's perspective (view/insight). Perspective determines the path forward; the clearer the perspective, the more powerful the action, and the better the results.