The Practice Methods of Dynamic Zen

So-called moving meditation refers to maintaining single-minded concentration amidst the bodily, verbal, and mental activities of the coming and going of the five aggregates (skandhas), thereby attaining sufficient meditative stability (samādhi) for contemplation and insight practice. This is a cultivation method of balanced concentration and wisdom (śamatha-vipaśyanā), a preliminary expedient means for meditative investigation and realization.

There are many methods for practicing moving meditation, all essentially aimed at gathering the mind to achieve the goal of single-minded focus and unwavering dedication. For example, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta taught by the Buddha is the standard model for moving meditation, particularly the insight practice of mindfulness of the body (kāyānupassanā), which forms the foundational method for moving meditation. This method must be mastered, striving to achieve single-minded concentration at all times, gathering the mind without distraction. With this meditative stability, one can contemplate and investigate the Dharma anytime, anywhere. When conditions are ripe, one can attain fruition and awakening, thereby gaining wisdom. Using the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta as the benchmark, we can establish many similar expedient methods to guide practitioners into the stage of genuine practice, enabling them to realize the Dharma through direct experience and reap boundless benefits in the future.

Among these methods, seated prostration to the Buddha is relatively simple and suitable for beginners. If, during seated prostration, one's mind achieves single-pointed concentration and maintains a clear, knowing awareness, one gains a certain capacity for self-reflection and vigilance regarding the activities of one's own five aggregates. Subsequently, amidst the comings and goings of daily life, one can constantly maintain this clear, knowing awareness within the mind. When meditative stability is sufficient, this knowing awareness can be replaced with a critical phrase (huàtóu) for meditative investigation, shifting to observing the critical phrase and investigating the critical phrase. This marks the beginning of formal meditative investigation.