Contemplative Practice as a Hitching Post to Tether the Steed of Manas

Lantian 1's Meditation Observation Log: Sitting down, employing active deep abdominal breathing. Inhale to maximum capacity, pause briefly, then exhale to maximum capacity, followed by another brief pause. After approximately half an hour of deep breathing, a distinct sensation of qi becomes perceptible, after which it gradually transitions into natural abdominal breathing. 

Following the instructions in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, I ceased thinking about other matters during breathing, maintaining constant awareness of the breath. It was then that I realized thoughts would intermittently arise. Sometimes it was genuinely difficult to prevent them from surfacing. The primary content of these thoughts was the faces of people I had frequently encountered recently or in the past few days. The more contact I had with someone, the more intensely their face appeared. Now I understand why ancient practitioners secluded themselves from crowded places. This likely illustrates the clinging and habitual nature of the manas (mind faculty). Only near the end of the sitting session did the mind gradually begin to feel somewhat clear and lucid. 

Today's meditation felt average; the mind was not very calm. Images of people I frequently interact with inexplicably flashed during the session. The natural abdominal breathing was not very deep or prolonged. 

Comment: This fully demonstrates the parikalpita-svabhāva (imagined nature) of the manas, revealing its tendency to cling. It shows the attachment to previously encountered sensory fields, paying attention to and clinging to them regardless of whether they are meaningful or meaningless, refusing to let the mind rest. To tame this wild horse, one must tether it to the pillar of the breath. Initially, it will buck and struggle wildly. Over time, it will become accustomed, quiet down, and begin to focus on and examine the pillar and the scenery around it. Then things become manageable. This is called getting on the right path.