Contemplative Practice Can Give Rise to the Power of Awareness and the Power of Introspection

Ru Tao's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) diary: When I was in elementary school, every time after running, my left waist would get a stitch, and the doctor diagnosed it as intestinal spasm. Later, after sitting in meditation for a long time, I discovered that a meridian at the tailbone was pulling on the intestines, causing discomfort throughout the entire lower body. At the beginning of this year, I participated in the fasting retreat organized by my master, abstaining from food for ten days, and this ailment improved considerably. During this period, through meditation, the qi channels in my body continuously circulated, impacted, and adjusted; the locations of soreness, swelling, and pain also changed repeatedly. Now the meridians in my left waist and hip have finally become unobstructed—no matter how I do the swaying exercise or bend and hunch my back, there is no more pulling pain.

Regular meditation can make the body's energy abundant and cultivate the power of awareness and observation, so after sitting down one quickly enters the state: coarse wandering thoughts grow faint, the mind becomes soft and pliant, and one feels very light. It is like driving an electric car—the driving state with a full battery and the driving state with insufficient power are completely different things; the former is very light and nimble, the latter very weak, dragging along. This is because the energy differs. The pure mind is energy, and the power of awareness is also energy. Practicing meditation and wisdom through sitting is like charging a battery. 

Place the "knowing" of the conscious mind in the deepest part of the mind, and use this "knowing" to continuously illuminate; then the inner defilements and turbid heaviness will be continuously cleaned away. This is my current method of practice. This "knowing" is also used to rein in the grasping of the manas and the mind consciousness. It is like catching a small animal: you cannot just grab any part of it, such as grabbing its tail or belly—that will not work; you cannot hold it, and instead it will scratch and bite you. You must grab the back of its neck, and only then will it become docile and motionless. This technique of subduing wandering thoughts may differ for each person; everyone must explore on their own and find the method best suited to themselves. 

Assessment: Meditative concentration (samādhi) can pull the mind back from external states so that it no longer pays attention to the outside world; the mind converges back, and thus one can attentively perceive one's own inner mind. Only then can one introspect and reflect on one's own mind, discover the afflictions and habitual tendencies within it, and examine the various deficiencies and shortcomings of one's own mind. Consciously or unconsciously, one will then correct these faults and remedy the deficiencies, becoming humble and prudent, and one's moral character will improve. Some people specifically take the lamp and shine it outward on others, not knowing how to shine it inward on themselves. Shining on oneself is cultivating oneself and increasing merit; shining on others is gossip, disputes, and afflictions, which deplete merit. The darkest place is right under the lamp—and that is your own mind. 

When meditative concentration is good, one's energy is abundant and body and mind become tranquil and at ease; the mind will then soften, the mind's capacity will open up, and one will be tolerant of others and of circumstances, no longer treating people as enemies or foes, living together in harmony and joy. One's emotional intelligence improves, and interpersonal relationships also become better. Always carrying a "knowing," one's concentration improves, the mind becomes ever more refined and ever more still, thinking becomes ever deeper, wisdom grows ever more, afflictions naturally settle more and more until they are gradually eliminated, karmic obstructions are also gradually eliminated, and the obstacles to cultivation are reduced. This is a process of being reborn and transformed, a process of comprehensively correcting oneself. Without this process, it is impossible to transition from an ordinary person to one oriented toward the srotāpanna fruit and to a srotāpanna. Do not imagine you can become a sage out of thin air.