The Effects of the True Fire of Samādhi

Answer: "Samādhi true fire" and "qi" are terms and concepts used by Daoists, but they also apply to us Buddhists, because it is the same body, and the methods used are nearly identical—namely meditative concentration (samādhi)—so the same effects will appear in the body. As long as the mind settles down and the qi channels in the body are unobstructed, they will automatically circulate and regulate the whole body, thus producing the effect of curing illness. At the same time, when the qi channels circulate to the lower abdomen at the dantian, they will trigger what the Daoists call samādhi true fire, and fire can burn fat, so the body becomes thin.

When qi gathers in the lower abdomen, it can suppress the arising of scattered thoughts, the mind becomes purified, and essence, qi, and spirit become abundant. When essence is replete, one does not think of sexual desire; when qi is replete, one does not think of food; when spirit is replete, one does not think of sleep. Speech and thoughts both diminish; one does not like to talk, does not like to think about miscellaneous matters, and the mind is naturally pure. From this we can know that heavy sexual desire is on the one hand due to insufficient essence in the body; a vigorous appetite is due to insufficient qi in the body; and heavy sleep is due to insufficient spirit. The accumulation of these three relies on the cultivation of meditative concentration. When the mind is concentrated and the qi channels are activated, energy becomes abundant, and the body will undergo many changes. Whether practicing the Mahāyāna or the Hīnayāna, if a Buddhist practitioner's mind becomes purified and meditative concentration is triggered, one will inevitably pass through this stage. For a true practitioner, body and mind must transform before the Path can be seen. If one has not experienced these phenomena, it means meditative concentration has not appeared, and the Path cannot be seen.

Through cultivating the contemplation of impurity and the white skeleton contemplation, meditative concentration can be triggered—this is using wisdom to draw in concentration, the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. Sitting meditation can give rise to meditative concentration, and single-minded contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) can likewise give rise to meditative concentration; the effects during this process vary from person to person. That you did not deliberately follow what the books teach regarding the contemplation of impurity and the white skeleton contemplation, yet achieved results through your own pondering, shows that you cultivated these in a past life and have a certain foundation, so practicing them again in this life yields obvious results. And the result of cultivating the contemplation of impurity and the white skeleton contemplation, in terms of the body, is the elimination of sexual desire. This method of practice is the most direct and fastest for eliminating self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi). Persist in it, and there will be even greater benefits.