How to Adjust Body and Mind to Quickly Enter a State of Contemplative Practice

When engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) during sitting meditation, in order to quickly calm the mind, one must first regulate the breath so that the qi and blood flow smoothly. Only when the body is regulated can the mind become calm and the thoughts become concentrated; at that point, when one engages in contemplative practice, the mind will be clear and lucid. If the contemplative practice still cannot be clear and lucid, one should first recite the Buddha's name or recite a mantra to adjust body and mind. When reciting, the pace must be slow—recite slowly; the slower the recitation, the better the breath is regulated, and the more concentrated and less scattered the thoughts become. If one can simultaneously visualize the Buddha, visualizing the Buddha's light shining upon the whole body, one will receive the power of blessing, the mind can quickly calm down, and one can directly enter the state of contemplative practice. Therefore, regulating the thoughts and the breath before sitting quietly in contemplative practice is a crucial step.

Only when the body is well adjusted and the qi and blood flow well can the mind become calm, and only then will the contemplative practice be effective. When the mind cannot calm down, one can take several deep breaths to adjust, or use the method of reciting the Buddha's name with the breath. Reciting the Buddha's name with the breath is actually also a way of regulating the breath; gradually it will open up the Ren meridian in the front of the body, allowing the breath to reach the dantian. When the breath enters the dantian, the thoughts will become concentrated and other deluded thoughts will disappear. After the attention is directed into the dantian, the breathing will naturally become smooth, the dantian will grow warm, the whole body will feel comfortable, and it will be easy to attain meditative concentration (samādhi). When the body becomes quiet, the mind also becomes quiet. 

The number of deep breaths and the length of the breaths when regulating the breath should be based on one's individual physical condition. Those with good physical constitution and few deluded thoughts need only one to five deep breaths; at most, ten deep breaths are enough—doing more will cause fatigue, and the effect will actually be worse. After the mind has calmed down, then contemplate the breath; contemplate the body's lack of tranquility, contemplating bit by bit according to the sequence of contemplative practice.

If the preceding dharma has not been contemplated to proficiency, do not contemplate the later dharma; only after the foundation of the preceding contemplative practice is firm should one contemplate the later ones.

When using the method of reciting the Buddha's name with the breath to adjust the body, note that one recites the Buddha's name only while exhaling—it cannot be done while inhaling. One should recite aloud using the deep throat voice; the vibration of the sound waves can shake open the blocked places in the five viscera and six bowels, and the airflow can descend directly to the dantian, opening up the Ren meridian in the front, and the body will then be well adjusted. Because the recitation of the Buddha's name is very slow, deluded thoughts do not easily arise, and it also regulates the breath, making it easiest to attain meditative concentration (samādhi). Because it is slow, the attention will be entirely focused on reciting the Buddha's name and listening to it, so the mind can easily settle into tranquility, which helps reduce and cease deluded thoughts. When meditative concentration (dhyāna) arises, one can no longer recite aloud; at that point one should remain still, and with the mind pure, one can clearly contemplate the breath. 

When body and mind have been adjusted in this way and the qi and blood are flowing freely, sitting in meditation will no longer lead to drowsiness, for drowsiness is mainly caused by blocked circulation of qi and blood. Furthermore, with a very profound object of contemplation (ālambana) that the mind can focus on, drowsiness will not easily occur. When the qi and blood are blocked and nutrition cannot supply the brain's consumption, drowsiness easily arises. The cause of drowsiness is that the body's qi and blood have not been well regulated; once regulated, drowsiness will not occur, and one will then enter the normal state of contemplative practice.