Q&A 11 on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Practice

Question: During my meditation on breath, I feel my entire physical body as very robust and solid, yet I can no longer perceive the state of my breathing. Instead, an image of the Buddha appears, and reciting the Buddha's name helps control my thoughts. This situation has occurred twice during my breath meditation practice in recent days. After finishing meditation, I feel very relaxed, but I have become more sensitive to cold than before. What is the reason for this? 

Answer: The feeling of the body being robust and tall indicates entry into the meditative absorption (dhyāna) of the desire realm. When one attains meditative absorption in the desire realm, the celestial body of a desire realm deva manifests. The celestial body is characterized by being tall, robust, buoyant and ethereal, comfortable, and light. Upon entering the meditative state, various phenomena may appear, such as an image of the Buddha, which arises due to the mind's purity resonating with the Buddha. After entering the meditative state, because one's attention shifts to the phenomena arising within it, the breath is no longer perceived. All phenomena are illusory; one must not cling to or grasp at them. Otherwise, one is easily led astray, pulled along by the phenomena, and may lose the way back. Even if the Buddha appears within the meditative state, it is equally illusory and should not be clung to. 

In ancient times, when Chan Master Wenzhi was cooking, he saw Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva manifest above the rice pot. He immediately waved his rice paddle to drive Mañjuśrī away. Mañjuśrī then said, "Having practiced for three great asamkhyeya kalpas, yet disliked by this old monk." This story praises Chan Master Wenzhi for his empty mind free from attachment to appearances. However, those whose minds are not empty and who have not attained enlightenment must absolutely not do this. If the mind is not empty, the appearance of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is real, and showing disrespect towards them incurs karmic offenses. An enlightened person has no attachment to appearances in their mind; what they drive away is a false appearance, so there is no fault of disrespect. 

When a person is in meditative absorption, the mental faculty does not grasp at the body. The entire body becomes unobstructed and open, the pores slightly open, and cold air can enter the body, causing a sensation of coldness. The increased sensitivity to cold is because during meditation, the qi and blood circulation improves, opening the pores more fully. This allows closer contact with the air in the surrounding space, resulting in a feeling of coldness. At such times, one should wear more clothes and ensure the waist and legs are well covered while sitting in meditation. Once the meridians (qi channels) are fully unblocked, one will no longer feel cold.