Answers to Questions on the Contemplative Practice (Vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness 11

Question: During my contemplation of the breath, my entire physical body feels very stout and large, yet I can no longer observe the breathing. However, an image of the Buddha will pop out, and the Buddha's name can control my thoughts. This situation has occurred twice in the past few days of contemplating the breath. After getting up from sitting, I feel very relaxed, but I have become much more sensitive to cold than before. What is going on?

Answer: Feeling the body as stout and tall means you have entered the meditative concentration of the desire realm. When desire-realm meditative concentration arises, the body of a desire-realm deva will appear—that body is tall, stout, light, agile, comfortable, and floating. When entering a state of concentration, various states will appear, such as an image of the Buddha appearing, because your pure mind has resonated with the Buddha. After entering the state of concentration, because you focused on the states appearing within concentration, you could no longer observe the breath. All such states are false and illusory; do not crave or grasp them, otherwise you can easily go astray, being led along by these states and losing your way back. Even if the Buddha appears within concentration, it is likewise illusory and must not be attached to. 

In ancient times, when Chan master Wenxi was cooking rice, he saw Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva appear above the rice pot, and he swung his rice spatula at him, trying to drive Mañjuśrī away. Mañjuśrī then said: "After cultivating for three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas, I am still disliked by this old monk." This was in praise of Chan master Wenxi's empty mind that does not attach to signs. However, those whose minds are not empty and who have not awakened to the Way must never do this. When the mind is not empty, there is still the sign of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and being disrespectful toward Buddhas and Bodhisattvas incurs transgression. One who has awakened to the Way has no signs in mind; what he drives away is merely a false sign, so there is no transgression of disrespect. 

When a person is in meditative concentration, the manas does not cling to the body, the whole body is unobstructed, and the pores are slightly open, so cold air will enter the body, and one feels cold. The sensitivity to cold is because during concentration the qi and blood have flowed through, forcing the pores open, making closer contact with the air in space, and thus one feels the cold. At this time, you should wear more clothing, and when sitting in meditation, cover your waist and legs well. Once the qi channels are completely opened, you will no longer fear the cold.