Clever Little Tips for Cultivating Samādhi

Poor meditative concentration is partly due to heavy habitual tendencies of mental grasping, and partly caused by blockages in the body's meridians and channels. Therefore, starting with clearing and unblocking the body's meridians is also a good method for strengthening meditative concentration (dhyāna). How can the meridians be cleared and unblocked? That is by regulating one's diet—eating less, or simply fasting for three to five days, drinking plenty of water, and then gradually transitioning to eating less. The standard for eating less depends on one's physical condition and psychological endurance. Generally speaking, the effect is quite noticeable when one reaches only ten to twenty percent of fullness, and with a longer duration, the effect will be even better.

What effect? It is that during the gradual process of resuming eating, the mind is very clear and lucid, with few wandering thoughts, and within the body there naturally arises a flow of qi moving regularly through the channels, with strong force, which can make both body and mind very comfortable and tranquil. This flow of qi gathers and consolidates the whole body, so that once seated, one does not want to move—one does not want to leave the seat for an entire day. No distracting thoughts arise in the mind, and one is quite focused. At this time, the train of thought in one's head can be controlled at will; one can exclude other miscellaneous matters and concentrate solely on contemplating the Dharma principles that need to be investigated. It is like a remote control that can switch channels at will—this remote control is held in one's own hands, obeying one's own command. In this way, one can quickly get on the right track in investigating the Buddha's teachings and engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Dharma.

This flow of qi within the body can also expel various illnesses in the body's organs, such as pathogenic qi of dampness and cold, and can regulate the functions of the spleen, stomach, and other organs. Therefore, eating less and fasting are also good methods for eliminating illness. Those with poor physical constitution and those who cannot cultivate meditative concentration well may give it a try; for the specific method, refer to the rules of bigu (grain-avoidance fasting).