The Troubles of Meditative Concentration

Liaoliao asked: The world of material form in my eyes right now is dissolving. The bowl is still a bowl, the cup is still a cup, but they are all dissolving. The tangible sense-objects that troubled me most in the past are also dissolving now. When I walk, it often feels like walking on cotton—I'm afraid that if I lift my foot too high, when I step down it won't land on solid ground, and so I experience a feeling of an empty mind and a pounding heart. In the most severe cases, I break out in cold sweat, my hair stands on end, and my heart palpitations last a long while. I'm not quite sure how to explain it clearly—the entire underlying tone is quiet and unmoving, and everything is one whole. Also, I am especially afraid of noise; a very small sound outside sounds like thunder to me, and it gives rise to afflictions and even heart palpitations. My practice is recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti)—I just keep reciting silently, on and on. Please give me your guidance, Master.  

Answer: When meditative concentration (samādhi) arises and the mind becomes especially quiet, one becomes afraid of sounds and easily startled. You need to give yourself a psychological suggestion, reminding yourself that when you encounter this situation, you should try your best to empty out the sounds, not pay attention to sounds, abide within your own inner world, and just carry on with contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and recollection of the Buddha. Additionally, you can put earplugs in at the ear base (cakṣur-āyatana refers to the eye; here, the ear faculty) to block the sounds outside the ear faculty, and then you won't be startled by sounds. The dissolving of material form means the mind no longer cares much about or pays much attention to material form, feels it doesn't matter, and it gradually becomes empty—this is a good phenomenon that appears after meditative concentration arises.

As for bodily tangibles, you also no longer care much about or pay much attention to them; they have become empty and don't matter—this too is the merit of meditative concentration. Being afraid of this emptiness, breaking out in cold sweat, heart palpitations, and so on—this is because with meditative concentration, the qi channels have opened through to the legs and feet, so the legs and feet no longer have the sensation of exerting force, as if it were not one's own legs and feet doing the walking, and that is why you fear stepping into emptiness. After a long time, once you get used to it, it will be fine. It seems many people are practicing quite well—their skill has improved, they have gotten on the path, and they all have hope. I estimate that at least half of the people have already experienced genuine cultivation states, with transformations in both body and mind. This is truly gratifying and worthy of congratulation.