Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation in     Chungjeon : Principle Book of Won Buddhism Ven. Chwasan Head Dharma Master Won Buddhism       1. Preface 2. Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation The method of sitting meditation is extremely simple 1) After spreading out the sitting mat. 2) Casually bring all the body's strength down 3) Keep your breathing smooth 4) You should keep the eyes open 5) Always keep the mouth closed 6) The spirit should be ever alert 7) Novices at sitting meditation may suffer. 8) When first beginning sitting meditation 9) During sitting meditation, you absolutely must not seek bizarr If you continue practicing in the above manner… 3. Preparation For Sitting Meditation 4. Stages of Sitting Meditation 5. Reciting the Buddha’s Name and Sitting Meditation 6. Sitting Meditation, Mindfulness and One Mind 7. Types of Mindfulness 8. Stages of dedication to the practice of Sitting Meditatoin 9. Concluding words

HOME > Meditation >> Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation >> Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation : : The method of sitting meditation is extremely simple and easy… Although the method of Zen is far from complex, the body of theory and interpretation which has come to us from various Zen schools, as well as from Taoism, is so extensive that one could not grasp it in its entirety even if one tried to. If one set out to practice sitting meditation only after referring to the whole volume of literature on Zen, one would spend one’s whole life searching the numerous methods without any fruitful results or real absorption in meditation. Gukseun-do, Dhan hak,Ki-gong , Yoga and other practices have their own strong points, especially with regard to applications of exercise based on the principle of meditation, and some of these ca n be rec ommended for their health benefits. But trying to practice all of these would lead to discrimination, preventing one from entering the authentic realm. If one is to practice Zen, one should first abandon the thought that a variety of methods are necessary. Instead, one should rely on the simple method expounded in “The Method of Sitting Meditation” in Chungjeon: The Principal Book of Won-Buddhism, and practice with strong will and zeal based upon this book. As one reaches the more profound stage of meditation, we find the method in Chungjeon most perfect, because it covers everything from the most basic to the highest level, from a description of general principles to specific cases which are explained both briefly and meaningfully. Each word in “The Method of Sitting Meditation” contains significant meaning. It would be a waste of time and energy if one, judging it as ordinary, made light of it, skipped the contents, and searched for another metho d. I have seen many cases in which the lack of attention to just one word has led to the wrong path. So one should choose this method, which is simple and easy to practice, and actually begin meditation with utmost sincerity in order to accumulate the merits of Zen. We do not have to waste our time searching the various methods of Zen. Instead, we should now turn our energy toward the actual practice of sitting meditation. Sitting meditation is not empty words, but a real and concrete task. The real effect of Zen depends on one's degree of concentration and not the method used. There is koan-observing Zen , just-sitting Zen and various techniques of concentration: focusing on the tip of one's nose, between the eyebrows, on the forehead, the naval, on the breathing, on the thought of Buddha or the moon. As long as one's mind is focused, the benefits of Zen will result. The original intention of sitting meditation is to focus one's mind on a single object and get rid of all wandering thoughts. Among variou s techniques of concentration, the best choice is settling our consciousness on Danjeon, the “elixir field” which we find between the navel and hwyeong-gol in the lower abdomen. Never doubt that this dharma