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Commentary on The Method of Sitting Meditation
: : The method of sitting meditation is extremely simple and easy…
2) Casually bring all the body's strength down to the Danjeon and, without dwelling on even one thought, be aware only of the energy that is gathered at Danjeon. If the mind becomes distracted, then that energy becomes diffuse; do not neglect, then and there, to pull yourself together and bring the energy to rest.
[ Casually bring down all the body's strength to the Danjeon ]
Since ancient times, resting in the Danjeon has been highly praised as the best technique for meditation purposes as well as for physical health. This technique has become well known and earned positive recognition in recent times as meditation practices such as Dhanhak, Ki-gong, and Gukseun-do have become widespread.
The Danjeon is located midway between the naval and hwyeong-gol in the lower abdomen and is not difficult to find. But in the actual practice of Zen, setting the focus there is a very difficult task, which requires quite a long time. When one tries to forcefully practice the Zen of resting in the Danjeon when Danjeon is not yet settled, the energy quickly begins to arise or to be blocked, creating tension in some area of the body. This may result in pain or disease. Therefore, in order to settle the Danjeon, one should follow the proper technique. If one thinks he or she has not yet mastered the proper technique, one should seek the guidance and appraisal of predecessors; once the wrong way has become a hardened habit, it requires more energy and time to correct it.
It is not unusual that a practitioner, depending on the situation, spends his or her whole life without succeeding in settling the Danjeon. There are many who try to breathe through Danjeon but find it hard to settle the focus. Those who have such difficulty need to learn a few specific techniques. When beginning sitting meditation, one may pinch the Danjeon in order to induce the nerve there to be awakened; put the folded hands on the Danjeon with the little fingers placed on the Danjeon; fasten the belt in order to exert mild pressure on the Danjeon; or put a adhesive band on the Danjeon. These methods should help settle the concentration on Danjeon both in meditation and in one’s daily life. Only with this concentration does it become possible to center all of the body's strength on the Danjeon. Otherwise, if one overexerts oneself sitting erect, one can feel the energy dissipate in the torso or arise in the body.
One should start the Zen of resting in the Danjeon with the state of mind that one brings down the strength of the head, shoulders, and torso, while maintaining an erect posture. Then the Danjeon will be the center of energy that spreads through the whole body; it becomes the sea and source of all energy. It becomes the pillar of all the energy in the body.
[ Without dwelling on even one thought ]
This means that one should not dwell on or be attached to anything. If our thoughts wander often, or are attached to something, there are obviously reasons: some force that attracts our thoughts lurks there. When our thoughts are enticed by something and dwell there frequently, a heavy karma forms there which holds the magical power that overwhelms our thinking.
We should return wandering thoughts to their origin, regardless of whether they are persistent and mind-disturbing thoughts generated by strong karma, or fleeting and minute thoughts generated by lesser karma. If our minds are attached to the slightest thing, our thoughts easily follow it and dwell there. Our minds, staying there, play with the delusive thoughts. One may not notice this when one is lost in playing with idle thoughts for a while. One is not conscious of the flight of time as one lapses into idle thoughts. Even when one is aware of his or her wandering and tries to turn back to the original state, thoughts easily slip out. The heavier one's karmais, the stronger the force that distracts our minds, making it even harder to restore the original mind. Therefore, the phrase, “without dwelling on even one thought” means that one should get rid of the attachments that distract one's mind.
As one tries to concentrate, one may feel distressed by the incessant recurrence of delusive thoughts. He or she may feel helpless and conclude that idle thoughts are impossible to control. At this point one should carefully keep two points in mind.
First of all, one should keep the Buddhist precepts clear and, in daily life when confronting situations, discipline the mind to keep it tranquil. If one's mind is deeply immersed in the fluctuations of love or hatred, or in the choice of good or bad, it will become the root of strong attachment and create delusive thoughts, thus obstructing one's original mind. It is absolutely necessary to keep the precepts and be ready to discipline the mind to keep it undisturbed in daily life.
?In addition, one must not regard the recurrence of delusive thoughts as negative or annoying but rather think of this recurrence as one's companion, helping to stimulate and advance one's practice. Through the process of repetition of collecting one's scattered thoughts, the mind becomes spiritually empowered. In due course, one's accumulated karma dissolves and spirituality is enhanced. This lays the foundation for entering the genuine realm of stillness and non-duality. The process can be compared to the strength of a boxer's fist developing through the repetition of exercise. Therefore one should not worry about the recurrence of delusive thoughts; the worrying may make one lose interest in Zen and add yet another burden to already existing ones.
Persistent and mind-disturbing thoughts, although easily noticed, are hard to eliminate, while fleeting and minute thoughts, though they easily vanish once noticed, incessantly recur. Thus both are obstacles during meditation. These are the objects we should be on the alert for. We should cope with them carefully.
One should find and intently enter the realm of being-without-one-attached-thought to the bitter end. One should escape from all scattered thoughts and enter the genuine realm of stillness and non-duality.
[ Be aware only of the energy that has gathered at Danjeon. If the mind becomes distracted, then that energy becomes diffuse. ]
As mentioned before, resting in the Danjeon is a very important technique and it should be carefully practiced. The Danjeon is a phenomenal thing, yet it cannot be seen by the eyes?only by formless energy and mind?so the collected energy becomes scattered easily, according to changes in the mind. If one could see thoughts with the physical eyes, there would be a lesser chance of their scattering, due to the eyes having a fixed direction, whereas the spirit and energy are not restricted and cannot be fixed physically, so they wander in all directions. The problem of resting in the Danjeon is how to tame the mind and tie it up there. Settling the concentration with the previously mentioned method, and letting the consciousness gather in the Danjeon, one can arrive at the state in which one is aware only of the energy that has gathered at the Danjeon.
?The consciousness and energy should be integrated. If one practices gathering energy in the Danjeon, it can maintain full energy for a while even if one's consciousness wanders about. But if the concentration of the consciousness is not well formed, soon one will be overcome by weakness.
The ultimate state is that in which there is no further need for concentration. This is the realm of one's original pureness where there is no going or coming. Once one reaches this state, the multitude of thoughts that were constantly arising and ceasing will eventually fade, so that one will be comfortable just at that place. This is the spiritual bliss of samadhi, the state of being peaceful. But this is the result obtained by repeated training of focusing the energy and consciousness in the Danjeon, not by chance. Anyone with a passing zeal can experience the temporary state of concentration, but it will not last for long. One cannot dwell in that state for long without practice.
The mind is like an untamed pony. It does not remain still for even a moment. A little negligence can scatter the energy that has been collected. Although with strenuous training one can succeed in resting the energy in the Danjeon, the mind may not rest there as one would like it to. One may laugh seeing the thoughts coming and going incessantly. One may despair, doubt that one is suited to Zen training, and consequently search for an alternative method, or by force of habit just sit idly, judging that entering the authentic realm of Zen is as difficult as picking stars out of heaven.
Man's mind is a living substance, so the incessant arising and ceasing of various thoughts is a natural occurrence; it is extremely natural and a normal condition. Do not consider it bothersome. On the contrary, the existence of such thoughts enables one to practice Zen effectively. Delusive thoughts are good material for Zen training, just as an athlete can develop his skill and strength by wrestling with an opponent. In struggling with this opponent, one can cultivate a vital force. Therefore, one must not consider rambling thoughts as troublesome, but just try to gather oneself.
[ Do not neglect, then and there, to pull yourself together and bring the energy to rest. ]
?Originally, energy and mind are related to each other; mind follows where the energy goes and vice versa. Sometimes mind leads energy, sometimes the opposite. However, in sitting meditation, the mind is primary and energy secondary, so when the energy in the Danjeon becomes dispersed, this means that the mind has already slackened. The looser one becomes, the lesser the chance that one will notice this state of looseness, with time passing by endlessly. This is a most unsettling thing to meditators. Therefore, next come the words, “Do not neglect, then and there, to pull yourself together.”
Otherwise, the gathered energy, one's concentration, will move further and further away.
?Here we should investigate why we cannot collect ourselves. What is blocking the concentration we seek? As mentioned before, the very cause is our attachments. Our minds are drawn to where they are attracted in our daily lives. Our minds are no longer under our control when they are gripped by a desire for materialism, lust, fame, profit, and by feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, fear, love, or hatred. Our minds are completely stolen. In this condition, “pulling oneself together” becomes as difficult as plucking stars from heaven; even if one gathered the courage and pulled oneself together with strenuous efforts, one might easily lose control.
Zen is the path to restore the lost mind. It is the struggle to occupy the top seat between the attachments and one's identity. In this power struggle between the subject and the object, the party which is stronger and takes the initiative wins the victory. In other words, this is the conflict between our vow and our attachments. When the strength of our attachments weakens and the power of our vows strengthens, we win, and finally “pulling oneself together again” becomes an easy task.
Thus the important thing in beginning meditation is a peaceful attitude in daily life, which makes the penchant for attachment weaken. In other words, one should meet each and every moment with a tranquil state of mind. When engaging in work, one should be so absorbed in it that, after completing it, the mind is as empty as the sky. We do not have to dwell on the past mind, the present mind, or the future mind.
Our practice should progress towards leaving a mark on the sky. In the beginning of practice, we leave a mark on wood; as we mature, we leave a mark on mud and then on water; finally, we leave a mark on sky, entering the samadhi of Zen regardless of action or rest. At that stage, nothing interferes with the practitioner's collection of energy and spirit.
The second most important thing when we begin meditation is zeal. If zeal overflows in the practitioner's mind, he or she can overcome the obstacle of attachments easily although one is sometimes drawn to worldly things in daily life. Overcoming attachments is impossible with a weak state of mind, where one sits without exerting oneself. There are many things that can be done in a sloppy way but, as far as Zen is concerned, we should not practice carelessly. In order to practice sitting meditation well, one should confront it with zeal.
?The attitude of not allowing any kinds of wandering thoughts and the zeal of perfect mindfulness are both necessary for Zen practitioners, especially for beginners. One should instantaneously catch oneself as soon as one is off one's guard; one can gather the energy at that moment.
?One may find oneself being inattentive and try to catch oneself. It can require some length of time or sometimes just a moment to return to resting in the Danjeon, depending on how much one has been disciplined and accustomed to it. One who is already able to rest in the Danjeon can return directly, while an immature practitioner has to work at it. As mentioned before, it is the most urgent and necessary thing for practitioners to become accustomed to resting in the Danjeon by whatever means possible.
One thing that can hinder one from resting in the Danjeon is one's physical condition. One's physical limitations can prevent one from practicing sitting meditation well. In some cases, it can become an enormous obstacle to one’s practice, preventing one from proceeding in meditation at all. Physical illness is the major obstacle to practicing sitting meditation. Chronic fatigue, lack of sleep, excessive drinking the previous night, overeating, all of these are critical obstacles breaking the biological rhythm. The management of one's health is a must for good sitting meditation. A proper amount of exercise, moderate eating, and adequate rest?all of these are required together.
Therefore, for effective sitting meditation and resting in the Danjeon, one should manage the mind, emotions, and body wisely and in a rational manner through daily life.
It is said, “Do not neglect to pull yourself together and bring the energy to rest.” When one's mind is distracted, drowsiness will persist if one does not pay attention to immediately collecting oneself and resting in the Danjeon. When one's mind becomes distracted, one should notice this quickly, pull oneself together, and bring the energy to rest. Sitting meditation is a discipline of concentration and a practice of mindfulness at the same time. Fruitful sitting meditation depends on how mindful and heedful one is as to resting in the Danjeon. As sitting meditation makes one observe the state of one's mind at the very moment, one who practices Zen will obtain a great power of attention.
?It is very important not to forget what we need in daily life. Sometimes forgetting something results in a fatal mistake and, if it is an important thing, it can produce a big failure in one's life. Yet to forget or not can come from a difference of one thought. Forgetfulness is a hole in the management of one's character and living. Our task is how to fill this hole. Our future may depend on whether we can fill this hole or not. In order for one to pull oneself together and bring the energy to rest, one must plug up the forgetfulness hole.
Once one decides to practice sitting meditation through the technique of bringing the energy to rest, one should not give up. Whatever Mara’s
temptation is, one should not be negligent of bringing the energy to rest. When one becomes negligent, he or she has already sunk into the limbo of forgetfulness. But by the repeated process of fighting negligence, the power of mindfulness will increase day by day, and that is an invaluable thing to gain.
