Buddhist Meditation Systematic and Practical A Talk by The Buddhist Yogi C. M. Chen Written Down by Rev. B. KANTIPALO www.yogichen.org www.yogilin.org www.yogilin.net www.originalpurity.org Guru Chen Sitting in Meditation Table of Contents Foreword.......................................................................... i Foreword to the 1980 Edition………………………...... iii A Note to the Readers………………………………...... vi Foreword to the 1989 printing……………………......... viii Foreword to the 2011 Revised Edition………………..... ix Introduction…………………………………………...... 1 A Outward Biography B Inward Biography C Secret Biography D Most Secret Biography a The Attainment of Cause b The Attainment of Tao (The Path or Course) c The Attainment of Consequence: a Certainty of Enlightenment Chapter I……………………………………………....... 25 REASONS FOR WESTERN INTEREST IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION A Remote cause – by reason of the Dharma-nature B By reason of Dharma-conditions 1 Foretold by sages 2 Effect of Bodhisattvas 3 All religions have the same basis 4 Correspondences between religions C By reason of the decline of Christianity 1 The scientific spirit 2 Post-Renaissance scepticism 3 Decline of Christian faith 4 Evolution D Immediate cause—by reason of stresses in western daily life Summary I Chapter II……………………………………………..... 47 WHAT IS THE REAL AND ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF PRACTICING BUDDHIST MEDITATIONS? A Mistakes in meditation 1 No foundation of renunciation 2 Use for evil 3 Lack of a guru 4 Only psychological—seven conditions for posture 5 Mixing traditions 6 Attraction of gaining powers 7 Thinking that Buddhism is utter atheism 8 Confusion about "no-soul" 9 Chan and the law of cause and effect 10 Ignorance of the highest purpose B The real purpose of meditation practice 1 A good foundation in Buddhist philosophy 2 Achieve the power of asamskrta 3 Realization of the Dharmakaya 4 Pleasure of the Sambhogakaya 5 Attainment of Nirmanakaya 6 Attainment of Svabhavikakaya 7 Attainment of Mahasukhakaya Chapter III…………………………………………...... 65 THE EXACT DEFINITION OF SOME BUDDHIST TERMS CONCERNING MEDITATION Dedication of chapters A Some terms concerning the philosophy of meditation 1 XIN 2 KONG B Some terms concerning the process of meditation C Some terms concerning the content of meditation 1 Triyana meditations 2 Three groups of samadhi a Worldly states of dhyana II b Beyond the world c Utterly beyond the world D Some terms concerning illnesses of dhyana 1 Restlessness 2 Distraction 3 Sloth E Some terms concerning the realization of meditation 1 Three sorts of insight in the Idealist School 2 Three kinds of spiritual qualities in Yogacara 3 Four categories of insight in Vajrayana 4 Three ranks of insight in Tibetan Tantra F The definition of Buddhist meditation Chapter IV……………………………………………… 94 SHOULD MEDITATION BE PRACTICED DIRECTLY WITHOUT PREPARATIONS? A Doubt among meditators on this matter B Preparations for meditation in Buddhism as taught by the Buddha 1 The three wisdoms 2 The three knowledges 3 The four noble truths 4 The thirty-seven wings of Enlightenment a Four kinds of mindfulness b Four diligences c Four bases of psychic power d Five spiritual faculties e Five powers f Seven bodhyangas g Eightfold noble path 5 The six paramitas 6 The four yogas of the Vajrayana C Preparations according to the patriarchs' teachings 1 Gampopa 2 Tsong Khapa III 3 Zhi Yi D Preparations in other religions 1 Hinduism 2 Jainism 3 Confucianism 4 Christianity E Preparations in worldly matters F Summary and some practical conditions 1 Personal conditions of preparation 2 Conditions for a hermitage 3 Four general conditions 4 Special conditions for westerners G Homage H Conclusion Chapter V……………………………………………….. 129 WHAT IS THE RELATION OF DIFFERENT BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES AND HOW DO THEY CENTER UPON MEDITATION? A The Homage B Explanation of diagram C How these principles center upon meditation 1 Hearing wisdom a Faults of a Dharma-instrument b Mindfulness 2 Thinking wisdom 3 Practicing wisdom a Five kinds of Bodhicitta b Morality c Repetition and other good deeds d The reason for recurring factors in the lists 4 Realization a Human yana b Heavenly yana c Sravakayana IV d Pratyekabuddhayana e Bodhisattvayana f The four yogas 5 Meditation about great compassion a Buddhas and sentient beings regarded as one b Without condition 6 Nirvana a The Idealist School b The Great Nirvana Sutra c The Abhidharma Vibhasa Sastra d Conclusion—advantages of meditation Chapter VI…………………………………………….. 161 WHY EMPHASIZE THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF MEDITATION IN THE THREE-YANAS-IN-ONE? A The dedication 1 What does Dharma mean? B The why and wherefore of three-in-one (Triyana) 1 Arguments between yanas and schools a Hinayana versus Mahayana b Exoteric versus esoteric c The Japanese Tantra versus the Tibetan Anuttarayoga d Conflicts in Tibet e Conflicts in China 2 Development of the Buddha's doctrine a Historical sequence b Inherent nature of the teachings c The sequence of meditations i Hinayana ii Mahayana iii Vajrayana Chapter VII……………………………………………. 189 V SAMATHA MUST BE PRACTICED TO OBTAIN THE RESULT OF SAMAPATTI A Homage 1 Why we pay homage to the gods B Re-appraisal of Christianity C Why samatha should be practiced before samapatti D Summary of preparations given in previous chapters E Some conditions of mental preparation 1 The nine Prayogas 2 The four arisings of resolve F The physical foundations of samatha 1 The five benefits of full lotus sitting 2 Exercises to facilitate lotus sitting G Nine steps and six conditions for samatha H To clarify samatha from samapatti 1 Order of practice I Mistakes in practice and their cures 1 The six defects 2 The eight cures 3 Avoiding extremes a Causes of distraction J The eight dhyanas K Realization of samatha 1 The four steps leading up to the first dhyana 2 The eight touches and the ten merits 3 The eighteen conditions Chapter VIII……………………………………………. 233 THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATIONS TO CURE THE FIVE POISONS A The triple dedication B Differences between samatha and samapatti C Why Hinayana meditations must be practiced before the Mahayana 1 Historical role of the Hinayana VI 2 The contemporary need for Hinayana D Why we discuss only these five meditations E Why do we not discuss "pure dhyana"? F A note on the five dull drivers G The five meditations themselves and how they help achieve a settled mind 1 The meditation on impurity 2 The merciful meditation 3 The meditation on dependent origination 4 The meditation on the discrimination of the six elements 5 The meditation on mindfulness of breathing H Should all five meditations be practiced? 1 A program for practice of these meditations I The exact realization of these meditations? 1 Impurity 2 Merciful mind 3 Resolution of the elements 4 Dependent origination 5 Breathing Chapter IX…………………………………………….. 272 THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS: A GOOD BRIDGE TO MAHAYANA MEDITATION A The homage B Two purposes for samapatti C A notice on the five sharp drivers 1 Satkayadrsti 2 Antaragraha 3 Mithya 4 Drstiparamarsa 5 Sila-vrata-paramarsa D Why the four mindfulnesses stress elimination of the five sharp drivers E The practical method of the four mindfulnesses VII 1 As practiced separately: the practical method a Samapatti of bodily impurity b Every feeling is painful c The mind is impermanent d All dharmas are without self 2 Why follow the above sequence? 3 The four mindfulnesses as a totality 4 How to meditate diligently on these 5 What perversion each meditation cures F What realization can these four meditations bring? 1 Main realizations 2 Realizations related to the three liberations (vimoksa) 3 Other realizations G Why among all the Hinayana meditations do we only take these nine? How are the others included in them? H Why will the mindful meditations be a bridge across to the Mahayana? I How do they correspond with the Vajrayana? 1 With the Japanese Tantra 2 Correspondences with Tibetan Tantra 3 Breathing meditations J Does the Vajrayana also include the Hinayana doctrines? K What are the criteria for choosing meditations from among the three yanas? Chapter X……………………………………………… 311 PART ONE: ALL THE MAHAYANA MEDITATIONS ARE SUBLIMATED BY SUNYATA A Our homage B What is the distinction between Mahayana and Hinayana? C Mahayana is not negativism, and the six paramitas are not merit-accumulations for going to heaven VIII D The practical methods of Mahayana sunyata meditations 1 Meditations of sunyata a The four phrases b The eight negatives c The four voidnesses d Mind in the three times 2 Meditations on the dependent conditions of sunyata a The six similes of the Diamond Sutra b The ten mystic gates of Hua Yan 3 Meditations on the karma of great compassion coming out of sunyata a Victorious significance of the Bodhicitta b All three wheels of action are void 4 Meditations on breathing and sunyata a Breathing with action of Bodhicitta b Breathing is sunyata PART TWO: SUPPLEMENTARY DETAILS OF THE SUNYATA MEDITATIONS A Commentary B Daily meditations for both hermit and ordinary meditator C Why do we say that Mahayana meditations are sublimated by sunyata? 1 Five negative errors corrected 2 Five positive virtues gained 3 Systematic progress D How to transmute these into Vajrayana meditations in the position of consequence E About the five poisons F What are the realizations of Mahayana meditations? G Why are the ten stages so named? H Why are there so many stages in sunyata? I What is the realization of the various stages in detail? J What realization should we have before entering the IX Vajrayana? Chapter XI……………………………………………… 372 MEDITATIONS OF THE CHINESE MAHAYANA SCHOOLS A Our homage B Meditations of the Hua Yan School 1 Individual meditations 2 How are all these gates of mystic practice possible? 3 Total meditations B Meditations of the Tian Tai School 1 The practice of samatha 2 The practice of samapatti 3 Five kinds of meditation 4 Criticism C Meditation in the Pure Land School 1 Sixteen meditations 2 Differences from Vajrayana practices D Idealist School (Vijnavada-Yogacara) meditation E Conclusion Chapter XII……………………………………………..