The Meditation Essence of Zen Chapter 3
Chapter 1: The function of meditation
Meditation is wealth
Since the modern times, due to the long-term progress of science, many problems have been solved for human beings from the natural environment, social environment, and physical and psychological aspects. However, the problems that are waiting for us to solve are also increasing with the progress of human material civilization. In fact, until the day of the destruction of the earth, the problem of the natural environment imposed on humanity cannot be completely overcome; until the moment of our physical death, the opportunity for the body cannot be completely controlled. At least, human beings can’t stop the gradual disappearance of solar heat. Therefore, the aging and destruction of the earth will be inevitable, and because human beings cannot prevent the aging of physiological functions, the life of the flesh will die. Things to avoid.
However, when the earth is still a day for humans to live, we should try to improve the natural environment and make it more conducive to human life and survival. When our physical life continues to live, we should try to improve the health of mind and body. To make our lives comfortable and enjoyable. Although this is a topic of modern science, it cannot be handed over to modern science. Because it is necessary to rely on human intelligence and physical strength to promote science, it is necessary to find the highest intelligence and physical potential that is potentially deep in human body and mind. Is the best way.
The method of meditation, although rooted in the wisdom of the East, in fact, no matter the East or the West, all great religions, philosophers, outstanding politicians, scientists, artists, etc., must be able to contribute to the functions of Zen. Even if they do not take the name of a specific meditation posture or meditation, they essentially exert the intelligence and perseverance of ordinary people, and they have the function of meditation, but they do not know that it is the function of Zen. Because their talents are higher than ordinary people, they can get a number of Zen functions in an unconscious situation, making them outstanding great men.
We already know that meditation is the best way to discover and exert the potential intelligence and physical strength of human beings. Therefore, it is not difficult to transform ordinary people into outstanding great men through the training of Zen, and to change the people with low talents and the people with poor physical fitness. Being strong, the best makes it better, the body is stronger and stronger, and everyone is able to become a perfect person. Therefore, meditation is the best way to improve life, build society and improve all environment. For ordinary people, meditation can strengthen the will and change the temperament. In terms of physiology, new vitality can be obtained; in the psychological aspect, new hope can be obtained, and new understanding can be obtained for all environmental aspects around. Therefore, meditation can give you a new life and make you discover how happy, free and angry you are.
The function of meditation is mainly due to the concentration of mind or mind on a certain image or figurative thought. Therefore, in any position of standing, standing, sitting, and lying, it is possible to play a meditation reaction, whether it is meditation or silent prayer. When you are praying, reading, and even carefully examining, listening to God, and so on, there is a possibility of a reaction to Zen. However, the reaction of Zen in these states is unavoidable and difficult for most people. Even in a very small number of people, accidentally happening once or twice, it is impossible to ask for it to happen frequently.
For this reason, the practice method of Zen originating from the East becomes necessary. If you want to get it and follow a Zen teacher, this method will make the experience of Zen, which can be met, become a person. Everyone has the opportunity to gain wealth.
Valuable person
The experience of seeking Zen is not limited to adopting a special posture, such as a person who is sick, a person with a physical function, or a person who is particularly busy in the work, so that they can lie in bed and sit in a wheelchair. On the bus station, tram station, car, work room, etc., or sitting or sitting, you can do several hours or even hours of internship according to the Zen method taught by the teacher.
The most effective and quickest method, of course, is to take a sitting posture with legs. People who are sitting in the first place, especially those who are middle-aged or older, want to sit on their legs and sit and train and enjoy. To the extent of the fun of meditation, you must first have the psychological preparation to endure the pain and paralysis of your legs, the pain and numbness of your legs, and the general course of the first meditation and his own weak side, fighting hard, when he passed At this time, at least his willpower has overcome his fear and difficulty and dare to face the reality of retreating. In the realm of life, he has quietly taken a step forward.
Among all the animals, only the structure of the human body can take a posture of sitting cross-legged. Therefore, the method of meditation is only for human beings. The interests of meditation are only available to human beings.
We should be glad that we can be born and we should cherish the people we get. Because, from the meditation practice, you can get three major benefits: (1) tough body. (2) Agile mind. (3) Purified personality. Therefore, Sakyamuni Buddha often praises his disciples for their preciousness, and emphasizes that among all kinds of beings from heaven to earth, only the beings of the human beings are the best, and the Buddha is the best.
The effect of chanting by scientists
The benefits of meditation are discovered from the reaction of mind and body. According to the report in Zen (Test of Zen) written by Dr. Sato, Professor of Psychology at Kyoto University in Japan, there are ten psychological effects in meditation:
(1) Endurance enhancement.
(2) Treatment of various allergic diseases.
(3) The strength of the willpower.
(4) The strength of thinking.
(5) Form a more complete personality.
(6) Quickly calm your mind.
(7) The stability of emotions.
(8) Improve the interest and efficiency of action.
(9) The various diseases on the body disappear.
(10) To reach the realm of enlightenment.
According to the report in “New Medicine Zen” written by Japanese medical doctor Dr. Shibuya Saburo, the twelve effects of Zen are proposed to cure twelve diseases:
(1) Neurosis.
(2) Hyperacidity and hypoacidity.
(3) Drum disease.
(4) Tuberculosis.
(5) Insomnia.
(6) Indigestion.
(7) Chronic gastroptosis.
(8) The peristalsis of the stomach and intestines is too slow.
(9) Chronic secrets.
(10) Kneeling.
(11) Gallstones.
(13) High blood pressure.
The highest goal of meditation is to turn into enlightenment. If you talk about the problem of enlightenment at the beginning, it is unrealistic for most people, except for a few people with deep roots. Without the help of scientific research reports, the reader is introduced to the effects of meditation on the body and mind. This is of no use to those who have an actual meditation experience; for those who wish to try meditation, there are several inducements.
Physical and mental safety
In daily life, the degree of understanding of one’s body and mind is extremely limited. In terms of psychological activities, how many thoughts and fluctuations a person has in daily life, although it is innocent, even if it has just slipped through a minute, It’s easy to remember how many thoughts have been made, the main one or two, or a little impression, many tiny, fleeting thoughts, can’t figure it out. From the aspect of physiological activities, the metabolism of cell tissue is endangered. From the common sense, you know it. From the experience and experience, you can’t know. Of course, we have no need to clarify these issues.
What is important is that people who are in the modern industrial and commercial society, regardless of their knowledge or other professions, whether for personal life or for the benefit of the public, need to use a high degree of wisdom and strong physical strength everywhere. However, people rarely know that there are big loopholes in the depths of their intelligence and physical resources, which will leave a lot of energy unnecessarily missed, and at the same time, they cannot produce enough energy that should be produced. This can be called The waste of energy is also the stagnation of production. It is really a pity that it has not tried its best to open source and not properly cut costs.
What is this vulnerability? It is all sorts of messy mourning, consuming physical energy, reducing intelligence, and mourning, especially the strong desires, hatred, arrogance, disappointment, etc., which can make the physiological organization lose its balance. If you learn the method of meditation, you can reduce the confusion and unhelpful mourning, so that your mind can always maintain a relaxed and calm leisure state. When it is needed to solve problems, it can fully exert its highest function. It can also make your body’s various endocrine glands maintain a working state of mutual coordination and cooperation, and promote the mutual use of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
For example, the cerebral pituitary gland, pineal gland, subarachnoid gland, and cell gland of the sympathetic nervous system can contract blood vessels and raise high blood pressure, so that the excitatory function of the whole body is active; when it is expressed outside, it is sensitive to the reaction and alertness. . The endocrine glands of the parasympathetic nervous system, such as the accessory kidney, ovary, bi-pill, and pancreas, have the effect of dilating blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and alleviating excitatory functions; when expressed outside, they are stable and stable. The combination of the two advantages can form a perfect personality, which has its defects on either side.
We know that because of work stress, excessive brain use, or stimulation by some external factors, whether it is ecstasy or anger, it can increase the number of vasoconstriction, pulse beats, blood pressure, and shortness of breath. It may form a condition such as cerebral hemorrhage, insomnia, palpitations, tinnitus, nervousness, indigestion, and the like. This is because, when your emotions are violently excited, your blood has lost its balance due to the work of the endocrine glands, so there is a poison.
The internal gland is promoting human health under normal conditions. If it is out of balance, it will cause the body to light up the red light of the alarm. The effect of meditation can make people convert the floating emotion into a clear and calm sentiment; Be dangerous, don’t fear; every joy; don’t think too much, don’t think less, don’t be disgusted, don’t think it’s good. So it can be a guarantee for your physical and mental safety.
Reconciliation and liberation of mind and body
To put it more clearly, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system of the human body should always maintain a balanced development. Otherwise, besides being physically unhealthy, it is unhealthy in terms of psychological and personality development. If it is biased to the former, He will be sensitive, selfish, impatient, irritable, and lacking in friendly, unpopular people. If he is biased towards the latter, he will be a man of honesty, old age, Lotte, and kindness.
As a result of the development of the former, the good side may become a arrogant philosopher, a savvy and strong military strategist, and a cynical scholar; the bad side may become a self-contained, violent, and inferior figure. As a result of the latter’s development, the good side may become a sorrowful religious house, a magnanimous politician, a bright-hearted artist, etc.; the bad side may become a principle of lack of ideals, no distinction between good and evil, unclear right and wrong, and lack of doing things. The abuse of good people.
Of course, if it is only one side of development, it is the side that determines the tendency to be bad. If it has already emerged from the good side, it must be more than the reconciliation of the two.
Meditation is a way of coordinating the whole body’s organizational functions, stepping on normal work, and helping them to perform their highest functions. Under the hand, it is to adjust the body, adjust the interest rate and adjust the heart, reduce the load of the sympathetic nervous system, dilute the subjective consciousness of the image, gradually expand the boundaries of the egocentric, and even forget the existence of the self, subjective consciousness It will melt into the objective consciousness. Those who have reached this level, all kinds of troubles, although not completely removed, will not pose a threat to their physical and mental health.
The reason for greed, hatred, not reflecting on yourself, not forgiving others, or analysing things becomes trouble, that is, subjective consciousness is too strong. He thought that although he was opposed to everything, everything should not be contrary to his subjective consciousness. When he is not, he wants to pursue; after he has obtained it, he can only enjoy the things he can enjoy, and the things that are disgusting are afraid of losing his hand. When I can’t find it, I am troubled. After I ask for it, I am still surrounded by all kinds of troubles.
Only the method of meditation can gradually transform people from the self-centered subjective state of mind into an objective state of mind, from the bottom of the subjective trouble trap, and rise to the objective free world, thus obtaining the liberation of mind and body.
Longevity and happiness
Reducing the load on the sympathetic nervous system is closely related to breathing. Everyone uses the lungs as the center of gravity. The meditation person moves the center of gravity to the lower abdomen. We call it Dantian and Qihai. The purpose is to use the abdominal pressure as a medium, and then to control the parasympathetic nervous system to dilate blood vessels. Reduce blood pressure, relax excitement, and secrete a large amount of Acetylcholine (an important substance that produces energy for the body), resulting in calming, quiet, and detoxification.
The center of gravity of the breath, moved from the chest to the lower abdomen, can not be done in a day or two. Some people who teach yoga and Qigong methods advocate abdominal breathing to achieve this goal. However, that method does not apply to all people. Some people’s physiology, due to innate or acquired differences, such as hard-working internships for abdominal breathing, may lead to disease.
The safe method is to follow the nature, focus on the breathing, do not seek urgent work, keep breathing normally; continue to practice, the time is a little longer, the breathing speed is naturally slow, the number of times naturally decreases, and the depth naturally extends downward. . One day, you will find that your breathing center has dropped from the chest to the lower abdomen.
Abdominal breathing can transport blood stored in the liver and spleen to the heart to perform its function. The liver and spleen have the function of hematopoiesis and blood storage. In this blood bank, one third of the total blood volume of the human body is contained, and the heart and the muscles of the whole body each account for one third. The blood of the liver and spleen usually does not enter the circulatory system. When necessary, the amount of blood in the heart is supplemented by the right amount. Abdominal breathing is equivalent to adding an auxiliary heart to the human body, so that the amount of blood in the circulatory system is doubled.
The increase in the amount of blood and the enhancement of the function of transporting nutrients can revitalize the already-shrinked cell tissue, so that the occluded and dead cell tissue gradually recovers and gives the function of regeneration. For this reason, from Zen to cure diseases, it is possible to break down all kinds of so-called intractable diseases and chronic diseases.
When you have a strange disease that medicine is not easy to work with, you may wish to learn to sit meditation. Although meditation can’t make the patient’s hand get rid of the cecum, it can calm your emotions, reduce the panic and fear of the disease, and reduce the painful feeling of the disease. Even though human physiology has a certain life span, meditation can’t make you never die, but it can make you live longer, live more pleasant and interesting, but it can be done.
Develop a perfect personality
Perfect personality can be cultivated from education, art, religion, etc., but it is not completely reliable. Some people are forced by the temptation of fame and power and desire, and receive the education, art, and religion. They can also show noble character and holy behavior. Their hearts contain hidden ambitions and intrigues. These people, we call them dual personality.
Therefore, there are well-educated hypocrites in the world, as well as devils hidden in the church and among the priests. Because, whether it is the dogma of religion, the ethics of education, and the appreciation of art, it is instilled by outsiders, even the high pressure of authority. These and individual inner desires may not be consistent.
Meditation is the best way to cultivate a perfect personality. It is due to the consciousness of internal development and the purpose of sublimation. No dogma is required to put any pressure on it. Ethics and morality are useless to those who sit meditation. The dogma of religion, the standard of ethics, and the scale of morality will all be lost due to the different times, environments and objects. Therefore, the emergence of emerging religions in recent times is almost as frequent as bamboo shoots, and even Buddhism is no exception.
Although Zen was born out of Buddhism, because it is not a false rim, it does not stand on the text, so it is the practice of the ancients. The meditation practice is to put things like “self” like a banana tree, and after mourning for another layer of mourning, I can not see a model of me, even a naked one I can not see, at first Expose yourself, and finally there is nothing to expose you.
Therefore, the meditation person does not have to hide anything from others, nor does it have to feel the pressure from the outside in order to transform himself, and does not need to endure the pain of cutting off the cancer.
Meditation, just follow the method of practice, gradually reduce the mourning, and even to the extent of no thought, you will naturally find that your past existence, only exists on the accumulation of a series of troubles and mourning, it is not the real you.
The true you are inseparable from all objective things. The existence of objective things is the part of your subjective existence. So you don’t have to pursue anything, you don’t have to reject anything, your responsibility is to build your whole, more orderly and perfect.
When the meditation person reaches such a level, he will be a person who loves humanity, and will be a person who loves all beings. His character will begin to shine like the spring sun; even for the use of the method of introduction and education. There are also emotions in the expression, and his heart will be Mingtan, which is often calm and clear as autumn. Such a person, we call him a person who is enlightened, or a sage, a saint.
Sakyamuni once said to Neveu: “All sentient beings have the wisdom and merits of the Buddha.” If you long for the benefits that Zen people may receive. Your wishes will surely become a reality. No matter whether it is male or female, old or young, regardless of the pros and cons of intelligence, the strength of physical fitness, and the occupation, status and religious beliefs, the door to Zen is open to everyone.
There is only one very important thing that must be told. After reading this article about Zen, the article itself is by no means equal to the “Zen” thing. The fact of meditation is still waiting for you to make up your mind, and to use your perseverance to actually follow the teacher you trust. Otherwise, this article will only add some knowledge to you, and it will not help you to learn Zen. Kind.
