Chan Meditation Roadmap

General Instructions

Relaxing Body and Mind Although the methods of tso-ch'an (sitting meditation) given above are simple and straightforward, it is best to practice them under the guidance of a teacher. Without a teacher, a meditator will not be able to correct beginner's mistakes, which if uncorrected, could lead to problems or lack of useful results. In practicing tso-ch'an, it is important that body and mind be relaxed. If one is physically or mentally tense, trying to do tso-ch'an ...

Fundamentals of Sitting Meditation

  Zuo Chan (sitting meditation) was practiced in China long before the appearance of Chan. The earlier masters practiced according to methods in the Hinayana sutras, which emphasized the techniques collectively known as samatha-vipasyana. Generally speaking, these were methods for achieving samadhi through three aspects: regulating one's body, regulating one's breathing, and regulating one's mind. Regulating the Body   Regulating the Body by Sitting To regu...

Why Meditation Starts from Experiencing the Breath

By definition, "breath" refers to the inhalation and exhalation,  normally  sixteen to eighteen times per minute, in ordinary people. Practitioners can gradually slow down, lengthen, deepen and soften their breathing to a state called Xi(息). Xi has the power to energize the blood, and that energy vitalizes the body's physiological functions; it is called Qi(氣). When the practitioner experiences the function of Qi, it is called “sensory awareness ”. Having...

The Precious Human Body

Don't Have to Adopt any Particular Posture In seeking the experience of Chan, one does not have to adopt any particular posture. For example, the sick, the physically challenged, and the perpetually busy can follow the method taught by their masters and practice anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, wherever they might be, standing or sitting: in bed, in a wheelchair, in a car, at a bus or tram stop, or in an office. The quickest and most effective method is of course p...

How Shall We Prepare Ourselves Before Attending a 7-Day Retreat in a Chan Hall?

Those who have not participated in 7-Day Chan Retreat may take the retreat as a field trip, and simply enter the Chan Hall with some simple daily necessities. Those who have participated in the retreat would know that they need to regulate their body and mind as well as establish normal routines prior to the retreat itself, so as to adapt to the agenda of the 7-day Chan Retreat.   In Preparation for The Chan Retreat   In order to adapt to long hours of sitting, it is bet...