Special Topics
Chan is Everywhere in Daily Life
People who know how to adjust their body and mind while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are able to enjoy not only physical well-being, but also harmony of body and mind. As long as we maintain clear awareness and a mind free from afflictions in every aspect of life, we can live with vitality and joy. Our daily activity revolves around four major modes of bodily movement—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. From waking up and getting to work, all the way through res...
Walking – With Calm and Steady Steps
Buddhism holds that practice can be done anywhere in our daily life. While walking, you can maintain calm stability in your steps provided that you can relax your body and mind, concentrate on and feel your steps, and remain clearly aware of the sensation of your foot stepping forward, landing on and lifting off the ground, without being interrupted by your deluded thoughts and the external environment. People who have ever hiked in the mountains must have experienced breathing heavily and...
Standing – Relax Your Body and Mind to Lighten Your Burden
Since childhood, everyone has experienced physical and mental anxiety caused by standing for long periods of time. For example, during a vacation trip, when there is a long queue for buying tickets and waiting for transport, some people get annoyed that those who line up ahead of them are too slow, while other people get angry at those who cut in line...The physical burden, emotional agitation and impatience brought about by standing for a long time likely spoil the start of a good day. Furth...
Sitting Meditation – Regulating the Mind and Breath in Sitting, for Better Health
Many people spend most of their days in a seated position. "Sitting" has not only become habitual, but has also caused many to suffer health problems due to poor sitting posture, in addition to prolonged sitting. Making good use of meditation methods not only helps us prevent disease, but also greatly boosts our spirits. Have you ever counted how much time you spend sitting in a single day? Each day, commuters take public transportation to work early in the morning, while motoris...
Optimal Sleep Postures --for a Steady Mind and Body, and a Sound Sleep
Living a busy and hectic life, modern people tend to become extremely tired even before bed time, and thus often neglect the correct sleeping position. This not only affects their sleep quality, but is also likely to lead to chronic disease. Buddhism teaches that we should always keep wholesome thoughts in our minds and stop thinking about our own troubles. Also, with a good sleeping position—particularly through sleeping on the right side-- we will naturally be able to enjoy a calm and...