Just Meditate!
“On Sitting Meditation: An Inscription”
Excerpted from Admonitions for Monastics
By Meditation Master Buddha Eye Qingyuan, of Longmen
The light of the mind shines in emptiness; its substance transcends extremes and pervades all. The light of the mind is like golden waves lapping, for the mind is always in deep absorption, whether in movement or in stillness. When thoughts occur, no need to stop them; when thoughts cease, no need to avoid them. The mind simply rides on the crests of waves freely, so when does it ever arise or cease? Mahakasyapa demonstrated for us how arising and ceasing of thoughts became extinct.
With not one gap in the mind whether we sit, stand, walk, or recline, why not sit and meditate? Why not meditate while we sit? Only when we understand what this means are we meditating. Who is sitting and what is meditation? For those who wish to meditate, use the Buddha to find the Buddha. But the Buddha need not be found, for the more we search, the more the Buddha is nowhere to be found.
Meditation is not about what you observe externally, for meditation is not a technique for seeking outwardly. The beginner’s mind is busy and inevitably fickle, hence one is taught many contemplation methods to quiet the mind. Focus as you sit erect. First a flurry of thoughts flies about, but after a long while, thoughts ease and lighten. Let your six senses pause in their judgement a bit. As soon as you make some of distinction, arising and ceasing have begun already. The arising and ceasing of thoughts and their changes manifest from the mind, which require the mind to contemplate them once more. When thoughts develop no more, we wear a perfect crown of light and beam with a spiritual flame. By then, the mind is unobstructed and can enter the horizontal and the vertical. The cycle of birth and death ends forever. That immortal pill let’s you melt gold. Coarse and fine afflictions cannot seep in or out of your body or mind.
We may discuss confusion and enlightenment but not adverse or pleasant states of mind. As we recount the details of our days while meditating, we realize that the [enlightened] mind has not changed, it is still very messy. But in one brief moment, an ordinary being can become a sage because of it. As we go about our busy day, we should be extremely cautious with our thoughts. Anyone who does not know this — sit and contemplate.
I wrote this article in a matter of a day, out of utter respect.
《緇門警訓卷第二》
龍門佛眼遠禪師坐禪銘
心光虛映體絕偏圓。金波匝匝動寂常禪。念起念滅不用止絕。任運滔滔何曾起滅。起滅寂滅現大迦葉。坐臥經行未嘗間歇。禪何不坐坐何不禪。了得如是始號坐禪。坐者何人禪是何物。而欲坐之用佛覓佛。佛不用覓覓之轉失。坐不我觀禪非外術。初心鬧亂未免回換。所以多方教渠靜觀。端坐收神。初則紛紜久久恬淡。虛閑六門六門稍歇。於中分別。分別纔生已成起滅。起滅轉變從自心現。還用自心反觀一遍。一反不再圓光頂戴靈焰騰輝。心心無礙橫該竪入。生死永息。一粒還丹點金成汁。身心客塵透漏無門。迷悟且說逆順休論。細思昔日冷坐尋覓。雖然不別也大狼藉。剎那凡聖無人能信。匝地忙忙大須謹慎。如其不知端坐思惟一日築著。伏惟伏惟。