Zen and Meditation

【Source：Zen and Meditation (禅与静思） 花开剑鞘,  http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=mysj&MsgID=45522】

Edited by 北京二号

Our life can be cluttered with material objects and stresses.  Sometimes we feel miserable and unfocused because we have too many illusory and wandering thoughts. We often reminisce our past and worry about the future so much that we couldn’t live at the present and enjoy life.

Zen tells us not to dwell on the unchangable past, not to worry about the unknown future, but to focus on the current moment. The only thing we can control and make use of is today. It is crucial to live well today.

Meditation is a practical way to obtain a peaceful and quiet mind. When the mind is tranquil, we will reach a state of relaxation or awareness, wisdom will naturally arise. Meditation can bring us back to our true selves, compose ourselves, and keep our peace and serenity from being touched by the ups and downs of life.

Here is how to meditate:

1. Wear loose, comfortable clothes, so that you can breathe easily and feel physically free.

2. Find a quiet and relaxing place. It is essential to find a place without distractions and noisy appliances. If you want to play music, only silent and soothing music is allowable.

3. Sit in a comfortable position. There are several leg positions, including lotus position and half lotus position. Sit in a way you feel comfortable, either on the floor or on a chair, keep your back straight, close your eyes and relax.

4. Breathe deeply, slowly and evenly. Close your mouth, begin inhaling deeply and exhaling gently, put your attention on your breath. When your mind wanders, return your attention to the breath (or to the counting).

5. Focus on one thing, i.e. the feeling of joy. When you breathe in, you think about joy, the joy of being alive, the joy of breathing, the joy of seeing, and the joy of hearing.

6. Calm and clear the mind. Focus on your breath and your body, relax all your muscles. Get rid of all the wandering thoughts, have a pure and lucid mind.

7. Set yourself a minimum time (at least ten to fifteen minutes) that you want to meditate and try to abide by the minimum.

8. Be consistent. Meditating regularly to generate the automatic meditation response. Try going to deep concentration each time, and within a week you'll start having deeper meditation.