Generally speaking, this form of meditation is a way of study for the elimination of distraction and for restoring the true Nature of mind. Physically, it is also a way to send down the flaming Energy within the body and to send up the Watery Energy. When all distractions are gone, the Watery Energy will rise and vice versa. Then the mind and the body will exist in perfect harmony and the spirit and life energy will be equally refreshed.
When distractions continually exist in the mind, the Flaming Energy will be constantly coming upward within the body to scorch the Watery Energy, and dampen the brightness of spirit. The human body operates like a machine, in that it reacts to the sources of energy or power within it. Without the power of the Flaming Energy and Watery Energy within one's body, even a finger will be unable to move.
The Six Roots of the human body all belong to the head, so that whenever one uses one's senses to see, to hear, to think etc., the Flaming Energy moves upward to the head and burns off the element of the Watery Energy throughout the body just as the flame of an oil lamp burns off the oil to create light. When one's mind is continuously occupied with troubles or anxieties, when one strains one's eyes to see a thing, or when one raises one's voice, then the blood rushes to one's head and one's mouth becomes dry. This is the upward movement of the Flaming Energy. Even in doing the unavoidable, one can never be too careful in using the Six Roots. But must one allow useless distractions to circulate constantly in one's head day and night? Sitting Meditation, therefore, is practiced to eradicate all distractions, to restore the Original Nature of Reality and to send downward the Flaming Energy while bringing forth the refreshing Watery Energy.
The method of practicing this form of meditation is so simple and easy that anyone can practice it.
(1)Sit on a cushion in a relaxed posture with the legs folded. Keep the head erect and the back straight.
(2)Make the lower abdomen the center of control for the bodily energy, empty of thought, and always be sure that the center for moderating the bodily energy is located there. When the mind becomes distracted and the power of concentration weakened, try again to control the energy.
(3)Breathe evenly and inhale a little longer and stronger than when exhaling.
(4) Keeping the eyes open prevents one from falling asleep. But when one feels refreshed and confident one is not likely to doze, one should try to practice meditation with the eyes closed.
(5)The mouth should always be shut. When practicing this form of meditation for a long time, with the Watery Energy going smoothly upward while the Flaming Energy is going downward the mouth will become full of pure saliva. When this happens, you may occasionally swallow the saliva.
(6)Keep the spirit tranquil, and through its tranquility, keep the spirit clearly awake. Keep the spirit clearly awake, and through its clear awakening, keep the spirit tranquil. When the spirit begins to dim, refresh the spirit, and when it is full of distractions, clear it with a righteous mind so as to hold the spirit in its natural state.
(7)Beginners usually suffer either from a pain in the legs or from the intrusion of distractions. If the legs become uncomfortable, change position. If distractions intrude, be aware of them but never be annoyed by them nor be disappointed by their appearance. All distractions will then dissolve naturally.
(8)At first, the body or the face may occasionally get itchy, as if an ant were crawling over it. This is due to the circulation of the blood. Neither scratch, nor touch the face or body when this happens.
(9)When practicing this form of meditation, never hope for a miracle or mysterious manifestation. Should one experience any of these, they should be regarded as wicked things and one should pay no attention to them. If one continually practices Sitting Meditation by using these methods, one eventually forgets the distinctions between oneself and other things, and between time and place; one will enjoy the absolute spiritual pleasure which comes from being in a true state of harmonious tranquility and of no discrimination.
The power which is acquired through continuous meditation, will produce the following ten merits:
(1)Rash and thoughtless actions will be gradually eliminated.
(2)The operation of the Six Roots will become orderly.
(3)Illness will become less and less frequent and one's face will shine.
(4)Memory will become stronger.
(5)One will become more persevering.
(6)One's attachment to desires will lessen.
(7)Wicked minds will become righteous ones.
(8)The light of wisdom of one's Nature will become manifest.
(9)One will enjoy Absolute Bliss.
(10)One will become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Generally speaking, Sitting Meditation, from ancient times, was designed to concentrate the mind on a certain point and to eliminate all other thoughts. Many differing opinions and methods have been put forth concerning how one ought to concentrate the mind. However, if one concentrates the mind on the head or on things outside the body then the mind will easily become movable and one's energy will rise, making it difficult to stabilize the mind. But by concentrating the mind on the lower abdomen one's life energy will flow smoothly downward, and the mind will easily become stable.
Furthermore, Tan-Jun-Joo meditation is not only necessary to practice Sitting Meditation, but it is also indispensable for promoting good physical health. when one concentrates the mind on the lower part of the abdomen and swallows the saliva which comes from under the tongue and forms in the mouth, the Watery Energy and the Flaming Energy within the body will be properly balanced and the incidence of illness will decrease. One's countenance will become lustrous and one's physical vitality and the power of the mind will increase ensuring longevity. Tan-Jun-Joo meditation, therefore, is the best way both to practice meditation and to promote better physical health.
Those who emphasize Kan-Hwa (Kung-An in Chinese) meditation, often criticize the Tan-Jun-Joo method, thinking that it is a senseless, dead meditation. Kan-Hwa Meditation, however, is acceptable only for certain people as a temporary method, but not as a method to be generally practiced, therefore it is not suitable for most people. If one constantly concentrates the mind for long periods on Kung-An, the body's energy will rush upward and one will become sick. Moreover, people who have no special interest in contemplating Kung-An will lose interest in meditation itself. So, we have scheduled times separately when one practices Sitting Meditation, and times when one contemplates Abstruse Questions. Although practiced separately, both forms will integrate one's Samadhi and wisdom perfectly. Thus, one will be protected from falling into either emptiness or discrimination and will come to experience the Nature of Reality in which no movement and no quietness abide.