shaolin/chan meditation

[j-himself]

hiya I needed some help with this. I know theres a lot of different ways to meditate, i was just wondering how things go down at shaolin? I read this article(http://www.shaolinwolf.com/Buddhism/meditation1.htm) from shaolinwolf.com. i was just wondering if you should use some visualisation or something. it mentions you should observe the process of your breath; can anyone explain this further in depth plz. or if theres anything else you think the article is missing, do fill in the gaps for me.

thanks

[David Jamieson]

Well, I didn't read the article, but I have practiced meditation for some time.

Ch'an (known more widely as "Zen") is simply the practice of seated meditation with the intent to clear the mind.

To focus on the breath is literal. Count each breath 1 in/out 2in/out etc, etc. Calm yourself and let your body support itself.
After time and continued practice, you will be able to reach a calmed state more quickly as you enter the meditation.

Be wary of over complicating the practice. The last thing that zen is, is complicated. It is so simple and obvious, it is amazing that more people do not practice.

Enjoy, cheers

[mantis108]

It is quite down to earth and no mumbo jumbo. IMHO, it is well written for novice as an introduction to meditation.

As for method, I use a 2-folded method which I believe is the safest and easiest. I let images come as my eyes are closed. It's like watching a movie in the theatre. Let the images come and go and don't follow or "chase" after them. From time to time, there might be something that "caught" your attention. You might not be able to detach from it. Let it be. Don't worry about it. Eventually, the images will cease to come. That just means that your brain has finished processing the information in the form of imageries stored in the temperory "drive". Now the screen will be either black, gray, or white (as brightlight). Again don't worry about it and just let it be. You might even have pulsating light. You may then turn your attention to "listen" to your breath, which should be light, long, deep (from you dantien) and has a rhythm. Eventually, you would get a "sea waves" rhythm. Again don't listen and follow with intent. Just let it be. This is a sign of the mind and body are eventually synchronized. The body will start to do the necessarily "repairs" without the interference of the mind or conscienousness. If you feel all kinds things that is happening, it is all nature and should not cause concern. Let the process go on. It will cease and you will feel like a new person.

One thing of note is that this may not be always happen and that exact. It depends on the state of your own being. If you are coming down with a cold or flu or something, it definitely going to be harder and longer for the "program" to run through. Relax and take a break for the day. Come back and Keep practicing and you will get the benefit in the long run.

BTW, I use this method while receiving aromatheraphy and reflexology. The result is exponential especially when the theraphiest has some kind of Qigong training.

Mantis108

[GeneChing]

It was in our 2000 Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=152) which is sold out, I'm afraid. Better grab those Shaolin specials when you can, or you'll be left asking strangers on the internet. ;)

[j-himself]

wouldnt u do us the great honor of re-publishing that article here on this forum for us who didn't have a chance to lay our hands on that issue. a summary would do too though.

thanks

[GeneChing]

just sit


:cool:

[David Jamieson]

lol

[superman859]

Does anyone have any advice on this or how it should be done, what exactly one does while meditating, etc? the basics? Sure we bow in and out at class but till now I havent really ever thought about it and its just been like..sit there and just close my eyes like everyone else till were done...lol which is most likely what the majority of people do. I just want to learn how to meditate properly so that its not just wasted time. And I cant, because I hardly know what it is. Sitting and focusing and clearing your mind..sure I know that much, but how does one do such a thing?

[Scythefall]

It's hard to just explain meditation in a single post. I'll try though!

Initially, you are going to just sit and pay attention to your breathing without making any concious attempt to change it. Don't ever think, "I'm not breathing deeply enough" or anything of the sort. You're just going to pay attention to the air as it comes into your body. Not where it goes, or how deeply it reaches, but simply note the inhale and exhale. Your subconcious will take over, much like it does in your sleep and you'll reach the perfect breathing pattern with some practice. Your full lung capacity will be utilized. Like an athletic ability, it will become second nature to breath as you have practiced during meditation. Then your lung capacity itself begins to expand. Do not rush this point.

Thoughts and ideas may flood your mind at various times. Just make a quick note of them and let them go..if you start noticing that you're getting insight into daily issues that have been haunting you, you might wish to sit with a pen and paper next to you to jot down quick notes. You can do this without interrupting the state of mind that you are in.

Breathing meditation is probably one of teh single most powerful meditations we martial artists will do. You pay attention to breathing and the pain of a horse stance ceases to matter.

[yan23]

how many hours practice meditation on the deng feng gong fu schools?

[GeneChing]

...some a lot, some none at all. There are 80 registered schools in Dengfeng, and who knows how many unregistered. Each one is different.

[yan23]

ok.so it's posible to find a school,were i can train kung fu and meditation in deng feng?

and what about the most importants,de chengs,de yangs,de quians,...?

thanks for your answer

[GeneChing]

You'd have to go to each school and ask about their curriculam. One of the big problems about students who are interested in studying Chan in China is language. You can study Kung Fu and not know Chinese, but meditation is a little more difficult. To be honest, I don't know the curriculam for the individual schools, but most would probably offer some sort of meditation program at your request - translation is the bigger problem. In fact, I don't even know what happens at my own master's school. Whenever I study with Shi Decheng, I get private lessons. He has taught me meditation techniques, so for me, it's been a big part of his teachings, but I don't know how he treats general students.

[yan23]

priceless information. i apreciate it.

[GeneChing]

For a listing of major Dengfeng schools (along with a map of the city) check out our Shaolin Special 2003 (http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kf200119.html) ;)

[yan23]

thnks,but i live in spain.there is any chance to read it?

[GeneChing]

...but I have no idea where. Besides the issue is long off the newsstand. You can order through www.MartialArtsMart.com, but I'll be honest and tell you that shipping is expensive, especially for on magazine. It would be cheaper to have a friend buy it for you in the states, then ship it to you themselves.

[GeneChing]

Corpses, Pythons, Sleep Deprivation: Meditation Rituals in Thailand Can Be Intense (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/31/world/what-in-the-world/thailand-buddhism-meditation.html?_r=0)
What in the World
By BRYANT ROUSSEAU AUG. 30, 2016

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/08/25/world/what-in-the-world/00wit_thai-meditation/00wit_thai-meditation-master768.jpg
Credit Illustration by Tamara Shopsin; photo by Marilyn Barbone/Shutterstock

A decomposing body may not seem like an ideal meditation aid, but at some of Thailand’s tens of thousands of Buddhist temples, it is common to find monks reflecting while seated before a rotting corpse.

The practice of corpse meditation, largely limited to Thailand today, is an ancient concept in Buddhism, sanctioned by the Buddha himself. There are centuries-old murals and manuscripts depicting scenes of meditation next to different types of cadavers, some infested with worms, others cut in two or being picked at by crows.

The unpleasant sight and overpowering stench of flesh decaying in tropical heat can impart lessons about important Buddhist precepts, like nonattachment to one’s body and the impermanence of everything, said Justin McDaniel, a professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

The ritual is viewed as a powerful way to learn selflessness, Professor McDaniel said, “and the more selfless you are, the closer you are to nirvana.”

The corpse is often that of a child or young adult who has died unexpectedly. A family will donate the body to a temple, hoping something good can come from the tragedy.

The monks see the deceased young people as “representing the best of humanity,” Professor McDaniel said. “They’re innocent — not so selfish and greedy and ambitious. If something so beautiful can decay, why are you so proud and vain? You’re even uglier.”

The abbots who run Thailand’s temples, or wats, have tremendous leeway in adopting innovative approaches to meditation, and certain practices may be limited to a single sanctuary.

At one temple in Nong Bua Lamphu Province, a monk meditates in what appears to be hot oil. At another temple, Wat Tham Mangkon Thong, nuns meditate while floating in a pool. At Wat Pai Civilsai, meditation has taken place in a box with pythons. Monks also meditate in caves and coffins, where the absolute darkness enhances concentration.

So-called forest monks who observe strict ascetic practices known as dhutanga are said to meditate while walking for weeks without ever lying down, even to sleep.

It is not only monks who meditate in ways that may seem extreme.

Julia Cassaniti, an anthropology professor at Washington State University, was walking in the woods of a Thai monastery when she heard screams coming from a hut. The laypeople inside were using meditation to interact with their past lives, a struggle that adherents describe as painful.

A meditation technique that both monks and laypeople practice is a 10-day period of total silence. Some temples offer meditation retreats for tourists and encourage visitors to remain awake for the final three days.

“The sleep deprivation is seen as worth it to get to the first stages of enlightenment,” said Brooke Schedneck, a lecturer in Buddhist studies at the Institute of South East Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The goal of meditation for all Buddhists is to gain insights into spiritual truths. These more extreme practices, Professor Cassaniti said, can “heighten the access, so you get there a little faster or more intensely.”

A version of this article appears in print on August 31, 2016, on page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: Meditation, With Corpses and Pythons

Corpse meditation takes many forms. The Tibetan Buddhists do sky burials where they leave a corpse in an open field to be picked apart by vultures as they all sit around meditating on it. Then the bones are often converted into religious items. European Christian monks were known to keep a skull at their writing desk during medieval times. I did this practice for many years, although the skull wasn't at my writing desk. It was enshrined in my altar, which was adjacent to my writing desk. I used to burn incense there whenever I was writing. That was many years ago, before I took the position here (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/), back when I was freelance.

[MarathonTmatt]

Thank you for sharing the above post, Gene. Come to think of it, it is amazing how closely related different cultural practices are. In North America, sky burials were also practiced in many different Native cultures. The post I just shared in the Off Topic thread "Interesting New England Sites" (on the "Red Paint" culture phase) shows bone artifacts with highly stylized engravings on them. Also, some of the larger stone mounds in N.E. have hollow depressions in the center of the mound, usually collapsed or partially collapsed to some extent in our times. The hollows would have functioned as "seats" for the deceased to be left out in. Of course, the remains were either moved long ago for whatever reasons (there were east to west migrations in some cases) or have turned to dust by now.

And of course Buddhism never spread to the America's in the old days, so it is interesting to compare something like the practices of sky burials of Buddhist cultures (such as in Tibet as you mentioned) to the sky burials of a non-Buddhist culture like in North America.

I heard somewhere that the skulls of venerated philosophers (medieval European tradition) that were kept out on a philosopher's desk were said to calcify or crystalize, and so were thought to be a channel of information. Also interesting.