Finding the Still Point
In the architecture of the mind, silence is not merely the absence of noise, but the presence of clarity. As we navigate the digital age, our internal landscapes often mirror the chaos of our external environments—cluttered, reactive, and fragmented. The practice of meditation, as taught in the tradition of the Dharma Realm, serves as the structural reinforcement for our consciousness.
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua often compared the mind to a "monkey" that is restless and untamed. To bring this monkey to submission requires more than force; it requires the gentle, persistent application of method. This page serves as a digital Bodhimanda—a platform for awakening—where we invite you to transition from the role of a consumer of information to a cultivator of wisdom.
Experience vs. Interpretation
A central tenet of Buddhist psychology is the separation of Vedana (sensation) from Sanna (perception/labeling). Much of our suffering arises not from what happens to us, but from the narrative we construct around it.
"The highest compassion, the only true act of compassion, is to point a person to their own liberation."
When you sit to meditate, you may feel pain in your knee. That is the experience. The thought "this will damage my knee forever" or "I am bad at meditating" is the interpretation. The practice is to abide in the sensation without boarding the train of interpretation. By doing so, we create a gap between stimulus and response, and in that gap lies our freedom.
The Method: Anapanasati
The breath is the only physiological function that is both involuntary (automatic) and voluntary (controlled). It is the bridge between the conscious and unconscious mind. To practice:
- ☸ Establish the Seat: Sit with the spine erect, like a stack of golden coins. This physical verticality supports mental alertness.
- ☸ Anchor the Attention: Place your awareness at the tip of the nose or the rise of the abdomen. Feel the texture of the air.
- ☸ The Return: When the mind wanders (and it will), do not judge. Gently shepherd the attention back to the breath, as one would guide a wayward lamb.
Through this repetitive returning, we cultivate "Patience like the Earth." The earth does not complain when flowers are thrown on it, nor does it complain when refuse is thrown on it. It simply accepts. In meditation, we learn to accept the rising and falling of our thoughts with the same equanimity.