Still practice
From Qigong as the foundation of meditationAbout 5 min read
Still practice is sitting in meditation in the correct full lotus posture without moving, though the way the breath is used is more refined.
The practitioner must thoroughly grasp a number of basics of meditation in order to practise still practice without going astray. The basics of meditation are:
Sit in the correct full lotus posture
Relax the whole body
Be clearly aware of the whole body, rest in the whole body, feel the whole body
Know that the body is impermanent and temporary
Know clearly that nothing is me
Know clearly whether the breath is going out or coming in, only knowing without controlling
Let go of wandering thoughts
These conditions must be mastered before one may enter the still practice of Buddhist qigong. Sometimes a practitioner needs three years to master the elements above. Do not take these conditions lightly, for they are an extremely important foundation that keeps the practitioner from illnesses of the mind.
In addition, the practitioner must bring to mind three ethical resolutions that are essential for a life of practice aimed at liberation: I vow to revere the Buddha absolutely; I vow to love living beings without limit; I vow to keep a humble heart to the utmost.
Every time the practitioner sits, these three attitudes must be brought to mind, so as to instil great wholesome karma for countless lifetimes to come.
Only when the above has become fluent may the practitioner follow the still practice of this Buddhist qigong.
The practitioner must always feel the whole body, feel the inner organs too, and finally recognise the dantian point hanging within the lower abdomen.
The practitioner's breath is already gentle, smooth and natural, without strain or forcing.
- Breathe in normally; do not try to breathe in long or deep.
- Hold the breath for a few seconds; if you also close the windpipe, so much the better, so that the breath is held decisively.
- Breathe out slowly.
The in-breath is not very important; it only prepares for the next two phases. This is clearly a three-phase breath, but each phase has a quite different character.
The in-breath is a matter of course; do not try to take in a lot, so as not to stir up greed in the mind.
Holding the breath for a few seconds instils the idea of diligently striving to endure in order to do good deeds.
Breathing out slowly practises letting go without clinging to one's achievements. The slow out-breath is very important.
The moderate in-breath symbolises enjoying merit from the past, so do not breathe in too much and strain the brain. In the same way, we should not enjoy too much of our past merit and bring our life of practice crashing down. In terms of time, the in-breath is short, not long. The in-breath does not yet create inner strength; only when the breath begins to be held does inner strength gradually start to appear.
While holding the breath for a few seconds, the practitioner should remember to be clearly aware of the whole body, especially the inside, and best of all feel the dantian point hanging in the lower abdomen. At this point inner strength begins to form little by little with each breath held, like drops of water falling into a great lake. We will gradually feel a slight fullness throughout the body, especially in the lower abdomen. In every still-sitting session, breathe skilfully so that you have this sensation of slight fullness throughout the body; that is correct.
When breathing out, skilfully breathe out slowly. The slow out-breath relaxes the brain, lets the mind release its disturbances, and above all brings about bioelectricity throughout the body. This bioelectricity is called mental energy, spiritual energy, or a person's mental strength. Whoever has abundant bioelectricity has more extraordinary abilities than others. For this reason, the slow out-breath is extremely important.
Still practice is still sitting with a three-phase breath: breathe in moderately, hold the breath for a few seconds, breathe out slowly.
Breathe in moderately, hold the breath to create inner qigong strength, breathe out slowly to create bioelectricity.
Does this not go against the Buddha's principle of knowing without controlling?
In fact, after a long time of practising the principle of knowing the breath without controlling the breath, the practitioner has reached a natural gentleness in the breath. So when beginning the still practice of this Buddhist qigong, the breath remains gentle and natural even though it forms the breathing pattern exactly as prescribed: breathe in moderately, hold the breath for a few seconds, breathe out slowly.
Although one deliberately creates this qigong type of breath, it is still gentle, as if nothing were being controlled.
Once we have practised this still practice, clear awareness increases a great deal, and we immediately remember the line in the verse for ending meditation: Whenever my mind is clearly aware, I remember all the more that this body is impermanent.
Or the lines in the verse for entering meditation: The body is not me, the mind is not me, nothing is me.
It is thanks to these principles that the energy created in qigong is at once turned entirely into meditation, rather than being stuck as some other superior bodily skill. Whenever our mind is clearly aware, even in a busy life, we must at once contemplate: The body is impermanent, the mind is ever-changing, nothing is me; let go of wandering thoughts. We must grow used to this until it is automatic, so that whenever there is clear awareness within the breath, this contemplative thought appears immediately.
The result of still practice is that it helps us gather the mind more deeply and lose mindfulness less, and the whole sitting passes pleasantly and quickly.