Intro...

There are as many meditational techniques as there are religious denominations in this world. In Avatamsaka, our meditational purpose is to end birth and death. Many meditational practices will emphasize very restricted and detailed methods of meditation to attain superficial spiritual powers such as the ability to read minds, strong blissful sensations, or a sense of eternal peace etc, Because our goal in meditation is to ultimately end birth and death, the above accomplishments are only considered as mere roadside excursions along the way. If one is attached to these minor accomplishments, then one will definitely lose sight of the treasure at the end of the journey--The Ending of Birth and Death and attaining of ultimate bliss and freedom. The way to end birth and death is very simple if one can let go of all the attachments of life. Since this is something that cannot be achieved over night, meditation will help to focus our attention toward a more peaceful mind, hence better positioning us towards this path.

Preparing for Meditation: Find a spot in your home which is quiet and out of high traffic, preferably not the bedroom. Try to pick a time, which is convenient so that you can return to that spot at the same time each, and everyday. Choose a posture from the side that is most comfortable for you to start with. As you progress, you may advance to the more difficult positions. Aside from the lying position, make sure the back is aligned and straight. A good way to check yourself is to imagine there is a string tied to the top of the head and is pulling you straight. Position the left hand on the bottom palm facing up and placed the right hand over the left, again, palm facing up with the fingers aligned. Place the thumb so that it is touching each other. It is very important that the body is also relaxed. It defeats the purpose if the body is too tense. Meditation can be done with the eyes closed or opened. If the eyes are open, look about two feet away in front of you with the head held straight. Lastly, touch the roof of your mouth with the tip of the tongue. This will help to reduce the tendency to salivate, and allow you to swollow easily .

Counting Breath: A very simple and effective way to meditation is to count the breath, which is very simple, and always available to us. Count each inhale or out hale breath, but not both, from one up to ten. Once ten is reach start all over again. If you lose track of your count, simply start from one again. During your counting, many thoughts will appear, and disappear. Do not get discourage, or distracted, just gently bring your attention back to the breath again, and start counting from one. Keep on working on this method until you can no longer distinguish your inhale from exhale breath. Then switch over to the a meditation topic: The one mindful of the Buddha is who?

Meditation on a Topic: In Chan Meditation, Meditating on a topic is very popular. A common topic is: The one mindful of the Buddha is who? This question when applied correctly will exhaust all false thoughts, and bring the mediator to enlighten. Remember, this will take time, please be patient. Given time and practice, results will appear.

Important Warning: Always practice meditation under the guidance of a qualified teacher who can provide proper guidance at every stage of development. Otherwise progress may be limited and less beneficial.

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