Chan Meditation: Do It Silently, And With Sustained Effort

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A friend visited Taiwan recently, the land where Buddha dharma has flowered.
He got us a set of books on Chan meditation and its power to redefine life and death. Also, how, through Chan meditation, one can control life and create wonders in areas where even medical science has failed. The underlying current of the books was that Chan meditation is an easy option to uncover one's hidden intellectual and physical powers. It allows even the most ordinary person to turn into a great soul. It has the power to transform a person without talent to one of great talent and a frail person into a robust one.

Chan was developed by Chan master Sheng-Yen. Sheng had to flee China during the Communist takeover in 1949 and take refuge in Taiwan. The whole idea has its basis in the fact that the mind has to concentrate on one point, whether abstract or concrete. And the attempt is to bring out the individual's greatest intellectual and physical ability, hidden deep within.

The Chan way of meditation is often referred to as the ''gateless gate''. It is so because the so-called gate is both the method of practice and the path to nirvana. Similarly, it is gateless because the Chan method does not believe in any particular method to help a practitioner achieve liberation.

In Chan, remember just one thing: A practitioner cannot be self-centred. Then, the Chan gateway opens up on its own. For that, one has to give up the notion of 'i' at all stages of life while dealing with people and all other living beings. The complete elimination of 'i' enables one to acquire wisdom to deal with others as if one is dealing with oneself. Attachment is eliminated in order to develop compassion and awareness about others' hardships and problems.

Chan stresses on two major forms of practice, both roughly corresponding to the Bodhi Dharma's two entries: one through principle (silent illumination) and the other through practice. But both the methods require the same foundation: a stable and unified mind. Both lead to the same end: the realisation of the nature of the mind, which is emptiness. It is all about acquiring Buddha-like nature, wisdom and enlightenment.

In the silent illumination method, it is important that the mind is aware and clear about things around even though there are no thoughts. Both silence and illumination must be there. Silence is total concentration and illumination is the flowering of the mind as if it shines in the mind like the sun in the sky. In other words, there is complete clarity minus the worldly baggage of attachments.

In the practice method, it is as simple as helping the needy and the helpless as if you are helping yourself. It involves devotion to others, and the practice of making offerings. Exercise is necessary to keep body and mind healthy. This is the foundation for overall spiritual development.

The effects of Chan meditation take place at two levels: psychological and physical. The psychological effects are increased patience, curing of various allergies, strengthening of will power, enhancement of the power of thought, refinement of the personality, rapid calming of the mind, mood stabilisation, raised interest and efficiency in activity and the final attainment of enlightenment. On the physical level, Chan is effective in curing diseases.

In the end, it is faith that drives Chan meditation. Other factors that help promote Chan meditation are: humility, gratitude and repentance. These traits help one become humble and humane without which no one can hope to achieve the ultimate goal - nirvana.

source here

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Doing meditation the Reiki way

Regular practice of the simple two-way technique of Reiki meditation can not only help you improve your focus and awaken you spiritually, but also can amplify your innate healing abilities to help you achieve holistic health.

Maintaining a high level of life force energy, prana, is a pre-requisite for holistic health, achieved through practice of various techniques that can generate balance between body and mind, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Quantum Touch, or Reiki, to name just a few. All of them employ one or the other form of meditation as an important component for treatment at the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

The two-in-one Reiki meditation technique

deftly combines the healing powers of both meditation and Reiki. The benefits accruing from them increase manifold as a consequence of synergy generated by blending them together. What keeps Reiki meditation apart from other meditation forms is its unique ability to strengthen the innate healing capability of the practitioner.

Mikao Usui revived the ancient art of tapping into the universal life force energy for healing known as Reiki. He was once asked by a pupil," I have practised meditation for a number of years, why do I need to learn Reiki to help me learn to meditate?" Meditation is an integral part of Reiki. In his Reiki practice and teachings, Usui practised meditation as an important constituent. In fact, he often used Gassho (hands held in prayer position) meditation as a means to pass the ability to channel Reiki to the practitioner. Also, Osho Rajneesh who developed Osho Neo Reiki twenty years ago included powerful meditations for a faster healing.

After Mikao Usui, a number of forms of Reiki Meditations have found their way in Japan and other countries.

One of the simplest but effective RM involves the following steps:

1. Sit quietly with closed eyes in a Sukh Asana or upright in a chair, with both hands held in front of your chest in prayer `Gassho position and the soles of the feet joined together.

2. Connect to Reiki by simple intent or by drawing distant healing symbol

3. Draw the power symbol with your hand in front of you and say it three times. Visualise white light emanating from your fingers.

4. Visualize the symbol in the third eye chakra and meditate on it.

5. Now allow the symbol to float up as a brilliant light above your crown. Return your awareness to the third eye chakra.

6. When finished, relax and release your all thoughts. You feel fully energised with the healing energy

For those who do not possess the ability to channel Reiki, the Gassho meditation can be performed in this way:

1. Hold your hands a little above the chest in prayer position in such a way that that your exhaled breath can be felt at a point where the top of the middle fingers representing fire element meet the hands joined together.

2. Now focus your attention at that point and try to release stray thoughts by focussing at the point repeatedly. Do not try to chase stray thoughts. Return your focus to the point by pressing the two middle fingers against each other.

Practise RM for twenty minutes a day or as long as you feel comfortable. Reiki Meditation deftly combines the usual healing effects of simple meditation techniques with Reiki and works in more ways than one.

by V N Mittal, a Reiki Sensei based in Dehradun (India). 
Contact him via email: vn.mittal@gmail.com                                       source: here

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BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND ~ Personal Leadership

Being a rational and disciplined being we plan everything at before hand. Because it gives us the edge to fulfill objectives according to our own pace and purpose. It gives us a sense of relaxed feelings when we can take the initiative and plan the infrastructure for establishing our movements in right direction.

We able to establish contact with our inner guidance system at the heart of our circle of influence. And thus starts the habit - to begin with the end in mind. Simply put it is to begin today with the image, picture, or paradigm of the end of our life as our frame of reference or the criterion by which everything else is examined.

To begin with the end in mind is to start with a clear understanding of our destination. It gives us the knowledge where we are going so that we better understand where we are now and so that the steps we take are always in tune with right perspective.

This habit is revolved around the principle of personal leadership, which means that leadership is the first creation and it is very much important to lead our own notion and actions ahead. This habit also demands to approach to our principle roles in the family, or in the business as well as our other roles in life, with our values and directions clear. So that the paradigms from which our thinking and attitude flow are congruent with our deepest values and in harmony with correct principles.