seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

Again, meditation requires that the ego be bypassed. Unfortunately, there is nothing
in this world an ego enjoys less than being bypassed. Consequently, whenever a person
attempts to carry out instructions and is not rewarded with instantaneous success, or when the
execution of his program becomes tedious or inconvenient and he would just as soon be
someplace else than on his cushion, his ego will create an analytical intrusion into the
practice. He forms opinions about the instructions he has been given. He questions the
necessity of adhering so rigidly to the rules. He cannot see what difference it would make if
he altered a few points or requirements. What harm can there be in slight deviations? This,
he reasons, is meditation... not brain surgery.
Friends or instructions from other books will complete the destruction. They will
assure him that there are techniques superior to the one he is working on. Testimonials will
be offered regarding the efficacy of every practice except, of course, the one he has
specifically been given. Questions of orthodoxy are raised. Is what he is doing authentic,
legal Chan or Zen? Master So-and-so of such-and-such a temple assigns a totally different
practice to his new disciples...and Master So-and-so ought to know what's best. On and on it
goes. The beginner is assailed with all sorts of advice from people whose highest state of
consciousness was experienced in a dentist's chair. The beginner, eager for success, knows
that he hasn't gotten anywhere in the twenty minutes he has devoted to his practice and so he
is ripe for change. The assigned practice, having been undermined by ignorance and doubt,
collapses. All other practices will similarly fail, the fault being in the man and not the
techniques.
We could have given as an initial meditation practice any one of a dozen different
exercises. All would be equally good. But let's not miss the point. We will begin with the
l:4:2 Healing Breath. This is the exercise that has been given and this is the one that must be
mastered. Regardless of how difficult it seems, it must be the single goal. There can be no
eclecticism. We do not take part of one exercise and glue it onto part of another to form a
more acceptable third. Neither do we simultaneously work on another practice. And
certainly we do not content ourselves with partial success. The practice must be followed
exactly, completely, and exclusively. The technique must be mastered, that is to say, done
perfectly. And no other meditation exercise may be attempted until this exercise is done to
absolute perfection.
All instructions in Buddhism are lessons in humility. It is the ego that gets us into
trouble and it is the ego that keeps us there. We should not call ourselves disciples if we
cannot demonstrate even the slightest degree of discipline.
Since this exercise involves breath control, a person must be careful about following
the instructions. A physician should always be consulted prior to beginning any yoga or
meditation practice. For people who tend to hyperventilate or who have respiratory
problems, such exercises can be harmful. Even normal, healthy people occasionally
experience fainting or dizziness. At the first sign of such distress, the exercise must be
CHAPTER 10 FIRST ZEN PRACTICE: THE 1:4:2 HEALING BREATH
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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