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

13. A feeling of euphoria after completing the exercise
Progress in a meditation practice can also be measured in a dramatic lessening of
nervous tension and in the ability to free oneself from dependence on alcohol, tobacco,
tranquilizers, stimulants, or sleeping pills.
One final caveat: A practice must never be discussed with anyone. Beginners never
seem to be able to resist recommending their practice to others. The penalty they pay for this
breach of discipline is that they quickly lose their ability to concentrate. They become
observers of and commentators on their own practice. Instead of just doing the exercise, they
watch themselves do the exercise, thinking about each step and judging their performance
until they fall into a stream of consciousness and begin thinking about a thousand things. At
this point, the mind jumps around like `a drunken monkey' and the practice is ruined. It
sometimes takes years of hard work to regain the ability that was squandered in a few
minutes of innocent prattling. Again, never discuss a meditation practice with anyone other
than a Chan master or a physician.
People who have no difficulties performing a deep-breathing exercise do not have to
limit themselves to ten cycles. What is important is the perfection of the practice, in making
the breath is so fine and the body's movements so imperceptible that someone sitting
alongside would not know to a certainty whether he was sitting beside a mannequin or a
living human being. Healing Breath Variation
We conclude this chapter with a variation of the Healing Breath which, though more
advanced, is used to great advantage in conjunction with the Healing Breath. In this exercise
the lungs are held empty instead of full. Usually, several Healing Breath cycles are followed
by an equal number of variant cycles.
Simply exhale for 8 seconds, leave the lungs empty for l6 seconds, and inhale for 4
seconds and immediately repeat. Do not strain to keep the proportion. If the lungs cannot be
held empty for l6, then reduce the time to l2, 8 or even 4 seconds and work up to l6, without a
sense of competition.
CHAPTER 10 FIRST ZEN PRACTICE: THE 1:4:2 HEALING BREATH
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
116