Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 14
1 Sitting
There are three ways of sitting in meditation.
First, sit and keep your mind on breathing;
Second, sit and chant the sutras;
And third, sit and happily listen to the chanting of sutras.
Sitting has three levels.
First, sit in union;
Second, sit in peacefulness;
And third, sit without fetters.
What does it mean to sit in union?
That means your mind becomes one with your body.
What does it mean to sit in peacefulness?
That means your mind has no thought.
What does it mean to sit without fetters?
When all fetters are destroyed – that means to sit without fetters.
KHUONG TANG HOI (? – 280)
(COMMENT: When mindful of your breathing, you are also mindful of
your mind. Later, you will see your mind becoming one with your
breath. When mindful of your bodily movement, you are also mindful of
your mind. Later, you will see your mind becoming one with your body.
Looking at your mind, you see thoughts coming and going, just like
waves rising and falling. When you see no thoughts occurring, your
mind is peaceful just like a still lake.)
