8. The Procedure of Sitting Meditation

The first thing to do in the sitting meditation is to recite Appellations of the Buddhas. In the preparation step, the practitioner washes their hands and face; a bath is even better. Then they burn incense on the Buddha altar and prostrate three times before the altar. Afterwards, they can enter either a hermitage or their private room.

A practitioner sits in semi-cross-legged position with their two soles upwards; the right-hand underneath and the left-hand above; the two arms straightened with two palms upward, below the navel and on the mid-calf of the legs. After a moment of sitting with tranquil mind, the practitioner begins to recite Appellations of the Buddhas, 10 times each appellation; when not memorizing, they can recite only one appellation, Namo the Pure King Buddha, for about 15 minutes. The reciting is performed by mind, that means reciting silently in one’s thought. After reciting, the practitioner makes a bow. —T. V.

E.      THE TATHAGATA MEDITATION 

The Dharma Constitution Altar

   The Maitreya Buddha       The Eastern Medicine-Master Buddha      The Shakyamuni Buddha           

8.1 The Lesson of Reciting the Buddhas’ Appellations

1. Namo the Eastern-Salvation Medicine-Master Lapis-Lazuli-Light Tathagata. 

2. Namo the Western, Extremely Joyful, Amitabha Buddha World. 

3. Namo the Present Head of Religion, Founding Master Shakyamuni Buddha. 

4. Namo the Precious Sutra Treasury Buddha.

5. Namo the Pure King Buddha.

6. Namo the Dharma Constitution, Superior Association of Buddhas, Mahasattva-Bodhisattvas.

7. Namo the Multi-Treasure Tathagata.

8. Namo the Incarnating Vairocana Buddha.

9. Namo the Supreme Maitreya Buddha.

10. Namo the Utmost Victory Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.     

11. Namo the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha.

12. Namo the Miraculous Sound Buddha.[113]

13. Namo the Unthinkable Di Như Mahasattva-Bodhisattva.

14. Namo Bodhisattva Dharma Protectors with corresponding Vows.

15. Namo the vowed Dragon Deities, Dharma Protectors and Mahasattva-Bodhisattvas.

                                  TỊNH VƯƠNG NHẤT TÔN

                  (Incarnation of Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha)

• Note: In sitting meditation, reciting “Namo Pure King Buddha” (7 times).

• Reciting very slowly, breathing evenly in conformity with the reciting mind.

[113] Also known as Manjughosa Buddha.

8.2 Arrangement of the Seat

A practitioner must sit on a cushion, preferably on a bed or a plank-bed with a mattress; should not sit on the bare ground without a mattress. It is better that the practitioner has a room or a hermitage of their own. Should remember that if their home has a Buddha altar, the practitioner burns incense on the altar; otherwise, if not having a Buddha altar yet, before sitting meditation, they bow three times, then sit down and recite the Buddhas’ Appellations. —T. V.

8.3 Sitting Meditation

When reciting the Buddhas’ Appellations, practitioners wear loose, thin clothes, or a traditional Vietnamese garment set. After finishing the reciting Buddhas’ Appellations, they make a bow as mentioned previously and then begin the semi-crossed legged sitting. Before the sitting, the practitioner can change their clothes, wearing shorts, but the waist should be loose because if it is tight while sitting, it will not allow a free circulation of Dharmas, which could later cause back pain or intestinal pain. With the Dharma subject of sitting meditation, the practitioner must be comfortable and at ease. After completing the arrangement, the practitioner sits meditatively with a tranquil mind in silence to enter the meditation, aiming at attaining a thoughtless state of mind. —T. V.

8.4 How Does the Entering of Meditation Happen?

The entering of meditation does not mean that the practitioner’s soul entering entirely into meditation is called the entering of meditation. It also does not imply completely silent meditative sitting, hearing nothing outside, is called the entering of meditation. The entering of meditation does not have to completely enter into meditation like a corpse to be called entering meditation. All these conceptions are wrong, and one should reject these desired and expected thoughts.

When a practitioner enters into meditation, they feel as if they are drunk, swaying, and feel their body floating, bobbing and light, as if sitting in front of the clouds and wind or in the middle of the air. However, they are still aware of what is happening around while their inner still tranquility remains with them, as well. When the practitioner sees a scene of some sort in meditation, this scene lasts long or short, is clear or unclear; that is, their labor of practice for the still tranquility is firm or not firm. There are practitioners who may not see anything, but reach a stage of still tranquility, a feeling of floating and bobbing, and drunkenness of meditation. Those practitioners should make an effort and not be discouraged. When their labor grows full, they will arrive at their wishes.

The sitting meditation must take tenacity and courage as its goal. It is not different from a hiker, with a long journey, they continue to walk without stopping, and thus reach their destination. When the body is not in harmony, the mind is not in harmony, the speech is not in harmony, on some nights, one’s meditation is comfortable and ascends, but on others it descends and is in darkness. Because it is so, a meditator must be a person of tenacity, courage, and determination, being decisive with their whole heart to reach the other shore of enlightenment. Because the mind and will of a meditator are like that, if there is a boring night, it must be a night of effort to chase away the phantoms of laziness and tardiness.

Practitioners should consider the weather and temperature of the sitting meditation place to wear appropriate clothing depending on whether it is hot or cold. —T. V.