Chapter 4 - Visualization

"I often think that the life of a human is a drop of the True Nature, and that the light in the Universe fills up the six directions" Master Sheng-yen Lu

During my meditation, I usually first visualize my whole body as transparent, as luminous as colored glaze. Our body has three channels of blood; the middle, the left and the right, all straight and parallel, clearly visible. The middle channel is shaped like a loudspeaker, large at the top leading to the brain, and tapering off at the bottom. The left and right channels go to the head side by side with the middle channel, and then turn back to the nostrils.

Sitting in meditation, keep your mouth shut. Press the left nostril with the ring finger of the left hand, and breathe through the right nostril. Visualize that the luminosity of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas fills up the whole Void, and that you are breathing in the luminosity through the right nostril. When breathing is sufficient, press the right nostril with your right hand. This time, the luminosity travels through the right channel to the place below the navel, and then enters the left channel, goes upward, and goes out through the left nostril.

All the karmic hindrances and black chi (prana) and all the devil's hindrances are washed away by the luminosity in the right channel, and are expelled through the left nostril. (editor's note: This practice was later formalized by Grand Master Lu as the Nine Round Breath Technique, and is used by True Buddha cultivators as a prelude to meditation)

Perform the practice three times; take in the luminosity from the right nostril, and expel the black chi through the left nostril. Then, press the right nostril with the ring finger of the right hand so as to let in the luminosity through the left nostril, which goes to the right channel to drive the karmic hindrances out through the right nostril. Now press the left nostril with the ring finger of the left hand, and follow the same procedure, but for different directions--take in the luminosity through the right, and let out the black smoke through the left. Perform this practice three times.

Finally, form the "meditation mudra". In a meditating position, put the two hands on your lap, with the left hand on the right hand and the two thumbs touching. Visualize the two nostrils, and inhale the luminosity. The breath enters the right and left channels(simultaneously), and the two merge below the navel chakra and enter the middle channel. When they get to the top of the crown, they are blocked and go back to the navel area. Then they ascend along the original channels until the black smoke exits through both nostrils. Also perform this practice three times.

The present writer knows that this practice is the initial training for meditation. It is a training for inhaling the light and exhaling the dark. The light from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pour into the body while the dark smoke of karmic hindrances are driven out of the body. Honestly, if you practice htis and get to know all about the ins and outs, all your capillaries will emit light, because the light of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas has entered your body,and the black smoke inside has been eradicated. This spiritual power can wash clean all afflictions, ignorance, desire and other sins. Naturally, the fruition of Buddhahood will be achieved.

In addition, there are four visualizations:

1. Visualize the Root Guru appearing in the space before and above you, who sends down a beam of light to cover you up, so that you can sit still without fear.

2. Visualize the Root Guru moving onto your crown chakra, emitting strong light. Nectar from the light empowers you to fill up your body and eradicate all sins and hindrances. Black smoke exits from all capillaries, and then you feel relieved and peaceful, with great freedom.

3. Visualize the Root Guru turning into a drop of light about the size of a grain of rice. The light enters your body through the crown chakra to the moon disk lotus seat. Now the Root Guru is on the lotus seat above your heart.

4. Visualize the Root Guru growing bigger and bigger to the same size as you, so that you and the Root Guru become one. At this stage, you are the Root Guru, and the Root Guru is you. When the two become one, there is no more difference between your achievement and that of the Root Guru.

During each visualization, you must recite the Root Guru's Heart Mantra a hundred and eight times. This is the supreme method of visualization that all enlightened people practised; it is also the supreme method by which all Buddhas, out of kindness and compassion, radiate various types of light to embrace the sentient beings. It is an inconceivable method to attain Buddhahood and to subdue devils and eradicate karmic hindrances. It is the most solemn and secretive. Today I disclose this great method without the slightest reservation. This is a great event in the human world, and a great event for the Ling Xian School.

In fact, this Tantric visualization is no different from the "refined thinking" in Taoism. In what follows, I will explain why this is so.

Light comes from the same wind )prana) from Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang. This wind exists both in an individual and in the air. In either visualization or refined thinking, there is no response at the initial stage--it seems there are responses, but it also seems that there are not. However, in any event, if you persist in practicing for a hundred days, a light drop seems to suddenly appear from the Earth. This little light drop is the result of a hundred day's training. With this light drop, there will be some response. If one does not persevere in his practice, visualization will come to no avail.

Other people tend to think that, in our meditation, one breath lasts only one tenth of a second, but I think that one breath lasts as long as a hundred years. We should know that ordinary people's breathing is indeed very brief, but breathing in meditation lays the foundation for ten thousand years and stops you from falling into the cycle of thousands of births and deaths. Isn't that breathing long lasting? Ordinary people's breathing is emotion-based, and the Yang prana goes away with each passing day. After decline and death, what awaits them is the nether world and the cycle of the six realms of existence, with thousands of births and deaths. The practitioners' breathing is the Yang prana leading to the luminosity, never to decline or exhaust. This spirit and energy all concentrate at the crown chakra, which makes it easy for them to live long or to ascend to Heaven.

I often think that the life of a human is a drop of the True Nature, and that the light in the Universe fills up the six directions. We can use this light drop in our meditation day after day---this will be inconceivable achievement of luminosity. Our practice should not cease even for a single day--any interruption in practice will result in the decline of the light. One can practice from the simple to the complex, moving from a crude manner to a more elaborate fashion, but never in and "off and on" style, let alone stopping altogether.Persist until all your body radiates strong light and your True Nature takes refuge in the Ocean of Truth. That is the final realization.

In my meditation, Master Padmasambhava told me that the meditation posture should be like that of Buddha, majestic and dignified. The back of the seat should be slightly raised so that the breathing is even and smooth. It is best to sit in the Full Lotus Position; if that proves difficult the Free Position will also do. The Meditation Mudra is preferred, although you can also form the Root Guru Mudra, if you are following his teachings. The two shoulders should be straight and on the same height. Remember that it is best to breathe evenly and gently; heavy breathing or gasping are not good. Keep your eyes on the tip of your nose, with the upper eye lashes fallen, or keep looking straight ahead without too much effort. Keep the tongue raised to the hard palate. This is standard posture for meditation.

The first problem that a beginning practitioner has is unceasing distracting thoughts. This is only normal. Beginners should not be afraid of distracting thoughts; whenever they rise, it is best to ignore them. If you have to deal with them, just trace their source and stop them where they rise. First stop the distracting thoughts and use visualization to prevent their continuing flow. This is what we call "stopping evil thoughts and meditating on the truth" in Buddhism, or "tranquility and wisdom". With tranquility, you can stop evil thoughts; with wisdom, you will emit light.

The meditation for luminosity is a great method leading to Buddhahood and godhood. All sages praise it.

Sakyamuni says, "Meditate on one's mind and attain realization".
Lao Zi, the sage of Morality, says, "Inner visualization results in light.".
Master Padmasambhava says, "Enlightenment goes with emancipation.".

Some people say that this light is neither inside our bodies nor outside, but pervades the thousands of worlds. I say that the light is both inside and outside and pervades both Heaven and Earth. When your light radiates in meditation, the light in the Universe will radiate in response to your light!

What is ridiculously childish is that some self-styled monks who have not realized this in their practice-who have never sitten in meditation, not do they know much about it, nevertheless ask people to believe in them.We can ask: "What is there to believe in? What is the difference between such belief and Christianity or Catholicism? What is the use of it?"

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