Calmness Of Mind


The Yogi breathing above mentioned is fit rather for physical

exercise than for mental balance, and it will be beneficial if you

take that exercise before or after Meditation. Japanese masters

mostly bold it very important to push forward. The lowest part of

the abdomen during Zazen, and they are right so far as the present

writer's personal experiences go.



'If you feel your mind distracted, look at the
tip of the nose; never

lose sight of it for some time, or look at your own palm, and let not

your mind go out of it, or gaze at one spot before you.' This will

greatly help you in restoring the equilibrium of your mind. Chwang

Tsz thought that calmness of mind is essential to sages, and

said: "The stillness of the sages does not belong to them as a

consequence of their skilful ability; all things are not able to

disturb their minds; it is on this account that they are still. When

water is still, its clearness shows the beard and eyebrows (of him

who looks into it). It is a perfect level, and the greatest

artificer takes his rule from it. Such is the clearness of still

water, and how much greater is that of the human spirit? The still

mind of the sage is the mirror of heaven and earth, the glass of all

things."



Forget all worldly concerns, expel all cares and anxieties, let go of

passions and desires, give up ideas and thoughts, set your mind at

liberty absolutely, and make it as clear as a burnished mirror. Thus

let flow your inexhaustible fountain of purity, let open your

inestimable treasure of virtue, bring forth your inner hidden nature

of goodness, disclose your innermost divine wisdom, and waken your

Enlightened Consciousness to see Universal Life within you. "Zazen

enables the practiser," says Kei-zan, "to open up his mind,

to see his own nature, to become conscious of mysteriously pure and

bright spirit, or eternal light within him."





Chwang Tsz, vol. v., p. 5.



Za-zen-yo-jin-ki.





Once become conscious of Divine Life within you, yon can see it in

your brethren, no matter how different they may be in circumstances,

in abilities, in characters, in nationalities, in language, in

religion, and in race. You can see it in animals, vegetables, and

minerals, no matter how diverse they may be in form, no matter how

wild and ferocious some may seem in nature, no matter how unfeeling

in heart some may seem, no matter how devoid of intelligence some may

appear, no matter how insignificant some may be, no matter how simple

in construction some may be, no matter how lifeless some may seem.

You can see that the whole universe is Enlightened and penetrated by

Divine Life.



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