The First Step of Cultivation

　　修道的第一步

　　When one sits for a long time, there will be a warm qi (energy) that will come from the stomach and spread to the whole body. This will repeat a few times. This signals the beginning of the four stages. It is called the stage of heat. After a long period of time, the heat will move to the crown of your head. You will feel that something is there and yet not there. You can”t see or feel it. It”s an inconceivable state. After the heat reaches the top of the head, you will have difficulty bearing it but you should bear it. This is the stage of “patience.” At this stage; it is quite uncomfortable on the top of your head. It feels as if something were drilling a hole into your head. You must be able to bear it. After some time, the hole has been drilled through and it moves to the top of your head. This is like a bird being released from its cage. It is extremely happy. One is the foremost person in the world; one is number one in the world. One is the foremost hero, the great hero who is beyond compare. After the stage of “foremost in the world,” one must continue to cultivate. You should cultivate until your Dharma body fills the entire Dharma Realm, taking the Dharma Realm as your substance, “Formless” as your name, the void as your principle, and kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity as your functions. After you have completed your cultivation, you still need to practice the Four Limitless Minds – kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. When you perfect these Four Limitless Minds, it is just the beginning of the cultivation.

　　坐久了，身上會有股暖氣從肚子裏熱起，熱到全身後再回來，來回熱幾次；這是四個階段開始的一個反應，叫「熱」的階段。熱以後，經過一個相當的時間，就到「頂位」了；覺得頭上有什麼，又好像沒有，你看不見、 摸不著，總有一點不可思議的境界。頂位以後就忍不住了，但是還要忍，這叫「忍位」。忍的階段，覺得頭上很不舒服，有什麼東西要把頭鑽個窟窿似的；這時候你要忍，久而久之，這個窟窿鑽透了，跑到頭上，這好像小鳥出籠一樣，高興的不得了：「這是世界第一個人了！」這是「世第一」。這個世界第一位大丈夫、第一位大英雄、第一位大豪傑，沒有人可比的，所以叫「世第一」。在世第一後，還要天天修行，把法身修得周遍法界：以法界爲體，以無相爲名，以虛空爲宗，以慈悲喜舍做用。你修成了之後，還要修「慈、悲、喜、舍」四無量心，慈無量、悲無量、喜無量、舍無量；你把這四無量心再修圓滿了，這還只是修道的第一步。