..续本文上一页 circumstances are few and far between, and for the vast majority of people, it can never happen easily. It may have occurred once or twice to a very few people, but it cannot be frequently repeated at will.
It is because of this that the methods of Chan practice developed in the East are necessary. If you wish to obtain such experience, and therefore go to study under a Chan teacher, you will find that these methods can make the experience of Chan, otherwise obtainable only by accident, a treasure that everyone has the opportunity to obtain.
The Precious Human Body
In seeking the experience of Chan, one does not have to adopt any particular posture. For example, the sick, the physically challenged, and the perpetually busy can follow the method taught by their masters and practice anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, wherever they might be, standing or sitting: in bed, in a wheelchair, in a car, at a bus or tram stop, or in an office.
The quickest and most effective method is of course practicing in the full-lotus posture. However, if beginning Chan students, particularly those of middle age or older, wish to become proficient sitting in the full lotus and to enjoy the pleasures of Chan meditation, they must first prepare to tolerate pain and numbness in the legs.
The pain and numbness in the legs is actually a part of the beginners” struggle with their own weakness. Once they have gone through this phase, they would have at least strengthened their resolve and overcome their fear of difficulty and inability to face reality. Thus quietly, they have taken one step forward in the journey of life.
Of all the animals, only human beings have a body structure that allows the adoption of the lotus posture. So, the methods of Chan meditation are designed only for human beings, and only human beings have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of meditation.
We ought to celebrate being born as a human being, and should treasure this human body that we have. The reason is that as humans, through Chan practice we can derive three major benefits: (1) a tough and pliable physique, (2) an alert mind, and (3) a purified personality. That is why Shakyamuni Buddha often praised the preciousness of human life when addressing his disciples, stressing that among all sentient beings between heaven and hell, those with a human body are most suited to the practice of the Buddhist path.
The Effect of Meditation as Viewed by Scientists
The benefits of Chan meditation were discovered from the reactions of the body and mind. According to Zen no susume (The Recommendation of Zen) by Dr. Kōji Satō, Professor of Psychology at Kyoto University in Japan, Chan meditation produces the following ten psychological effects:
●increased patience,
●curing of various allergies,
●strengthening of willpower,
●enhancement of the power of thought,
●refinement of personality,
●rapid calming of the mind,
●mood stabilization,
●raised interest and efficiency in activity,
●elimination of various bodily illnesses and
●attainment of enlightenment.
Furthermore, Usaburō Hasekawa, MD, writes in Shin igaku zen (New Views on Medicine and Zen) that Chan meditation proves effective in the treatment of the following twelve diseases:
●neurosis,
●hyperacidity and hypoacidity,
●tympanites,
●tuberculosis,
●insomnia,
●indigestion,
●chronic gastroptosis,
●gastrointestinal atony,
●chronic constipation,
●dysentery,
●gallstones, and
●high blood pressure.
The highest objective of Chan meditation is without doubt the transcendence of delusion and the attainment of enlightenment. However, if we begin with lofty talk on the issues of delusion and enlightenment, except for a small minority who have good karmic roots, it will be of little use for the maj…
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