..续本文上一页 just the fifty kinds of transformations according to the Shurangama Sutra. It would be very sad for you to consider any of these a form of accomplishment.

　　Question: What are the basics to Chan meditation

　　Venerable Master: The basics are: 1. not being greedy; 2. not being angry; and 3. not being deluded.

　　Question: Our transcendental meditation instructor taught us to imagine a particular sound.

　　Venerable Master: That is a useless exercise, just like putting another head on top of a head or searching for a mule while riding on one.

　　Question: What happens when we feel pain during meditation

　　Venerable Master: If you are aware of the pain, then take the attitude “the more pain, the better.” If you cannot get past this stage, you will always hurt. Do not react to the signals of pain. You have to make it listen to you. You have to be the one in control. It helps to maintain the awareness that our body is not real, that it is a temporary combination of the four elements. In that sense, it is not of any great importance.

　　We can reflect that if we were to die and go to the hells, we would experience agony in the hells that would be much more painful than this! We should ask ourselves what we can do now, while we are in control. We can decide to just let our body suffer a bit more, knowing that the pain is due to pressure being applied to our energy channels and circulatory system during meditation. We can remind ourselves that once we break through the obstructions, we will no longer experience pain.

　　Question: What is the difference between prayer and Chan meditation

　　Venerable Master: If you think they are the same, then they are the same. If you think they are different, then they are different.

　　Question: I often hear people say that our s

　　Venerable Master: Here is what the Honorable Ji said about meditation,

　　The gluttonous get hungry.

　　The starved become lanky.

　　Meditation is about stilling our thoughts. You will know when you are having an out-of-body experience during meditation. You also will know when you cannot leave your body. But do not dwell on either of those experiences. I do not think about leaving my body or not leaving my body. I also am careful not to eat too much.

　　Question: You say that while we are meditating, we should be patient with what we feel. But I find that strange. Can we express our feelings, or should we keep them inside

　　 Sometimes when I stuff them inside, I find that I want to explode afterwards. What should I do

　　Venerable Master: Be patient with them, which means emptying them so that they disappear. It is not about hiding them inside. What is the use of hiding them inside

　　 Why do you need to keep your garbage

　　 Forget them! Things that are supressed can taint us more than anything. As powerful as the atom bomb may be, the power of suppression is even greater. If you are not afraid of exploding into pieces, go ahead and hide them. But I do not recommend it.

　　Question: Will you please help me with my meditation so that I can understand the principles of Buddhism even better, as well as those of other religions that I am studying

　　Venerable Master: By sitting in meditation, we learn to take a beating. Sitting in meditation can be as painful as being beaten. This applies to the hours when we are not actually sitting as well. We ought to be patient when people hit us or yell at us. In general, we can meditate well and sleep in a sitting position when we are unaffected by the eight kinds of

　　emotions.

　　Question: I am so stupid! 1) I cannot penetrate my own mind. 2) If I am not careful, I fall asleep when I meditate. How do I overcome these two problems

　　Venerable Master: It is not so easy to penetrate the mind, especially in only two or three days. It is better to be asleep than to be having fals…

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