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，身上会有股暖气从肚子里热起，热到全身后再回来，来回热几次；这是四个阶段开始的一个反应，叫「热」的阶段。热以后，经过一个相当的时间，就到「顶位」了；觉得头上有什么，又好像没有，你看不见、 摸不着，总有一点不可思议的境界。顶位以后就忍不住了，但是还要忍，这叫「忍位」。忍的阶段，觉得头上很不舒服，有什么东西要把头钻个窟窿似的；这时候你要忍，久而久之，这个窟窿钻透了，跑到头上，这好像小鸟出笼一样，高兴的不得了：「这是世界第一个人了！」这是「世第一」。这个世界第一位大丈夫、第一位大英雄、第一位大豪杰，没有人可比的，所以叫「世第一」。在世第一后，还要天天修行，把法身修得周遍法界：以法界为体，以无相为名，以虚空为宗，以慈悲喜舍做用。你修成了之后，还要修「慈、悲、喜、舍」四无量心，慈无量、悲无量、喜无量、舍无量；你把这四无量心再修圆满了，这还只是修道的第一步。