Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey)
Ltd.
Mistakes in Meditation
John
D. Hughes
Recorded Teachings
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey)
Ltd.
33 Brooking St
Upwey, Victoria
Australia 3158
A.C.N. 005 701 806
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488
Phone: (03) 9754
3334
Fax: (03) 9754 3334
email: wbu@bdcu.org.au
Disclaimer and Copyright
Buddhist Yogi C.M. CHEN Teachings
Chien-ming Chen
(commonly known as Yogi C.M. Chen) practiced meditation alone in
Kalimpong, India, at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains for 28 years. For
more than 30 years, Yogi Chen wrote and printed many Buddhist books both
in English and Chinese. He made a vow that none of his works should be
printed for sale. A meditational manual of Yogi Chen's instructions was
first written in 1962 in Kalimpong, West Bengal by Venerable
Sangharakshita Sthavira and Venerable Khantipalo Bhikkhu. The final draft
was published as a book in 1966 by Upasaka Khoo Poh Kong of Malaysia. C.T.
Shen published a reprint in 1976 to which Yogi Chen added two appendices.
The Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions, New York, organised
a team to work with Yogi Chen to revise the text. The Buddhist Discussion
Centre (Upwey) have gratefully received a gift of the text 'Buddhist
Meditation Systematic and Practical' by Yogi Chen.
From Buddhist
Meditation Systematic and Practical by the Buddhist Yogi C.M.CHEN.
Reprinted 1980 U.S.A. p.p. 17 - 21.
(A summary by John D.
Hughes)
Mistakes in Meditation
1. Not having a
foundation of renunciation as a firm base. People in the West complain
there are so many things to give up. If we find it difficult, we should
struggle in order to overcome attachments. If you do not renounce, your
meditation will not be good.
2. Thinking that by meditation one can
increase one's energy and strength, using them to commit evils, whereas
the purpose of meditation is to wash away all evil. People like this
become tense through living a wrong life, THEN think of meditation.
Meditation is not meant for this.
3. People often have no wise guru
so they just read books and try to get all the information from them. In
this way meditation is not regarded as religious, but is taken up with
concern for bodily wellbeing. With wrong aims, such meditation is without
foundation.
4. People think that meditation is only a
psychological matter. Care should be taken to work towards the lotus
position.
5. Taking something from one system and something from
another, people try to make a system from this mixture, frequently
changing from one to another. Such practice will not lead to attainment in
Buddhism, or of any goal outside it.
6. The mistake of seeking to
gain power or super-normal powers. The real purpose of meditation is
either not known or forgotten. The real purpose is the supramundane
benefit of Enlightenment.
7. To think Buddhism is
utter Atheism. People with supernormal not believe in any Deities who can protect them
while they practice meditation, and cannot help meeting demons. Certainly
the Buddha knew that millions of beings superior to ourselves in lifespan
asupra mundane (the devas) exist in birth-and-death (samsara), and he
frequently taught them. Many deities then became protectors of the Dharma
and so powerful forces such as these are available to protect the
meditator.
8. Because some say "Buddhists teach the
extreme doctrine of no-soul", they reject the existence of a conditioned
"soul" along with the absolute "soul" (atman). The Buddhalife spanthe existence of
the latter but a conditioned "soul" (understood as the continuity of
oneself as a person) was not rejected by him.
9. Some Westerners
have denied that the laws of cause and effect (in Sanskrit, hetu- phala)
has any place in Chan teachings. There is a difference between what a Chan
Master says and the proper attitude of a worldly student. We have to be
careful not to misunderstand their words. We should not take quotations
out of context and distort the intended meaning.
All the above
mistakes, in graduation of gross to subtle, are descriptions of negative
purposes. We must examine the positive ones.
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY.
"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".