Recap: True Self meditation
Thank you all for joining us this weekend in a wonderful session on True Self meditation. We hope that the content was helpful, and that the actionable exercises we shared can help us all to be in better tune with our True Self. Remember that cultivating Dao is conceptually simple—correcting our bad habits and extinguishing our tempers—although this is often easier said than done! The effort that we put into making small changes daily can yield dividends in our realization and well-being, decades into the future and beyond.
Since a refresher might be helpful, we thought we might provide a brief written summary on the highlights of our discussion and some pearls for success.
Differences between conventional meditation and True Self meditation
| Conventional meditation | True Self meditation |
|---|---|
| Form: The sitting position, and more preferably the lotus position, is often taught as a key ingredient to success. | Form: The position of the body is much less important than the genuine, concentrated focus on the True Self and site of the First Treasure. |
| Time: There is greater emphasis on time spent meditating, which is said to enhance your mental willpower, and possibly the greater downstream potential to sense other realms. More is more. | Time: There is greater emphasis on ability to “pull back” to the True Self immediately—wherever, whenever, and for whatever it is that you seek closure and settledness. Less is more. However, the more one practices, the better able one is to persist in a True Self meditative state 24/7 (二六時中). |
| Transcendence: In the spirit-mind-body axis, the focus is on the mind, and thus practitioners are only able to “access” the ethereal realm (氣天) in this state. | Transcendence: In the spirit-mind-body axis, the focus is on the spirit, and thus sincere cultivators are able to “access” the realm of the absolute in this state—or in Chinese, 無極理天, “The Limitless Heaven.” |
Tips for True Self meditation
- You may adopt any position that you like. However, if you choose to sit, do so in a comfortable seat, using only the front 1/3 to 2/3 of the actual seat. Keep your back straight with upright posture, and do not slouch in the backing of the seat.
- Soften your gaze. Allow your eyelids to gently droop to until your eyes are approximately 80% closed. Allow your mind to concentrate and focus on the Heavenly Gate / Wisdom Gate (site of the First Treasure).
- Breathe in and out, slowly and naturally. You may choose to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- 舌搭天橋: Notice that your tongue naturally positions itself against the roof of your hard palate, just behind your front incisor teeth, particularly when you inspire. It will be in a flat (not curled) position as though you’re pronouncing the vowel “E”. Allow this to happen naturally; do not force it intentionally.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed, arms hanging downward naturally by gravity.
- Keep your knees about shoulder-width apart, relaxed.
- Feet should be flat on the floor comfortably. You may adjust the height of your seat if necessary.
- You may hold the Holy Covenant (Third Treasure) separately in your two hands, somewhat like loosely closed fists, atop of each of your knees.
- Recite the Holy Mantra (Second Treasure) in your thoughts. Do not verbalize aloud the sounds of the words.
We encourage you to practice True Self meditation daily. You may start with 3-5 minutes at a time, and gradually lengthen to 5-10 minutes at a time. We do not advise practicing for more than 10 minutes per session, although we do encourage you to perform this practice multiple times per day if you find it helpful.
If you do not remember the Three Treasures, you may ask a tan zhu (temple host) to review this with you while Holy Lamps are lit. Please be reminded that this may only be done in-person at a Dao temple bestowed with Heavenly Mandate.
Homework
Over the next two weeks (and into the future), we invite everyone in this class to continue practicing this technique as much as they are able. If possible, we would like to begin our next class on January 23rd with an open discussion of everyone’s discoveries and realizations on their experiences. Good luck, and we hope this assists you in your search for Truth!
