Meditate on the unborn nature of mind:
Like space, no center, no limit;
Like the sun and moon, bright and clear:
Like a mountain, unmoving, unshakeable;
Like the ocean, deep, unfathomable.
- Jetsun Milarepa
Just as they hone the fitness of their bodies and their reactions, many martial artists practice meditation to hone and control their minds. Meditation can assist martial arts training and performance by giving the practitioner the ability to focus and relax the mind. In combat a relaxed but focused mind is essential and may well be the factor which ensures you are a survivor. Japanese samurai well understood this and sought out Zen masters to learn this skill and studied it assiduously. Likewise, Chinese masters, both Buddhist and Taoist, in various martial traditions, have stressed the necessity of mind training to attain superior skills. This is especially marked with respect to the internal systems, some of which have extensive chi gung and meditation curricula. Wing Chun Kuen, of course, has its Siu Lien Tao form, the first section of which can (and in my view, should) be used as meditative exercise.
In this article I will restrict myself to discussing seated meditation. Standing meditation is slightly physically different but involves essentially the same mental processes. Likewise I refrain here from commenting on chi gung. The thing to bear in mind, in both martial art and meditation, is that you must seek transfer of training to application. In other words, the calmness you achieve in practice must be transferred to the normal world by consciously practising the transfer. Otherwise, you are simply training something in isolation, "in an incense-filled room", as some-one recently put it. You need to practice your calm relaxation during training and to be aware of it during an actual self-defence encounter.
In the Tibetan tradition of mind training there are two types of meditation. These are: Shi-ne (Tibetan), Samatha (Sanskrit) or Calm Abiding meditation (English) and Lhag mthong (Tibetan), Vipasyana (Sanskrit) or Insight Meditation (English). Both are essential but one must master Shi-ne before Lhag mthong can yield any benefits. This article focuses on Shi-ne . In the words of my lama, Lama Choedak, Shi-ne tunes our minds to the wave length of spaciousness, freedom and happiness.
Here are the reflections on Shi-ne meditation: My mind has long been lost in search of happiness Without knowing how transient all things are. Seeing the unsatisfactoriness of real life experiences, I will not allow my mind to wander outside.
Turning back the forcers of harmful habitual inclinations And holding firmly to the peace and tranquility within I rejoice in the store of joy I have discovered I the happiness of observing the intrinsic calmness.
Let this clear and luminous state of mind Not be overshadowed by my habitual tendencies; Abiding in the natural calmness and serenity of the mind Let me see all perceptions as nothing but its mere reflection.
Neither grasping nor rejecting any sensory perceptions. I shall see them as adventitious ripples and waves Of the sea of my mind in deep meditation And absorb them into the ocean of clear mind.
As I focus my mind to sit in the correct meditation posture Let the physical self express the deep yearning To experience the calm, still and spacious nature of the mind And transcend the problems I have with this body.
The incoming breath brings in all the positive things outside me And permeates the whole nervous system of my body; As the rays of the morning sun dispel the darkness It soothes the pain and temporary discomfort.
As I retain my breath, let me sustain The vital energy of wakefulness and awareness Enabling me to let go and forgive the past And enjoy the fresh manifestation of this bare moment. My outgoing breath releases all feelings Of tension, anger, stress, anxiety and worry As the masses of dark clouds suddenly disappear Let the adventitious circumstances lapse to dawn a new beginning.
Breathing and observing the bare moment of awareness Without assuming what it will become May I live every moment with pristine awareness Without delaying an unforeseen future to cultivate it.
Following the wise sages by respecting their words of wisdom Let me remember skillful ways to apply them to everything I do, say and think, so that my conduct brings no harm to others And may I not become a victim of what I do, say and think.
While watching the constant flow of thoughts Without discriminating between those that are good or bad Let me neither be overjoyed with meditation Nor depressed by my lack of concentration
Sinking in a withdrawal of the senses Is relaxation of the conscious self, but not meditation. Let me not be excited by the slight virtues of concentration I have just begun to experience.
Holding the rope of mindfulness and the hook of alertness May I resolve to tame this mind which is like a wild elephant.
Steadily focusing the mind with moderate application of antidotes May I discover what causes its restlessness.
When I find no sensory objects which are not in my reflection All visions and experiences are the circumference of my self. Like trees, mountains, rivers and heaven and earth My existence is to give and share what I have with others.
How can I cling to and grasp what I have obtained from others? As soon as I let something go, I create space and experience joy. As soon as I give things away, I find a joy not found i keeping them. Learning to cherish others will bring me happiness that will last.
To perform Shi-ne meditation, ensure you have a place conducive to meditation - quite, uninterrupted, and safe. It is best to get into a routine and perform it at a regular time to develop a habit. Don't meditate after a heavy meal. Ensure it is an appropriate time when you should neither be doing other things which will distract you nor will be interrupted by others. Don't wear tight clothes, wear comfortable clothing. Ensure you have a comfortable cushion to sit upon. Do not see meditation as emotional entertainment or simply relaxation training. The mind must neither race with thoughts nor sink into a stupor nor fall asleep.
Seven points need to be observed:
- sit in a cross-legged posture, symbolizing an unbreakable pledge to achieve your aim of mastering the mind and a firm foundation; if you can comfortably assume the lotus posture well and good, if you cannot, no matter, use either a half-lotus or simply cross your legs, this seated position can be taken to represent a triangle or the body a pyramid - with implications for our Wing Chun Kuen thinking;
- straighten your spine (including your neck) like a straight arrow, this represents the directness and sharpness of the path of meditation, the spine is the centerline;
- place your right hand on the left below the level of your navel, representing the nature of the path of meditation which harmoniously blends skillful method and penetrative insight, in my tradition there is a tiger tattooed on the left arm a dragon on the right to represent wisdom (left side) and compassion (right side), the right hand resting in the left represents compassion being based on wisdom, these are alternatively represented in theyub yum ( yin yang ) and the sun and moon;
- balance your shoulders and arms like the wings of a vulture about to launch into flight, representing the wings of compassion and wisdom, ready to fly to the state of ultimate happiness, this also represents balance;
- bend your neck lightly forward so your chin almost touches your sternum, this straightens the cervical spine, think of your scalp being held up as if by strings attached to it;
- neither shut your eyes nor open them widely, keep your eyes gazing at a point straight ahead from the tip of your nose for the auspicious finding of the eye of wisdom which sees past external appearances;
- leave your lips in a normal position and put your tongue lightly behind your upper teeth to avoid dry or dribble mouth, this represents guarding our speech.
There are several methods to assist in focusing the mind. The most basic and most common, and quite successful method involves counting breaths. What you need to do once your body is comfortable and relaxed is to take three big deep breaths then begin a calm deep breathing rhythm as you count your breaths. An inhalation and exhalation together count as one count. Try to refrain from actively thinking and don't allow random thoughts to distract you. As thoughts enter your mindstream simply become aware you are thinking and draw your attention back to your breathing. Don't think "I am not thinking" as this too is thinking. Begin with trying not to be distracted for ten breaths then gradually increase the number of your breaths. Count by using your fingers and knuckle joints and try to work out a method whereby you don't think of numbers as distraction. Once you have reached 108 consistently without distraction, set a timer for gradually increasing periods of time up to about 20-30 minutes. More is not better. In fact, short, focused, quality sessions are best.
I see a number of parallels between Wing Chun Kuen training and Shi-netraining: Both require a calm, focused mind; both require a knowledgeable teacher; both focus on quality not quantity or duration in training; and, both are deceptively simple.
If you decide to add meditation practice to your training then you will not regret it. In my view meditation is an essential component of training in martial arts both for the practical benefits which flow from it in application but also for the training of a calm mind which can express Mo Duk .