As promised, I will complete the sharing of my experiences during my silence practice soon. I would like to tell you a story that reveals a lot about how I experienced the practice this year. It is an insightful and funny story from Zen Buddhism, told to me by Swami Veda a few years ago when I told him that my meditation is not working and once again after my practice this year!
Once it happened that a student of Zen Buddhism went to his master. He said, “Master, I really do not know what to do anymore! I have tried everything but my meditation is terrible. My body aches all over, I cannot sit still, I feel like I am being choked, I cannot focus my mind at all and there is great irritation inside me.”
The master looked at his disciple and smiled. He said, “Son. This will pass.”
A few months later the student came back to his master. This time he said, “Master! I do not know what you did last time, but since then my meditations have become serene and beautiful. My body sits still like a rock, my breath is calm, my mind is focused and my meditation goes deep, very deep. Thank you master!”
The master looked at his disciple and smiled. He said, “Son. This will pass.”
如之前所說,我會繼續分享我在守靜練習中的經驗。在那之前,我想先和大家分享一個能夠充分表達我今年的守靜經驗的故事。這是一個來自於禪宗,既有趣又深具啟發性的故事。幾年前,當我向韋達大師表示我的靜坐練習並不順利時,他就和我分享了這個故事。
有一個禪宗修行者對他的上師說:「上師,我真的不知道還能怎麼辦!我什麼都試過了,但是我的靜坐還是非常糟糕。我全身痠痛,無法保持靜定,我覺得快要呼吸不過來,無法專注,內心充滿煩燥!」
他的上師對他微微一笑,說道:「孩子啊,這一切會過去的!」
幾個月後,這個學生再度來見上師。這一次,他說:「上師,我不知道你上次做了些什麼,但從那以後,我的靜坐就變得非常詳和且美妙!我能夠如大石一般地靜定,我的呼吸平靜,內心專注,而且我進到非常深層的靜坐狀態。謝謝你,上師!」
大師看著他的學生,微笑說道:「孩子啊,這一切都會過去的。」