A Guide for Seon Meditation <2>

How to do Seon Meditation

Some people say they find it difficult to meditate because they are too busy. They do their chanting and praying while driving, and they do their research while walking. They try to sit quietly and meditate in their free time, but all kinds of thoughts come into their minds and they cannot concentrate, and they wonder how they can do it.

Some people do not see the point of practicing Seon meditation because their mind is always the same, always suffering, whether they are meditating or not. This is because they are not doing it properly.

If you do it out of greed, you will do it only when you want to do it, and if you do not want to do it, you will make up some excuse to leave meditation. If you say, "I'm doing well with my meditation." when you feel that you can concentrate well, while you say to yourself, "I'm having a hard time with my meditation," when you feel that you cannot concentrate well, either way, that means that the karma of good and bad is manipulating you. You only ever need to pay attention to what is going on in your mind. Judging what you are doing as good or bad is not part of it. 

Just do it for five minutes at any time of the day. It is natural for all kinds of thoughts to come up while you're meditating. Just look at the thoughts that come up and let them go. Take five minutes to practice noticing your feelings as you look at the thoughts that arise during meditation. Think of it as a time to put a pause button on your body and mind and just sit and notice how you feel, and then you can gradually increase your meditation time. The important thing is to start.

First, sit comfortably with your back straight and make sure you are breathing evenly. If you move, sit, or have a busy mind, your breathing will be ragged and uneven. You need to sit still and subtly slow and steady your breathing. Your eyes can be half-open, staring at a single point, or they can be closed. 

If you are new to meditation, it is best to sit in as consistent a space as possible. Once you are comfortable, you can meditate standing, lying down, or walking around. Whatever position you choose, it is important to keep your back straight.

You can also observe your breathing, chant, or recite a sutra. It is all good. I recommend starting with just five minutes, but you can gradually increase the time, and it is a good idea to set a time of the day to meditate and do it regularly.