Lesson from Chi Chern Fashi:
(June 22, 2006)

Chi Chern Fashi gave a two meditation classes and Dharma talk on June 21, 2006.
For meditation classes, I learn:

1. Many people think that phenomina and illusions are indicators of progresses, but they are not right. The more advanced method we can perform, the simpler our mind will be. Thus, those phenomina and illusions are actually irrelavant to progresses. This can be confirmed by the fact that we practice to make our mind so concentrate on a single task, and we need to forgo any attachments. Hence, the better indicator is our focus power and attachment. If we practice and find that our mind is more still and very difficult to distract, and our attachment is significantly reduced, we are probably on the right track.
   
   
2. Stretch exercises: there are many types of exercises taught by Chi Chern Fa Shi to increase flexibility of our body, making us able to meditate for a longer period. The true importance of flexibility is that we will not have to move our body often. It is worth noting that moving a body is corresponding to moving a mind because a mind must go to a moving part to control it. Thus, prevent unnecessary moving is very importance to a still mind. The stretch exercises includes:
   
   • Joined feet. Fa Shih mentioned this one right after a guy asked about his back pain.
   • Two legs, head to knee, stand and sit.
   • Puppeab (I will find an English name later) and turn upper body around.
     
   • Standing cross legs, head to knee (less stress compared to two-leg posture).
   • One curl backward, once stretch, head to knee.
     
     
   There is a tip about this exercise. When we start to feel an appropriate amount of pain, stay there and take deep breaths to relieve the pain. When the pain subsides, we can continue. It is very important that we perform stretch exercises regularly. If we stop for a few weeks, we may need to start over.
   
   
3. Counting at the pain can make us undistracted by the pain. This is exactly the same as what I heard from Pra Ajarn Ratt Rattanayano. Plus, this is the first time I heard about this from people who possibly do not know Pra Ajarn Ratt.
   
   

For Dharma talk, there are several points. I cannot remember every thing, the followings are only points I remember:

1. Do not think that a single day or even a single retreat can solve all problems of us. Our life is very complex, problems show up when many problems stack up to show themselves. We need to solve it little by little. [Pinyo, adapted from Pra Ajarn Ratt Rattanayano] And, we need to prevent a new one to be created. This is comparable to patient's expectation. Some patients expect that a doctor can completely cure them with a single visit or within a few doses. However, in many cases, a disease is very complicated and it does not come alone; i.e., many diseases are actually in a patient. Thus, patients may need to gradually heal themselves gradually. Plus, they may need to be very disciplined. Practitioners are not exempted from being disciplined.
   
   It is very interesting that a doctor may not cure a patient, but tell a patient how to cure him or herself. It is the patient that need to be disciplined to regain his or her health. This is true for a practitioner. A wise one never enlightens a practitioner, but the wise one tell us how to cultivate our mind and achieve enlightenment. It depends on practitioners. They must be determined and disciplined to liberate themselves.
   
   
2. Concentrate sleeping does exist. For years, I wonder if we really need 7 hours of sleep to be healthy and vigorous. Sometimes, I wake up after only 5 hours of sleep and feel full of energy, if I decide to back to sleep, I will not wake up with energetic feeling again. Hmm, I'd better wake up whatever the number of hours is if I can concentrate in sleep and wake up with lots of energy.
   
   
3. Meditation can bring up problems. Many times we meditate and see more problems. Be positive; at least we know what problems are. Try to solve them little by little.
   
   
4. Stress and problems can accumulate to build a difficult problem. Do not allow them to join force [Pinyo]. But, if it does happen, make sure that we know what are the true causes/conditions of problems. When we eliminate these causes or change these conditions, the new situation may be unable to sustain the problem. Consequently, the problem will die sooner or later. To know true causes and conditions is very important to give ourselves a solution to a problem.