7 Roads to Meditation Bill Bodri 718-539-2811 Go to for free articles and downloads.

7 Roads to Meditation7 Roads to Meditation

Bill Bodri

www.meditationexpert.com718-539-2811

Go to www.MeditationExpert.com for free articles and downloads

Why Meditate?Why Meditate?

• Reasons

– Health and Longevity

– Spiritual Progress

– Calm Your Mind - Defuse Stress - Learn to Relax

– Cultivate Virtue and Purity

– Facilitates Changing Your Behavior

• How

– Cross your legs in a quiet place (tune the body)

– Cover your knees with towel and avoid drafts

– Relaxed but straight, head up

• When

– The best time is whenever you can (like exercise, “there is no one best exercise… the one you bother to do is how you start, so go from there”)

– 20, 40, 60 minutes once or twice a day

– Quiet time (morning/night), before eating or more than 1½ hours later

The Purpose of Meditation - Every Religion says the Same

• Buddhism: realize emptiness, attain enlightenment• Judaism: ayin (nothingness) - the annihilation of thought• Christianity: become selfless, give up the ego (give up your

personal thoughts, i.e. emptiness, to become one with the Father)• Islam: to see God’s face (hey, that’s your “original nature”)• Confucianism: to rest in the highest virtue• Zen: to realize one’s original nature• Yoga: sense withdrawal and then pacification of thought, samadhi• Taoism: to “see the Tao,” “realize the Tao,” “attain the Tao”• Final goal: emptiness, enlightenment, self-realization, Buddhahood

The Basic MethodSit, cross your legs, relax your body, forget your body, watch your thoughts in a detached mode, they die down => mental quietmental quiet => find the watcher/ultimate source of the quiet– “Adding methods” - Tibetan ceremonies– “Subtraction methods” - letting go, neti neti– One-pointed Concentration - visualizations– Mantra - Tire/busy the mind– Breathing - breathing and thoughts are linked– Pacification methods - relaxing, tantra– Etc. (they all rely on the principles of cessation and contemplation,

or samadhi and prajna wisdom, along with mindfulness of “let it go!”)

Shakyamuni Buddha said:Shakyamuni Buddha said:

Do not believe something solely on the strength of traditions, even if those customs or traditions have been held in honor and in many places for many generations. Don't believe anything simply because many people say it is so either. Furthermore, do not believe something just because it was maintained by ancient sagas. Do not believe that which you have imagined yourself either, thinking a god has inspired you. Believe nothing which depends only on the authority of your teachers or of priests.

Rather, test everything and after investigation, believe that which you yourself have tested and found reasonable and true, and which is good for you and others. Prove things through your personal experience.

TopicsThe 5 Stages of the Spiritual Path

Meditation 1 – Seeing the light

Tao School Basics: jing-chi-shen transformations

Meditation 2 – Skeleton meditation

The Time Sequences of the Spiritual Path and Physical Transformations

Cultivation Method 3 – 9-bottled wind

Esoteric school and Wu Liu methods: all based on breathing

Meditation 4 -- Mantra

Meditation 5 – Meditations for Cancer and High Blood Pressure

Mozart effect, Healing, Chi and Consciousness are linked ...

Meditation 6 – Cessation-contemplation practice in Confucianism, Vipassana, Now!, Sandhinirmocana jing

Various stages of samadhi

Meditation 7 -- Dream Yoga

Meditation 8 – Sexual cultivation

Big cheats: positive thinking, visualization, naturalistic being in the moment

The 5 Stages of the Spiritual Path(1) The Stage of Wisdom and Merit Accumulation (Study and Virtue)

(2) The Stage of Preparatory Practice, Progressive Practice, Evolutionary Yoga, Intensified Preparatory Practices, Earnest Endeavor, Prayoga, ...Warming

Peak

Forbearance

Highest Worldly Dharma

Yoga’s 4 stages: Introduction - transition - attainment - perfection

(3) The Stage of Seeing the Tao, Direct Vision, “Clear Light,” “10,000 miles of Empty Sky,” Selflessness, Realizing Your Original Nature, Illuminate Your Bright Virtue, See God’s face, “See the Tao” ...

(4) The Stage of True Cultivation Practice (realize the emptiness of the self, now realize the emptiness of phenomena, dissolve away or “purify” habitual energy streams)

(5) The Stage of Complete Enlightenment, No More Learning, Buddhahood

Meditation - Seeing the LightMeditation - Seeing the Light• Tibetan monks usually must wait 20 years before being introduced

to this practice

• Mahakasyapa on “Chicken Foot” Mountain practices it

• Seeing the Light - We’re not talking about a physical light you see with your eyes. Don’t try to visualize anything, you just realize the light that’s everywhere which is the light of awareness (the mind)

• Mother light versus child light -- awareness “clear light”

• Close your eyes and let your mind and body merge with whatever light there is (“I am the light, the light is me,” “God is light”). Merge and then forget your body and self.

• Forget the knower, knowing, and object - Merge with the light you realize -- light has no boundaries (is bodyless) and extends everywhere

Vairocana TathagataVairocana Tathagata

Ahh Bee Lah Hung! Cht!

Practice from visualizing you are a bright sun, next become invisible sunlight that’s everywhere, and then clear bodyless awareness

Tao School Basics

Jing – generative force, semen, seminal energy, ching, ojas, hormones, bindus, bodhicitta, water element, body Chi – life force, qi, prana, ether, biocosmic energy, wind element, mind, soul Shen – spirit, tejas, no-thought, light (emptiness)

----------------------------------------------------

The Process Behind All True Spiritual Cultivation Transform your jing into chi Transform your chi into shen Transform your shen into emptiness Return emptiness to the Tao

Two Sets of Basic Principles

• When your jing becomes full you won’t think of sex

• When your chi becomes full you won’t think of eating

• When your shen is full you won’t feel like sleeping

• If you don’t accumulate your jing, you will never experience the state of physical bliss

• If you don’t accumulate your chi, you will never experience the stage of internal light

• If you don’t accumulate your shen, you will never experience the state of no-thought

White Skeleton MeditationWhite Skeleton Meditation

• Start with your left big toe

• Give away your flesh joyfully to the ghosts and spirits

• Visualize that you are just a shiny, dazzling white (silver) skeleton

• Visualize that your bones becoming dust and then emptiness -- then forget your body & abandon all ideas of a having body or form (mentally let go of everything)

• Sexual desire grows strong with this practice … you’ll become extremely flexible ... You’ll become able to see other people’s bones and inside their body … superpowers will arise ... You’ll be able to initially enter samadhi

• Sickness focus - Manjushri 7th-8th lower vertebrae method

• Chiropractors and bodyworkers should use this

The Time Sequences of the The Time Sequences of the Spiritual PathSpiritual Path

100 Days 3 Months Thailand Yoga practice

“Building” or “Laying the Foundation”

Initial stage of Jing Chi

10 Months “Pregnancy” (embryo) Finalize Jing Chi Prelim. Chi Shen

3 Years Tibetan Retreats Yin/Yang shen

“Suckling” or “Nursing the Baby”

Final. Chi Shen Init. Shen Emptiness

9 Years Zen Master Bodhidharma

“Facing the Wall” Shen Emptiness Init. Emptiness Tao

Indeterminate Breaking Emptiness and Returning to the Tao

Achieve a State of Neither Existence or Non-Existence

Advanced Stages of Physical Advanced Stages of Physical Transformations - Time RequirementsTransformations - Time Requirements

• After 1 year - chi

• After 2 years - blood

• After 3 years - mai (energy meridians, vessels)

• After 4 years - flesh

• After 5 years - bone marrow (white)

• After 6 years - sinews and tendons

• After 7 years - bones

• After 8 years - hair (leave behind)

• After 9 years - entire body form/shape

““9-Bottled Wind” Practice9-Bottled Wind” Practice

3 sets of 3 repetitions (left, right, center)

Draw in as much air as possible,

as slowly as possible,

into your lungs as deep as possible,

hold for as long as possible using as few muscles as possible

exhale as quickly as possible.

Cultivating the 5 ElementsCultivating the 5 Elements

Earth Bones, Teeth, Nails, Muscles

Water Blood, Hormones, Lymph

Wind/Air/Wood Breath

Fire Bodily Warmth, Kundalini

Space/Metal Interstitial Places, Joints

The Most Common Sequence of the Path

Wind (Water) -> Fire -> Earth -> SpaceAir + Oil (hormones/mai) Kundalini Skeleton Entire Body

Easiest, Chi/Consciousness

EARTH: Bones, teeth, nails, sinews, muscles

SPACE: Interstitial spaces, joint gaps, hollow spaces

WATER: Blood, water, hormones, jing, lymph, ...

WIND: Breath, chi (prana, life energy)

FIRE: Kundalini (bodily warmth)

The 3 Doshas: VATA=Air + Space, PITTA=Fire + Water, KAPHA=Water + Earth

The 5 Elements

Cultivating the 5 ElementsCultivating the 5 Elements

Earth Imagine you are atoms

Water Link with water, become water

Wind/Air/Wood Breathing practices - chi

Fire Imagine you are fire

Space/Metal Become like space (bodyless)

The Most Common Sequence of the Path

Wind (Water) -> Fire -> Earth -> SpaceAir + Oil (hormones/mai) Kundalini Skeleton Entire Body

Easiest, Chi/Consciousness

Detoxifying Your Body for the Spiritual Detoxifying Your Body for the Spiritual PathPath

• Nattokinase - open up arteries and dissolve blood clots

• GSH250 (Douglas labs) or Recancostat (Tyler Labs) - detoxify toxic chemicals (liver) having glutathione, NAC, alpha lipoic acid

• Natures Pure Body (Pure Body Institute) - whole body detoxification

• Liver Flush and Kidney Flush (Richard Schulze American Botanical Pharmacy)

• Glutamine powder

• Chiropractic adjustments

• Supernutrition Brand Multivitamin

• Breathing practices - 9 Bottled wind

• Eliminate food allergies and food sensitivities - Immuno Labs 115 foods test (see ebook coupon)

• Immune26 immune booster - If you are older than 50 years old then try just one can, 800-557-8477 (Bodri #512372)

• HOLOSYNC meditation tapes (see products section of www.meditationexpert.com)

Order Detox Your Body for the Spiritual Path ebook at www.meditationexpert.com

Various Mantra You Can Use Various Mantra You Can Use for Cultivationfor Cultivation

Various Mantra You Can Use Various Mantra You Can Use for Cultivationfor Cultivation

Amitofo: Avalokitesvara:

Namo Amitofo Ohm Man Bei Me Hon!

Zhunti: Vairocana:Namo Sadoh Nah Ohm Ah Bee Lah Hung Chit

Samyak Sampoh Doh

Jeezuh Nah, Dazah Toh

Ohm, Zurleee, Julee, Zhunti, Soha

Lotus, Mahagala, ...

Reciting the rosary is exactly the same as mantra (japa) repetition practice

Proven Effects of MeditationProven Effects of Meditation

• Lowers blood pressure• Increases serum DHEA (master hormone)

• Reduces serum cortisol (stress)

• Reduces pulse rate• Increases serum total protein• Quiets the mind - reduces stress• Chinese Medicine: “the 100 diseases start with

wind (chi)”

Ainslie Meares and Cancer• Treated 73 patients with advanced cancer who attended at least 20 sessions

of intensive meditation• Found that meditation reduces anxiety, depression and pain• Tumor growth inhibited in 10% of cases• Tumor regression in 10% of cases - 3 attributes

– their meditation was profound and prolonged– little or no conscious activity during meditation– they carried the meditation into their daily lives

• Survival longer than expected• Quality of life improved in 50% of cases• Meditation facilitated death with dignity in 90% of cases• Meares encouraged “effortless stilling of the mind” and discouraged

mantra, active visualization, breathing methods

Meditations for HealingMeditations for Healing

CANCER• Visualize giving away your dirty flesh/meat to all

beings at and then you become a skeleton which then transforms into emptiness

• Visualize your body burns away or is burned by light and you become light only (high wisdom people go directly to emptiness/light)

• Vairocana + Sun + light method … just get to emptiness or light (not in the shape of the body)

• Exhale visualizing the dirty things/illness leaving your body

• Meares in Australia (10%) - emptiness method best

• The Power of Emptiness can destroy all the bad things and set up the new things; Emptiness method is Great vehicle and visualization/other methods small vehicle

• Diet, Supplements, Detox

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE• Use the skeleton method, visualize you become a

skeleton, then you imagine taking your skull, turning it upside down and putting it on your waist

• Visualize skeleton method but focus on your big toes

• Visualize a small fire flame or small sun in the center of the bottom of your feet

• In this case, visualize the emptiness going down (most people visualize emptiness proceeding upwards)

• Breathing begins after you are born, so breathing methods concentrate on post natal phenomena; skeleton method -> no breathing anymore; One not better than another, just use all the methods combined; ordinary people differ from advanced practitioners

• Supplements, destress, meditation, diet

Meditations for HealingMeditations for Healing

PAIN• Arthritis - water and wind elements; fasting, medicines and breathing (takes time)• Chant a mantra or be mindful of Buddha to such a degree of one-pointedness that you forget about the existence of

your body (higher method), but you also need to do fasting

HEADACHE• You need to know the source of the problem because there are many causes• General method - visualize your head is not there... non-existent (ex. Generals in war forget the pain); for this to

work you need great mind power (highest method the thought is not there)

GRIEF and WORRY• Empty your thoughts to get mental relief by entering a state of no-thought, or you try to breathe out or do exercise

or sing to put your attention elsewhere• Methods to shift attention are not the ultimate solution (doctors will always have business)

STRESS• Zen - just know it is there, that’s the highest method

The “Mozart Effect”The “Mozart Effect”

• 1996 Study College Entrance Exam - if students sing or play an instrument they score 51 points higher on Verbal and 39 points higher in Math

• Univ. of CA study - listen to Mozart for 10 minutes before have higher SAT score

• Shell, IBM, Dupont, universities use music to cut learning time in half

• Univ. of WA study - listening to light classical music for 90 minutes, students catch 21% more copywriting errors

• Baltimore hospital study - heart patients get as much benefit from 30 minutes of classical music and 10 mg of Valium

• CA State University study - migraine sufferers were trained to use imagery, music and relaxation techniques to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of their headaches

Chi and Consciousness Chi and Consciousness are Linkedare Linked

• Chi and consciousness are linked – Zen Master Nan Huai-Chin

• Consciousnesses are said to “ride” on winds [various types of chi, or prana] in the same manner that a horseman rides his mount; by travelling on the winds, consciousnesses are able to leave their bases in the sense-powers (located in the eye, ear, and so forth) to contact their objects. Because minds are inoperative without winds to provide a medium for their movement, and because winds lack specific direction without minds, minds are likened to cripples with sights and winds to blind men with legs; the lame climb on the backs of the blind and together they can move about. Because the winds are the medium for the operation of minds, fluctuation in the winds necessarily affects consciousness, and thus it is crucial for tantric yogis who wish to yoke consciousness to gain control over the movement of winds. Tantric yogics engage in a variety of practices to bring about a concentration of the winds, for concentration of the winds leads to concentration of consciousness.

– Highest Yoga Tantra, Daniel Cozort

Chi and Consciousness Chi and Consciousness are Linkedare Linked

• Mind and prana are mixed like milk and water. Both of them are equal in their activities. Where there is pranic movement or activity there is mind (consciousness). Where there is consciousness there is prana.

• When prana moves, chitta (the mental force) moves. When prana is without movement, chitta is without movement. By this (steadiness of prana) the yogis attains steadiness and should thus restrain the vayu (air).

– Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga, Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati

• The mind—the king—surrounded by a retinue of mindfulness, meditative stabilization, and so forth is considered as being mounted on the horse of vitality (prana). When the horse of vitality [wind] is held, the mind—the king—as well as the retinue will definitely be held. For another [text] says, ‘Vitality [wind] is to be stopped. When it is stopped, one’s mind as well as mindfulness, intellect, mental engagement, and so forth will definitely be held.’

– The Yoga of Tibet, Tsong-Ka-Pa, trans. Jeffrey Hopkins

• He who has power over his mind can also control prana. [For] the two causes that activate the mind are prana [respiration] and the sources of karma [vasanas, latent tendencies.]

– The Yoga of Light, Hans-Ulich Rieker

Cessation-Contemplation Practice

• Shamatha-vipashyana, Chih-guan, Confucian cultivation, Vipassana, Tiendai, Greater and Lesser Contemplation, Sandhinirmocana Sutra, Christian contemplation, Benjamin Franklin, Liao Fan, self-awareness, Kabbalah, Gurdjieff self-remembering

• Step 1: Sit, relax your body and respiration, tune your physical nature, physiological adjustments. Start to watch your thoughts as if you were a 3rd person observer.

• Step 2: You reach a stage where you can start to clearly see each thought that appears in the mind, and can distinguish the beginning and ending of thoughts. You start to notice a gap of clear immediate presence of mind.

Confucius Socrates Chih-i Benjamin Franklin

• Step 3: You realize that thoughts don’t stay -- “observing birth and death” -- and that the never ending stream of arising is the “realm of birth and death.” If you remain attached to this realm you can never achieve liberation. Observe this stream and you will gradually learn how to detach from it. In contemplating the mean between stillness and activity, you will arrive at the source. Through inner watching … your stream of consciousness becomes interrupted. Your clarity increases and peace and calm increase. This is CONTEMPLATION.

• Step 4: You’ll start to notice a momentary gap of silence between thoughts - the practice of silent watching will interrupt the stream of mentation like a fragrant elephant. This mental silence will open up into a clear, lucid, open awareness. This is CESSATION.

• Step 5: Carry over this state of watching into all your activities. Thoughts will die down, radiant awareness will expand, and you’ll naturally enter into samadhi. KEEP SHINING AWARENESS ON CESSATION TO ARRIVE AT DHYANA-SAMADHI.

• NOW! If your vital energy doesn’t move, Zen practice is “dead tree Zen” - you must know the joyful side of existence

The Three Realms and Samadhi

Formless Realm Formless Realm Heavenly Beings

Samadhi of neither thought nor no-thought Samadhi of nothingness Samadhi of infinite consciousness Samadhi of infinite space

Form Realm Form Realm Heavenly Beings

4th Dhyana - asmita 3rd Dhyana - ananda 2nd Dhyana - vicara 1st Dhyana - vitarka

Desire Realm

Devas (Heavens) Asuras Humans Animals Hungry Ghosts – Pretas Hell beings

Mundane Realms of Consciousness

Dream YogaDream Yoga

• People in ancient times used the dream state to cure themselves

• There are 5 Types of dreams in cultivation: (1) sickness, (2) see the future, (3) past life, (4) deep thinking related, (5) interaction with spiritual beings

• “Du-yin” shadow side of clear consciousness can reach outside the bounds of space and time -- small psychic abilities -- don’t rely on it for BIG things

• Buddha said people who are enlightened “don’t dream” and Chuang Tzu mentioned two types of such people: the dullard and sage

• Various cultivation methods focus on dream existence or dream emptiness

• Lucid dreaming - bring your chi to your throat (or into your head - flying in dreams is when your chi is rising - Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine)

• Bring clear awareness into your dream -- recognize that things do not exist in the way they appear to be => detachment => emptiness

• Recognize the dreamlike nature of reality -- all phenomena are a dream or illusion -- dream state and awakeness are indistinguishable => relax the mind

• The Diamond Sutra is talking about how the world is like a dream

Sexual Cultivation

• Not a public teaching -- Shakayamuni never taught it -- Nagarjuna and Tsong Khapa never taught it -- Esoteric school outlawed in China

• Tao school “left door” practices and Tibetan Tantra are the only 2 schools; Tibet had 3 roads, Tao school “making the sword”

• The objective is to reach the 1st dhyana (samadhi) -- a stage of Co-emergent emptiness and bliss

• Qualifications: You need merit (king/samadhi or queen/high born) and cultivation attainment (breathing methods and skeleton method and cessation-contemplation and some dhyana) ... Story of the 6th Dalai Lama

• You don’t try to swap or steal energy from your partner or circulate it -- all those books and teachers are wrong -- if you want sex then have sex but don’t cheat yourself/others and try to spiritualize lust - avoid drafts and cold drinks

• Principles: Brahmacharya, celibacy, chastity … no ejaculation … joyful play without desire (emptiness) … not sexual yoga (good for healing) or trying to spiritualize lust … reach a state where the mind is empty, the body is relaxed so you can forget the body, you need chi communication

• Men’s barrier is sexual desire, women’s barrier is emotions

• Sky Dancer - Yeshe Tsogyel, women “kill the dragon”; see How to Measure and Deepen Your Spiritual Realization at www.meditationexpert.com

• Authors: Jolan Chang, Doug Wile

Taoism saysTaoism says

“Slow foreplay is important every time a man lies with a woman so that the two spirits will be in harmony. Only after the spirits are perfectly moved for a long time should the couple unite. The man should enter the woman when the penis is soft and pull it back when it becomes firm and strong. He should penetrate only without ejaculating. He who can have intercourse many times in a single day without letting his essence leak will increase his lifespan and heal himself of all disease.”

5 STAGES TAOISM SKANDHAS Consciousness DHYANA TANTRA YOGA

Stage of Study and Merit Accumulation

Jing -> Chi Form Skandha Sensation Skandha

Psychic Du-yin Shadow side of the 6th Consciousness

“Flow” Yama Niyama Asana Pranayama Pratyahar

Stage of Intensified Preparatory Practices

Jing -> Chi Chi -> Shen

Form Skandha Sensation Skandha

First Six consciousnesses

Ching An 1st Dhyana 2nd Dhyana 3rd Dhyana 4th Dhyana

Body Isolation Verbal isolation Mental Isolation Illusory Body

Dharani Dhyana Samadhi Vitarka, vicara, ananda and asmita samadhi

Stage of Seeing the Tao

Shen -> Emptiness (Hinayana Enlighten.)

Conception Skandha

Empty the 6th Consciousness

Seeing the Tao See the Clear Light

Stage of True Cultivation Practice

Return Emptiness to the Tao

Volition Skandha Consciousness Skandha

Cultivate the 7th Consciousness

Cultivating the Tao

Learner’s Union

Stage of Perfect Enlightenment

Consciousness Skandha

Transform the 8th Alaya Consciousness into the Tathagata Storehouse

No More Learning

Matching the Various Stages of the Spiritual Experience among Cultivation Traditions

Big CheatsBig Cheats• Visualizations, Affirmations, Positive thinking, Writing messages given

to heaven, Mantra for things• My teacher: “If I cannot get them, why cheat people?”• This is all focusing on Wandering Thoughts• Success stories are the 1% coincidentals (consistent with

karma/astrological periods)• To be famous today, write a book difficult to understand (wow you’re

intelligent) or really strange, irregular, imaginary, mystical

Time + Patience + Method + Disciplined Practice = Result (Gong-fu) can change your fortune

Formula:

www.MeditationExpert.comBOOKSBOOKS

Tao and Longevity - Nan Huai-ChinTwenty-Five Doors to Meditation - William Bodri

WEBSITEWEBSITE• Free chapter (of case studies) from How to Measure and Deepen Your Spiritual

Realization • An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Best and Worst Spiritual Paths and Practices • How to Measure and Deepen Your Spiritual Realization• How to Detox Your Body for the Spiritual Trail

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