【The Meditation Session – Actual Session - how to sustain meditation in general 】- marching on the same spot and hovering outside the entrance

Another kind is marching on the same spot, after marching for sometime, we think we are getting somewhere. In this situation, we are constantly spinning around by the external objects all day long and don’t know it. You must know beforehand what it is like to spin around and what it is to not spin around. Then, at that time, even though you are determined, when the strong storm caused by external objects comes upon you, you still can’t stop it. Thus, one should aspire to make it happen: in any situation, definitely do not be influenced [by external condition]! That is it.

Actually, it is not only the aforementioned section. We might look into The Lesser Serenity and Insight written by Venerable Zhi-zhe of the Tian-tai School [Han dynasty]. The Lesser Serenity and Insight is known as “Tung-mung*” Serenity and Insight, right! It is like the first step for a child. It also tells us: by then, you have truly made adequate preparations beforehand, and follow them with a strong aspiration to advance. Upon reading about the Lesser Serenity and Insight, this impression will definitely arise; there is no exception for those who have traversed this far. Great! Once you are determined, meditate on what “I have determined” – what was decided earlier: “I will not set up something that is different.” All other practices are left as is. Certainly, one should delve into the profound study. That is, you found the entrance and enter directly into the room. Whereas now, we are truly pathetic, pitifully hovering outside the entrance, yet we still feel: “Ah! I am engaging in an in-depth study.” To squander away one lifetime is minor when compared to circling around life after life.

[*Tung-mung: refers to early childhood development.]

SOURCE 来源 :

24B 00’04” Vol 3 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P271 L1
English Lamrim Vol 1 P100

日常师父法语📡24B 00’04” 手抄稿第3册P271 L1

修持轨理 正行 - 总共修法 : 原地踏步，门外空转

还有一种——原地踏步，踏了个半天自己觉得跑。在这种情况之下，一天到晚被那个境风在转，不知道。你必定前面晓得什么是转的状态，什么是不转的行相，内心当中很清楚、很明白。然后那个时候虽然决定了，外面强烈的境风来的时候，你还是挡不住，所以我发愿一定要这样，任何情况之下，决不动摇！这样。

其实这个不但是这里，我们不妨看看天台智者大师写的《小止观》，那个《小止观》叫“童蒙止观”是吧！那个小孩子初机第一步，它也告诉我们，到那个时候你真正前面的准备好了，然后发誓愿决定要这样下去。如果看过《小止观》的一定有这个印象，没有一个例外的跑到这样。好! 决定不动摇，“修如所定”，就是前面决定的；“不令修余”，其他的不动它。是的，的的确确是一门深入，你是摸到门了，然后是登堂入室的时候。现在我们真可怜、真可怜，都在门外空转，还自己觉得：“啊！这个我在那儿一门深入。”浪费一生事小，生生世世在那个地方空流转。