A Guide for Seon Meditation <4>

Seon meditation is the inner reflection practiced in everyday life.

Western philosophy emphasizes the importance of cultivating the soul to attain wisdom. In that sense, Western philosophers are true Buddhists because they also discussed the practice of enlightenment.

They saw that our perceptions are fallible and believed there is a reality beyond them. Plato referred to this reality as the archetype of things, while I call it true nature. This may also be referred to as Buddhahood, Buddha nature, or the Middle Way.

Ultimately, what every human being ever wants is to learn how to be free from suffering. This is why it is important to see the true nature of reality by understanding the Four Noble Truths and purifying our karma. In Seon Buddhism, karma is likened to a ‘silver mountain and iron wall’ because it is so thick, strong, and tough that we cannot control our emotions even though they are ours. No matter how advanced science and technology become, the solution to human suffering remains the same for millennia. Throughout human history, the only people who have been completely free of pain and suffering after the Buddha were the enlightened patriarchs.

Seon meditation helps you to walk this path to freedom from suffering. 

I recommend practicing “Shall Pass” Seon meditation when things are tough and frustrating, remembering that this too shall pass. In hindsight, we often say to ourselves, “Why did I do that?” Looking back, we realize that we could have held it back or that we did not have to get so worked up. Most things pass. Difficulties pass, problems pass, and even this body passes. 

Whatever we see or experience, they are nothing but our own karma. For example, if we experience hatred whenever we see someone, we are just experiencing the workings of the habitual karmic pattern of hatred in our mind. This is the principle of ‘Only Mind,’ which states that all phenomena come from the mind.

No matter what Buddha saw, he did not dislike anything; he was always at peace. Feelings of sadness, pain, and hardship are just conditioned karmic manifestations. We do not have to suffer what we suffer. There is no suffering that we cannot help. The truth is that we can be at peace no matter what, even in conditions that seem to inevitably lead to suffering. 

Imagine the emotions we are feeling now as shadows of our karma. That would be practicing shadow meditation. It is very easy. When we think of meditation, we tend to think of it as either something difficult, requiring us to sit up straight and stoically endure, or something mystical, so we must experience special revelations. However, meditation is part of our everyday life, perfectly ordinary. We can practice meditation while lying down, or standing. We can practice it for as little as five minutes. Anyone can do it, no matter how old or young. But it helps to have our body still, which is why many people practice sitting meditation. 

Many people believe that meditation is only practiced while sitting, but that is not true. All the ordinary movements we make every day - sitting, walking, standing, or lying down - can be a practice of Seon meditation. When distracting thoughts arise, it is hard to force them to go away. The important thing is to simply recognize that they have come.  

This is the practice of ‘observing,’ just watching the thoughts come and go and letting them rest. Just be still and feel your emotions as they are. This is the fundamental mindful approach to Seon meditation.