Preparation Before Practice

Body Preparation

Before Preliminary Cultivation

[Body Preparation Before Practice Step One]

When we practice "Opening the Path to Liberation" in the morning, we must first prepare Preliminary Cultivation. What does it include? From the Vairocana seven-branch sitting position for body preparation to the three times silently chanting of "Lama Qin" (let Guru know). This is the preparation of Preliminary Cultivation. After completing it, we start the common Four Preliminary Cultivation and then practice non-common Five Advanced Cultivation. "Opening the Path to Liberation" is one of our usual morning chanting. Regardless of whether we are formally practicing or not, the morning chanting follows this order.

The wisdom body of all the Buddhas

from ten directions,

The virtuous and enlightened

born in Lotus.

Pray to Manjushri, the Wisdom Lord,

Blessing us with auspicious

and dharma achieving.

[Body Preparation Before Practice Step Two]

When we wake up in the morning, we should visualize all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dakini Vidyadharmas ringing bells and drums, urging us not to sleep too much and not to waste our perfections in human life. We should get up quickly with this visualization. After washing, bow to the Triple Gem of Guru three times. Recite it once every time you prostrate: Namo Principle Teacher Sakyamuni Buddha! Namo Triple Gem and Three Root Venerable Masters! Namo Manzexiriye, Namo Sexiriye, Namo eDamasirye Suoha! (Prostrations to wonderful auspicious, prostrations to virtue auspicious, prostrations to remarkable auspicious.) After prostrating, make offerings as much as you can with respect, then relax and sit down comfortably, and start to practice preparation for Preliminary Cultivation.

The preparation before Preliminary Cultivation includes: the cultivation of the body, speech, and mind.

The wisdom body of all the Buddhas

from ten directions,

The virtuous and enlightened

born in Lotus.

Pray to Manjushri, the Wisdom Lord,

Blessing us with auspicious

and dharma achieving.

[Body Preparation Before Practice Step Three]

The wisdom body of all the Buddhas

from ten directions,

The virtuous and enlightened

born in Lotus.

Pray to Manjushri, the Wisdom Lord,

Blessing us with auspicious

and dharma achieving.

Among three calculations of body, speech, and mind, the body cultivation begins first. The body cultivation consists of two parts: "Sitting as Vairocana seven branches posture" and "Breaking the Wind in Nine Sections".

1. Vairocana Seven-Branch Sitting Posture:

As we practice Dharma is for eliminating our afflictions. With the method of Vairocana Seven-Branch Sitting Posture, by straightening the body, the pulses will be straight. If the pulses are straight, the mind will be calm. If the mind is calm, it will be less likely to cause trouble, thus achieving the purpose of cultivation of the body.

When starting to practice, you should sit on a comfortable cushion, relax your body and mind, and adjust your sitting posture as follows:

1) Sitting in Vajra lotus position: first place the left foot on the right thigh, and then place the right foot on the left thigh. This is a double lotus. If double lotus is not possible, single lotus or loose lotus can also be used.

2) The spine should be straight, and the vertebrae should be connected and down like a stack of neatly stacked coins. Do not lean forward or backward, or stagger around;

3) The upper arms are relaxed and slightly open, neither outward nor inward.

4) Make a mudra with both hands, with the two thumbs touching and the other four fingers overlapping. The right hand is on top, and the left hand is on the bottom. Place it under the navel and touch the feet.

5) The neck is neither bent nor tilted, but naturally slightly bent forward.

6) Put your tongue against the roof of your mouth and make contact naturally without any deliberate effort. Open your lips slightly like the size of highland barley and breathe through your mouth.

7) Droop your eyes and look at the void one elbow in front of the tip of your nose.

2. Nine knots of air release

After adjusting the sitting position, start to do nine knots of air release, that is, to expel unpure air nine times.

Why do we need to practice Nine knots of air release? In fact, our mind is directly related to the Qi (air) in our body. Since the Qi in ordinary people's bodies are all karmic Qi, the Qin is like a wild horse, carrying the mind and running around. For example, when people are angry and quarreling, the Qi in the body is very strong. Therefore, if the karmic energy in the body does not cease, so will the afflictions.

We know that before pouring the essence into a container, the container must be rinsed, otherwise the essence will be contaminated and cannot be used. In the same way, before practicing the special Dharma such as “Human Life is Rare”, we must practice the Nine knots of air release to discharge karma Qi and afflictions, otherwise, the effect of the practice will not be achieved.

The detail cultivation is as follows:

1) Use the Vajra Fist with your left hand (put the tip of your left thumb against the root of your ring finger and then make a fist), and press on the outer major vein at the root of your left leg.

Then your right-hand holds the same as Vajra Fist, then raise your middle finger to form a Vajra mudra (or bend your middle finger and ring finger, place your thumb on it, and extend the other two fingers to form a Chik Mudra), and press the right nostril. Visualize that the thirty-three kinds of troubles caused by greed since beginningless time are all discharged from the left nostril in the form of airflow, the color is red, and the air is discharged three times in this way;

2) Use Vajra Fist with your right hand to press on the outer major vein at the base of your right leg. Use your left hand to form a Vajra (or Chik Mudra) and hold your left nostril. Visualize that all the forty troubles caused by anger since beginningless time are discharged from the right nostril, the airflow is white, and the air is discharged three times.

3) Hold Vajra fists in both hands and press them on the outer veins of the roots of both legs. The seven kinds of afflictions caused by ignorance since beginningless time are all discharged from the left and right nostrils at the same time. The airflow is black and the air is exhausted three times.

Exhaust main points: During the exhaust process, the airflow is shaped like highland barley, with thinner heads and tails and a thicker middle. That is, the airflow first goes from weak to strong, and then from strong to weak. You can use your mouth or nose when inhaling. You must use your nose when exhaling. The air must be completely exhausted without leaving any residue.