The Practice Methods of Moving Meditation

The so-called moving Chan refers to maintaining single-pointed mindfulness amid the bodily, verbal, and mental activities of the five aggregates as they come and go, so that one has sufficient meditative power to investigate Chan and engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā). This is a method of cultivation that equally cultivates Samādhi and Prajñā and jointly applies śamatha and vipaśyanā; it is a preliminary expedient means for investigating Chan and attaining enlightenment.

There are many methods of practicing moving Chan, all of which are simply meant to gather the mind and achieve the aim of single-pointed mindfulness and wholehearted concentration. For example, the Great Mindfulness Sutta taught by the Buddha is the standard model of moving Chan; in particular, the contemplative practice of mindfulness of the body is the foundational method of moving Chan. This method must be mastered, striving to keep the mind single-pointed at all times—gathering the mind so that it does not scatter. Only with this meditative power can one contemplate and practice the Buddha's Dharma anytime and anywhere; when the conditions are complete, one can attain the fruits and achieve enlightenment, gaining wisdom. Taking the Great Mindfulness Sutta as our benchmark, we can devise many similar expedient methods to guide learners into the stage of genuine practical cultivation, in the hope that all may realize the Buddha's Dharma through personal verification and reap boundless benefit in the future.

Among these methods, sitting quietly and bowing to the Buddha is relatively simple and suitable for beginners. If, during quiet sitting and Buddha-bowing, the mind can attain single-pointedness and maintain a clear knowing awareness within, one will have a certain power of introspection and alertness toward the activities of one's own five aggregates. Then, in the course of coming and going, one can constantly maintain this clear knowing awareness in the mind. When meditative power is complete, this knowing awareness can be replaced with a huatou for investigating Chan, turning to watching the huatou and investigating the huatou—thus formal Chan investigation begins.