How to Regulate Body and Mind to Quickly Enter the State of Mindfulness of Breathing

After sitting down, join your palms and recite "Namo Original Teacher Śākyamuni Buddha" three times. Recite slowly, while visualizing the Buddha's light shining upon your entire body. After reciting, let the mind settle down and then adjust your breathing. Some people's minds are already quite calm after sitting down, in which case there is no need to adjust the breathing; they can directly enter the state of meditation. 

If at the beginning the mind is rather scattered and you cannot observe the breath, you need to first recite the Buddha's name or recite a mantra. When reciting the Buddha's name, also use the breathing method to recite; reciting in this way is actually also adjusting the breath, gradually opening up the air passage so that the breath can descend to the dantian. Once the breath descends to the dantian, the attention will follow to the dantian; or conversely, when the attention reaches the dantian, the breath also follows to the dantian. At this point, the dantian area will feel warm and heated. With fewer wandering thoughts, it is easy to attain meditative concentration (samādhi); when the body becomes quiet, the mind also becomes quiet. Note that when reciting the Buddha's name, the pace should be slowed down—recite slowly. The slower you recite, the better the breath is adjusted, and the more concentrated and less scattered the mind becomes. Only then will the next step of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) be effective. 

When taking deep breaths while reciting "Amitābha Buddha," because the recitation is very slow and the concentration is very intense, attaining meditative concentration is very quick. At this time, wandering thoughts are not likely to arise, because all attention is focused on reciting the Buddha's name and listening to it. This helps reduce wandering thoughts and still other wandering thoughts, leaving only the thought of the Buddha's name. As the recitation continues and meditative concentration is attained, the recitation can no longer produce sound; at this point, body and mind become still. When still, transfer this mental focus to observing the breath, and continue contemplative practice on the state of your breathing. This method helps contemplative practice. 

Another method for regulating body and mind is deep breathing. The duration of deep breathing depends on each person's specific circumstances. If the body's condition is relatively good, one or two breaths, or three to five breaths, may suffice to attain meditative concentration; some people may need to do it ten times. After entering the state, begin observing the breath. Since the breathing has already been adjusted earlier, at this point the circulation of qi and blood is normal, and the mind can concentrate—then begin entering contemplation. The specific method of contemplative practice should follow the methods and sequence taught in the Buddhist sūtras, deepening the contemplation step by step. At this point, sitting in meditation will not fall into drowsiness, because there is a very deep object of focus (ālambana) on which one can concentrate, making drowsiness unlikely.