Contemplating the Sound Stream through the Breathing Buddha-Recitation Method

This method involves reciting the Buddha's name while taking deep breaths, with the recitation flowing in rhythm with the breath. When you inhale deeply and fill yourself with air, then as you exhale, slowly recite "A-mi" while breathing out; by the time the breath is fully exhaled, you have finished reciting "A-mi." Then inhale deeply again, and as you exhale once more, recite "tuo-fo" while breathing out; when the breath is complete, "Amituofo" is complete as well.

With each inhalation, draw the breath down to the dantian. When the dantian is full of qi, it will flow throughout the whole body. One stream of qi will flow from the dantian down to the huiyin area, then from there to the weilü point, and sequentially upward through the lower back, the back, the Dazhui acupoint, and the shoulder blades, then on to the arms, hands, and head. At this point you will feel that the whole body is filled with qi; the lower back, back, and shoulders feel very comfortable, the back is straight, the shoulders are relaxed and lowered, the arms are soft, the breath is calm and gentle, and the mind is extremely still. At the same time, the breath filling the chest cavity flows slowly, and the mind opens up along with it, boundless and vast, feeling as if the mind could encompass the great void.

After the dantian is full of qi, slowly exhale upward from the dantian, passing through the navel, chest cavity, lungs, trachea, throat, mouth, and nasal cavity. The airflow of the recitation also passes over the tongue and teeth, with the sound waves and airflow vibrating each part in sequence, producing strong tactile sensations in the body. When reciting the Buddha's name with the breath has brought the mind to stillness and the tactile sensations are distinct, you can then engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the tactile sensations throughout the body. The method of contemplation is the same as that of contemplating the breath and so forth. Contemplating in stillness, the tactile sensations wherever the sound waves and airflow reach are all perfectly clear, and ultimately one can realize the emptiness of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha).

Some people contemplate the white at the tip of the nose and gradually perceive smoke-like vapor; with eyes closed they can see the breath at the nose tip taking on a smoke-like appearance, seemingly granular in form, and occasionally with eyes closed they can see the scenery around the body as if suspended in particles, the scenery ethereal and insubstantial, giving a somewhat unreal feeling. This feeling is close to the truth, drawing nearer to the truth. With such a level of contemplative attainment, realizing the truth will not be too difficult.

If one contemplates tables, chairs, walls, and so forth as being composed of fine particles, contemplating them as illusory, to the point of forgetting the former feeling that objects are real, then in meditative concentration the body may pass through these objects without obstruction. But once one again becomes aware that objects are real, the objects become obstacles once more. Thus the mind's firm attachment to objects obstructs all of one's actions, causing blockages everywhere. Correct practice means realizing the illusory nature of dharmas and removing attachments; then body and mind will be unobstructed in all directions, able to ascend to the heavens or descend into the earth as if moving through empty space.