In December of 2005 I was honored to be invited by the Dharma Master Hsin Tao to attend a traditional Chan Buddhist meditation retreat at the Wu Sheng Monastery on Ling Jiao Mountain in Taiwan. At the opening of the retreat Hsin Tao gave detailed instructions on the meditation practice; as he was giving these instructions in Chinese to the Sangha they were translated into English for me by the nun Hong Chih Shih.
Hsin Tao authorized me to share this practice with others, which I have done over the years. I presented this meditation in February of 2025 during the Presence is Love event that can be viewed here:
The Teachings
(Translated and Transcribed in December of 2005)
“In these ten days we will have inner intuition meditation time. The most important is how through the practice we return back to our original self nature and self awareness. Return back to our original face. To see our original face, we need to use methods so we can know it gradually. All the methods are bridges that will gradually make you return back to the illuminating light, to contemplate quietly. We use our pure mind to illuminate our awareness. So-called illumination is to reflect only without discrimination or attachment, like a mirror purely reflecting. A mirror reflects without consciousness or ignorance. It does not watch with an ignorant mind, or look at things with thoughts. It just watches every thought and movement quietly. Use your ears and your breath and every practice to produce the effect of illumination completely. During this process we can return back to the light. We can contemplate the original face which is separated from form, the original face which is separated from mind, thought, and consciousness.
“Mind creates. Consciousness discriminates. Thought moves and connects. We should clearly illuminate the connecting thoughts and mind. We should not do anything which is not from our original face. The moving mind and thoughts are obstructions to our original face. The changes within consciousness are like a membrane that separates us from our true nature. Mind is to create, but its creations are not the true face of the mind. Every creation is an illusion. Every creation is the beginning of karma. When we are in karma, we cannot see that its origin is non-doing, non-movement, non-connecting, and non-discrimination. When our inner mind is in meditation, we don’t think of virtue or evil; it is a quiet contemplation and observation in quietness. If we are thinking of virtue we cannot see our original face. If you are thinking of evil you cannot sit stably, you are restless, your mind is very coarse and impure, and it is difficult to attain clarity of vision. The clarity of the mind is obscured. If you are thinking of virtue the clarity of vision is blocked, and if you thinking of evil it also blocked. We should focus on not thinking of virtue or evil, and with a quiet mind dedicate our effort. The so-called Buddhist principles of “do not do any evil,” “do all the virtues,” and “self-purify the thoughts of your mind,” means do not think of evil, do not think of virtue, and separate the mind from its thoughts and layers of consciousness so we can illuminate our pure awareness. If we can remember those pith instructions, it will be helpful during these ten days.
“We start with breathing in and out, in and out. When we inhale we put our attention on our throat and lower the chin. In this way the throat expands. We inhale the air first into the belly, then into the heart, then up to the throat. When we exhale, exhale from the nose. We should be relaxed in every moment of practice, not too tight, and without pressure. Practice in a relaxed and joyful way, without constraint.
“Now the second step: eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, mind watches nothing. Each of these steps can illuminate the pure awareness. When eye watches nose our attention is on the tip of the nose; we utilize this small environment as a base to settle our mind and body and become aware of our original self. When the nose watches the mouth, the attention is on the mouth, and we can also clearly illuminate the pure awareness. When the mouth watches the heart-mind we can also clearly illuminate our mind. Whether we have thoughts or do not have thoughts, whether we are thinking or not thinking, we are illuminating awareness. Mind watching nothing means mind abides nowhere; we can use this mind that abides nowhere to illuminate everything.
“The third step is to be aware of the breath. The point is not the breath, but your complete pure illumination of the breath. Completely and purely illuminate the pure awareness during breathing. That is to say, it is a very clear perception, not ambiguous, not lacking details, not blurred.
“The fourth step is called listening. Of course, there is no virtue, no evil during listening. No being, no non-being. We just listen. We hope to have a connection with non-distinction, a connection with Sunyata, emptiness. We should connect ourselves to emptiness. Therefore, there are two connections within the listening. One is the connection with the awareness of non-distinction, and another is the emptiness. So-called Sunyata is our genuine mind which abides nowhere when we listen, regardless of whether we listen to being or non-being, sound or no sound, form or no form, or everything else. We listen, but separating ourselves from form. We detach the form first, and then listen. Regardless of the forms inside, the forms outside, the form of thinking, the form non-thinking, we are connected to the pure awareness and the genuine mind which abides nowhere. This is not like consciousness and distinction making connections here and there. This is perfect illumination without changing or moving.
"About consciousness and wisdom: consciousness is to practice with distinction, while wisdom is to illuminate brightly the pure awareness. If we cannot do it correctly during the practice it will be a helpless sitting, sitting here busy in no connection, wasting time in no connection, connecting with nothing. A retreat only of making vain thoughts, very void. Time passes by, ambiguously and blurred, then seven days will be gone unwittingly. When we turn back and take a look we are still the same. Even though we might appear more tranquil, but in fact we are still very ignorant.
“Now let’s start, inhale and exhale. We will do this seven times. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
“When a teacher is teaching, you should not be so numb. Spine straight up, head holds the sky. It is called guiding, when I am teaching. You should not have a mind of distinction, a mind of attachment. You cannot have any kind of mind. You can only follow my voice. When I teach you to breathe, you must breathe. You are so numb, only thinking. Our breathing method has action. Make that action. If you make no action that is called vain thought.
“Eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, mind watches nothing. Eye watches nose, the attention at the tip of the nose. Nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, mind watches nothing. Eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, mind watches nothing. Eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, watch and illuminate our mind, mind watches nothing. Eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind, watch and illuminate our mind without thinking. Mind watches nothing. Eye watches nose, nose watches mouth, mouth watches heart-mind. Watching mind is to see our real nature. Thinking or not thinking, with thought or without thought, just illuminate and watch. Like a mirror, among all the illusory forms, no increasing, no decreasing, no defilement, no purity, no arising, no ceasing, it illuminates and watches everything, but not taking or abandoning. Mind watches nothing. Good.
“Now we will be aware of our breath. Quietly, clearly, unambiguously, perceive breathing in and out. Breath in and breath out. We guard this breathing in and out clearly and brightly, looking at the breathing in and out. Let’s try to figure out this teaching clearly now. Don’t be busy in moving your body. Relax your ears, relax your head, relax your shoulders, relax your heart and chest, relax your whole body, relax every cell. It is all relaxed.
“Quietly, silently, listen to the tranquil stillness. Relax and let go. Listen to the tranquil stillness. Tranquil stillness is the sound of no sound. Tranquil stillness happens because of no sound. We are not looking for a sound with the form of tranquil stillness, but a sound with no form, no sound. We are not looking for a noisy sound, but a silent sound. Relax and let go. Quietly listen to the tranquil stillness. Because of silence, quietness will come. Because of quietness, tranquility will come. Because of tranquil stillness, we will understand. Bright understanding means no confusion. Our goal is the quietness, the tranquility, the bright understanding. Then, we will achieve the intuition, the direct perception, to comprehend and see the nature of the mind.
“We listen quietly, listen to the tranquil stillness. Relax and let go. Listen to all the tranquil stillness. Everything is tranquil. There is no one phenomena or one sound which is not tranquil. We relax and let go. Listen to all the tranquil stillness. Good. Let’s listen quietly.
“Listen to all the tranquility of nature. Everything in nature will make us become tranquil naturally. Relax and let go. Listen in silence. Listen quietly. We can also notice the tranquil stillness of space. The space, soundless space, its tranquility. We listen to the tranquil stillness of space quietly. We listen quietly, quietly listen to the tranquil stillness of the universe, to space. The tranquil stillness of the universe and space, you can listen to it with eyes open or with eyes closed. We should try to do both. Listen to the tranquil stillness of the universe and space with open eyes. Try it. Listen with closed eyes. Both are appropriate. Don’t keep your eyes closed all the time.
“Good. Rub the hands until hot. Rub the face until hot. Rub the back of the head until hot. Rub the kidneys until hot.
“In the following ten days I will only be available at night to guide you through the meditation. You can use today’s recording as your guidance during the daytime.”
