From: tran@neep.engr.wisc.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Subject: [REL] Zen Meditation
Date: 7 Oct 92 16:06:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.1992Oct7.160611.5143
Reply-To: tran@neep.engr.wisc.edu
Organization: SCV Relay
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

LONGEVITY AND HAPPINESS

   Breathing has a lot to do with relieving burden of the sympathetic
nervous system.  Normally, a person uses the chest as the center of his
breathing, a Zen Meditator, however, shifts the center to his lower abdomen,
which we refer to as "Tantien" (DDan ddie^`n) or "Chi Hai" (Khi' Ha?i).  The
idea is to use the abdomenal pressure as a medium, coupled with mind control
over the parasympathetic nervous system, to enlarge the blood vessels, lower
the blood pressure, relax the nerves, and largely secrete acetylcholin to
attain tranquility, relaxation, and relief of toxic substances.  To shift 
the center of breathing from chest to lower abdomen cannot be accomplished by
a couple days' practice.  Some teachers of Yoga and "Chi-Kung" (Khi' Co^ng),
suggest adopting abdomenal breathing as a mean for that object.  But that
method cannot suit everybody, if it is imposed on those who are physically not
suited due to hereditary or acquired causes, practice may bring them sickness.
The safe way is to follow the natural course by concentrating on breathing.
Don't be anxious of having a quick result, just maintain normal breathing,
practice regularly without break.

   After a period of time, your breathing will naturally slow down, its frequency will reduce, length of each breath will naturally extend and someday you will
find that your breathing has already moved down to your lower abdomen from your
chest.

   The abdomenal breathing can send the blood from its storage in the liver and
spleen to the heart.  Liver and spleen have the function of producing and storing blood, a large volume of blood is kept in them and can suitably make up the
blood deficiency in the heart when needed.  Abdomenal breathing is just like
adding an auxilliary heart to a human body, to largely increase the volume of
blood in the circulatory system, increase the function of delivering nourishment
and reactivate the atrophic cell structure, enabling the dying cell structure
to regain its regenerating function.  Because of this, Zen Meditation can cure
all kinds of diseases, serious diseases and chronic diseases.

   When one suffers from a disease that medicine finds difficult to cure, he
should try Zen Meditation.  Although Zen Meditation can not produce an immediate
result like removing an appendix, it can nevertheless stabilize his emotion,
reduce his fear, and ease his sufferings.  Although there is a limit to the life
of a physical organ, and Zen cannot make a person permanently young and alive,
at least it is possible Zen can make one live longer and live more happily.

(Master Sheng Yen, "The Advantages One May Derive From Zen Meditation")

The^m va`o Zen Meditation to^i xin gio+'i thie^.u cu`ng quy' ba.n mo^.t ba`i
luye^.n Khi' Co^ng va` No^.i Co^ng tuye^.t ha?o: Ba't DDoa.n Ca^?m.  Ne^'u
ta^.p dde^`u, mo^~i nga`y chi? ma^'t chu+`ng 12 - 15 phu't, co^.ng vo+'i a(n
uo^'ng cho kho^n ngoan mo^.t chu't, to^i ba?o dda?m quy' ba.n kho^ng co`n bi.
o^'m ddau ca?m cu'm nu+~a.  DDa^y la` kinh nghie^.m cu?a to^i trong nhie^`u
na(m qua chu+' kho^ng pha?i la` che'p tu+` trong sa'ch ra.

                         BA'T  DDOA.N  CA^?M

   Ba't ddoa.n ca^?m la` 8 the^' ta^.p dde^? ddie^`u ho`a kinh ma.ch, ta.ng phu?
trong ngu+o+`i, ddo^`ng tho+`i dde^? luye^.n khi' co^ng va` no^.i co^ng.  Ca^?m
co' nghi~a la` ga^'m vo'c.  Ngu+o+`i Trung Hoa ra^'t quy' ga^'m vo'c ne^n dda(.t
te^n 8 the^' ta^.p tuye^.t ha?o na`y la` Ba't DDoa.n Ca^?m.

   Mo^~i the^' ta^.p ddu+o+.c mo^ ta? bo+?i 1 ba`i tho+ 6 ca^u chi? da^~n ca'ch
ta^.p va` co^ng du.ng cu?a the^' ta^.p nhu+ng ngu+o+`i ta thu+o+`ng chi? du`ng
ca^u dda^`u cu?a mo^~i ba`i go'p la.i tha`nh 1 ba`i tha^'t ngo^n ba't cu' dde^?
ta? 8 the^' ta^.p nhu+ sau:

            Song thu? tha'c thie^n ly' Tam-Tie^u
            Ta? hu+~u khai cung tu+.a xa. ddie^u
            Ddie^`u ly' Ty` Vi. tu ddo+n cu+?
            Ngu~ Lao Tha^'t Thu+o+ng vo.ng ha^.u tie^`u
            Dao dda^`u ba~i vi~ khu+? Ta^m Ho?a
            Song thu? phan tu'c co^' tha^.n ye^u
            Toa`n quye^`n no^. mu.c ta(ng khi' lu+.c
            Bo^'i ha^.u tha^'t DDie^n ba'ch be^.nh tie^u

Nghi~a:     Hai tay cho^'ng tro+`i ddie^`u ly' kinh Tam-Tie^u
            Hai be^n tra'i pha?i giu+o+ng cung tu+.a nhu+ ba('n chim
            Cu+? tu+`ng tay le^n dde^? ddie^`u ho`a va` hoa`n chi?nh ty` vi.
            Nhi`n le'n ve^` phi'a sau dde^? tru+` 5 lao 7 thu+o+ng
            Lung lay dda^`u, ddong ddu+a mo^ng de^? tru+` ta^m ho?a
            Hai tay theo cha^n la`m kho?e tha^.n va` lu+ng
            Na('m tay chu+`ng ma('t dde^? la`m ta(ng khi' lu+.c
            Tra(m be^.nh 7 ddie^n he^'t tie^u, vu+'t la.i sau lu+ng

            Two hands push up to heaven to regulate the "san-jao"
            Draw bow to shoot birds (left and right)
            Raising hands alternately to harmonize spleen and stomach
            Turn head looking backward to prevent all kinds of illness
            Rotate the head and lower back to cure heartburn
            Two hands touch feet to strenghthen the waist and kidneys
            Open eyes widely and make fists to increase energy
            Rocking feet back and forth to prevent many diseases


   Vi` la` nhu+~ng the^' ta^.p no^.i co^ng va` khi' co^ng cho ne^n ddie^`u
quan tro.ng la` pha?i ta^.p ddu'ng ca'ch, ne^'u kho^ng ba`i ta^.p chi? co'
ta'c du.ng nhu+ 1 ba`i ta^.p the^? du.c tho^ng thu+o+`ng.

   Sau dda^y la` nhu+~ng nguye^n ta('c ta^.p Ba't DDoa.n Ca^?m:

1. THA^N:  Giu+~ lu+ng tha(?ng.  Xu+o+ng so^'ng, co^? va` dda^`u luo^n luo^n
   tha(?ng ha`ng vo+'i nhau.

2. TA^M:   Khi ta^.p ta^m pha?i thanh tha?n, bo? mo.i lo nghi~.

3. TU+'C:  Ho+i tho+? pha?i da`i va` nhe. ha^`u nhu+ kho^ng nghe tha^'y
   tie^'ng tho+?.  Hi't va`o khi ddu+a tay le^n hoa(.c vu+o+n tay ra, tho+?
   ra khi ha. tay xuo^'ng hoa(.c co tay va`o.  Khi hi't va`o thi` phi`nh cho^~
   bu.ng du+o+'i (no+i huye^.t ddan ddie^`n) ra, khi tho+? ra thi` tho't cho^~
   bu.ng du+o+'i la.i.  Hi't va`o va` tho+? ra pha?i dde^`u, nhi.p nha`ng va`
   da`i ba(`ng nhau.  Tho+? ba(`ng mu~i, dda^`u lu+o+~i dde^? tre^n ma'i
   ngo'i, ga^`n cha^n ra(ng ha`m tre^n (tu+o+ng tu+. nhu+ khi to.a thie^`n)

4. Y':     Ta^.p trung y' va`o tu+`ng ddo^.ng ta'c.  Y' da^~n tru+o+'c, ddo^.ng
   ta'c theo sau.

5. TA'C:   La`m ca`c ddo^.ng ta'c cha^`m cha^.m.  Tua^`n tu+. da~n va` xa? su+.
   ca(ng tha(?ng ca'c ba('p thi.t o+? tre^n ca'c bo^. pha^.n tre^n ngu+o+`i,
   nha^'t la` o+? vai, dde^? cho cha^n khi' lu+u chuye^?n de^~ da`ng.

6. NA(NG:  Pha?i ta^.p dde^`u ha`ng nga`y.  Bo? a(n thi` ddu+o+.c chu+' kho^ng
   ne^n bo? ta^.p.  Ta^.p tha^'t thu+o+`ng, nga`y ta^.p nga`y kho^ng se~ kho^ng
   co' ma^'y ke^'t qua?.

   (TO BE CONTINUED)  Ky` to+'i:  Ba't DDoa.n Ca^?m, The^' thu+' nha^'t.

ENJOY.  Chu'c Tro.ng Nga^n