Lotus Posture: Padma Asana or Padmasana - Pali Paduma Asana - Lotus Pose - Chinese Lian hwa dzwo, Shwang jye jya fu dzwo - Full Lotus

lotus posture (padmasana)

When sitting in the full-lotus posture,
I vow that living beings
will have solid good roots
And attain the Unmoving Ground.
(FAS Ch11 127)

"When you sit down (to meditate), you take your left leg and put it on top of your right thigh, and then take your right leg and put it on top of your left thigh. That's the full lotus posture. It is also called the jeweled vajra sitting position. It is also called the Bodhi position. Although there are many names, they all refer to this one position. If you sit in this position it is easy to enter samadhi. It is also easier not to doze off. On the other hand, you can also sleep in this position. However, if you don't want to sleep, you don't have to. Why? It is because everything is made from the mind alone.

"When you sit, your body should be held upright. Don't lean back with your neck cocked backwards. Don't lean backwards or forwards or slouch to the right or left. Sit straight but not stiff as a board. Don't sit so stiffly that it seems you are hemmed in on all sides by stiff boards or iron bars. I say this because I know there are certain people who, when they sit, immediately sit up as stiff as boards. They pose like wooden statues. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to maintain yourself like that. That is not the way to subdue your body and mind. Subduing the body and mind should be very natural. Don't display some special style. . . . When meditation is done naturally, there is not any force at all about it. You just sit there very relaxed, and you feel quite comfortable. . . .

"When you are sitting, you want to make your breath even. For instance, you don't want to make a point of taking very deep breaths . . . like a cow. . . . On the other hand you shouldn't breathe like a mosquito--so shallowly that its barely audible.... You breathe in when you need to breathe in, and you breathe out when you need to breathe out. It's very natural and you make your mind pure and don't have any false thinking.

"Put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. That way the saliva in your mouth will flow directly into your stomach. That is why it is best for people who meditate to refrain from smoking, drinking, and taking other intoxicants. Don't rely on external conditions to aid you. If you don't smoke and you don't drink, then your saliva won't be scorched and bitter, and you will be able to swallow it into your stomach, where the saliva helps in harmonizing the energy and the blood.

"When you are sitting, don't be afraid of the pain. Perhaps you can sit for half an hour before the pain starts, but when it does begin you should be patient. It is at that point when patience is of the utmost importance. The more it hurts, the more you are patient, just as if you were raising a child. You should say, "Come on, child, don't cry. Wait a bit and I will give you some candy." You can tell your legs, "Don't lose your temper; don't get angry. Wait a bit until I've mastered this sitting, and then you won't hurt anymore. Then we will have ended birth and death." Tell your legs that the very best thing to do would be to go to sleep and not get angry. . . . When your legs hurt, you should bear it, and then pretty soon you will be able to sit for an hour, two hours, three hours. You will sit there in a state of unmoving suchness, and there in that unmoving state several hours will pass very quickly. That means you have experienced a little bit of 'light ease', and you should continue with your cultivation. If you continue with your cultivation, then you can obtain genuine samadhi power.

"Some people are really worried. . . . They say, 'Well I'd like to investigate Chan, but I can't sit in full lotus posture, so it is useless.' Don't worry; if you can't sit in full lotus you can sit in half lotus. That's putting your left leg on top of your right thigh. Why does the left leg go on the right leg? . . . The left leg is yang and the right leg is yin. The left leg represents heaven and the right leg represents earth. And so heaven is on top and the earth is on the bottom. You can sit that way. And if you can't manage half lotus, you can sit in any way that is comfortable. Subdue your body and mind. Cause the body and mind not to lose their tempers, so that no matter how long you sit there is no fear of pain, and they don't get angry. . . ." (TD 66)

To sit still for a single moment,
Is worth more than building as many pagodas of the seven gems
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.
(TD 67)

On Sitting in Full Lotus Posture--An Historical Account

"A long time ago in China, there was a monk who recited Sutras for dead people. He always recited Sutras for others' sake, but not for his own sake. He created merit and virtue for other people, but not for himself. One day he came back from creating merit and virtue for others. It was dark on his way back home. While he went through a village, a dog barked at him. It woke some people, and he heard a woman inside a house say, 'Do you hear the dog barking so loudly? Maybe there is a thief. We'd better take a look.' Her husband replied, 'It cannot be.' The dog then barked more fiercely, so he looked outside through the window.

"'Is that a thief?' his wife asked.

"'No, it's only a Sutra reciting ghost!'

"When the monk heard him call him a Sutra-reciting ghost instead of a Sutra-reciting god, he felt unhappy in his heart. 'Ha! What's the matter with reciting the Sutras? How dare you call me a Sutra-reciting ghost? If I were a real ghost, I'd give you a headache.' And so he had such thoughts as he passed through the village.

"As he was walking across a bridge it started to rain, so he quickly ran down under the bridge to get out of the rain. He had heard that if one sat in full-lotus posture the result was not bad, and so he tried it out. . . . Suddenly he saw two ghosts. They didn't bother him; instead they bowed to him.

"They said, 'This golden stupa (i.e. reliquary monument, pagoda) must contain the Buddha's sarira (i.e., relics). We should respect it and bow to it.'

"Because he sat in full-lotus position, he looked like a golden stupa in the eyes of those two ghosts. The monk saw the two ghosts bow to him. He probably also saw ghosts when he 'took across' dead people. . . . He was not afraid of them. After sitting in full-lotus position for a while, he felt pain. It became so intense that he could no longer endure it, even if he clenched his teeth. And so he put down the leg on top and sat in the half-lotus position instead. When the two ghosts raised their heads from bowing, they were surprised: 'Why has this golden stupa become a silver stupa?' The full-lotus position is a golden stupa, and the half-lotus position is a silver stupa, viewed from the eyes of ghosts.

"One ghost said, 'Inside a golden stupa or a silver stupa, there are still the Buddha's sarira, and so we should still keep on bowing to eradicate our karmic offenses.!' Therefore, they kept on bowing to him.

"Probably he overheard the conversation between these two ghosts. Yet after another hour he could no longer endure the pain from sitting in half-lotus position. Because he was used to reciting Sutras for dead people to make his living, he couldn't endure sitting in full-lotus for half an hour and then half-lotus for another hour. And so he put down his other leg and just sat casually.

"When the two ghosts stood up from bowing, they saw him and said, 'Now this is neither a golden stupa nor a silver stupa. It's only a pile of mud!' They wanted to hit him and kick him.

"The monk was so scared that he quickly went back to the full-lotus position. When the ghosts were just about to hit him, they saw the mud pile had become a golden stupa again! They said, 'This is certainly an inconceivable state; we had better quickly bow. And so the ghosts continued to bow.

"After this experience, the monk didn't dare put down his legs. No matter how painful his legs felt, he endured the pain. . . . He sat in meditation and recited the Buddha's name until the next morning. Then his two legs didn't hurt any more. He thought, 'I was called a Sutra-reciting ghost before, because I recited Sutras for others. But when I sat in full-lotus position, I was a golden stupa. And when I sat in half-lotus position, I was a silver stupa. But when I sat causally, I was just a pile of mud. When one sits in full-lotus position, even ghosts come to pay their respects. This is really inconceivable!'

"After this experience, he no longer dared merely to recite Sutras for others, but resolved to sit in full-lotus to help his own cultivation. After cultivating for a period of time, he got enlightened and was certified as such. After his enlightenment, he realized that the source of his enlightenment was the two ghosts who had forced him to resolve to cultivate. And so he gave up his former name and replaced it with a very strange one: 'Pressured-by-Ghosts'. Thereafter, everyone called him Meditation Master Pressured-by-Ghosts. . . ." (FAS Ch11 127-131)

---------

(Source: Epstein, 2003: pp. 125 - 128)

1) Chinese Mandarin: lyan-hwa dzwo , shwang/jye jya-fu dzwo , 2) Sanskrit: padma-asana, 3) Pali: paduma-asana.

See also: meditation.

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: TD 63-67; FAS Ch11 127-131, 244-245; SS I 98-99; LY I 70-75; DFS IX 1716-17, 1722-1727.

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)

Primary Original Source: The Tripitaka Sutra, Shastra and Vinaya teachings
(as found in the scripture storehouse of the Indian Sanskrit-Siddham, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese traditions of the Nalanda Tradition of ancient Nalanda University) of Shakyamuni Buddha, and his Arya Sagely Bodhisattva Bhikshu Monk and Upasaka disciples.

These Good and Wise Advisors (Kaliyanamitra) Dharma Master teachers include Arya Venerables Nagarjuna, Ashvaghosha, Aryasura, Kumarajiva, Shantideva, Chandrakirti, Chandragomin, Vasubandhu, Asanga, Hui Neng, Atisha, Kamalashila, Dharmarakshita, Tsong Khapa, Thogme Zangpo, Patanjali, Sushruta, Charaka, Vagbhata, Nichiren, Hsu Yun, Hsuan Hua, Shen Kai, Tenzin Gyatso, Kyabje Zopa, Ajahn Chah, Vasant Lad, and other modern day masters. We consider them to be in accord with Master Hsuan Hua’s "Seven Guidelines for Recognizing Genuine Teachers"

Nalanda Online University's teachings are based especially on the Dharma Flower Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Ksitigarbha Sutra, the Bhaisajya Guru Sutra, the Dharani Sutra, the Vajra Sutra, the Prajna Paramita Hridayam Sutra, the Guhyasamaja, the Kalachakra and their commentaries (shastras) by the above Arya Tripitakacharya Dharma Masters.

At Nalanda Online University we practice daily and introduce you to (via downloadable multimedia MP3 audio and WMV video lectures) the teachings and practices of the Five Traditions transmitted by the Buddha Shakyamuni:

1. Teaching School (Mahayana Sutrayana - Paramitayana - Hua Yan and Tian Tai, Yogachara, Nalanda Prasangika Madhyamika, Theravada Sutta)

See also: Tripitaka (1. Sutras, 2. Vinaya, 3. Shastras or Abhidharma, or Tantra), Taisho Catalog Numbering System, Dharma, and names of individual sutras (such as Shurangama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra [Flower Adornment Sutra], Lotus Sutra [Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra], Earth Store Sutra, Dharani Sutra, Brahma Net Sutra, Medicine Master Buddha Sutra, Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra, Sutra in 42 Sections, Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching, et al.

2. Moral Regulations School (Vinaya Pratimoksha Shila - Bodhisattva Pranidhana - Vajrayana-Samaya - Yogic Yama)

3. Esoteric School (Vajrayana - Mantrayana - Tantrayana - Dharani - Secret School of the Mahayana)

4. Meditation School (Indian Dhyana Samadhi - Shamatha - Vipassana, Chinese Chan, Japanese Zen,
        Tibetan Mahamudra of Kagyupa, and Tibetan Dzogchen of Nyingmapa)

5. Pure Land Devotional School (Bhakti Puja - Buddha-Bodhisattva Mindfulness and Nama Japa --
         Name Recitation of Buddhas Amitabha-Amitayus, Medicine Buddha - Bhaisajya Guru - Akshobhya,
         and Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara-Guanyin-Chenrezig-Mahakala, Tara, Samantabhadra Universal Worthy,
         Manjushri-Kalarupa Great Wisdom, Maitreya Great Loving-Kindness, Mahasthamaprapta Great Strength,
         Ksitigarbha - Earth Store Great Vows, Vajrapani, Vajrasattva,
         Chandraprabha Moonlight Radiance, Suryaprabha Sunlight Radiance, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Medicine Superior Bodhisattva
         and others Dharma Protecting Dharmapala Lokapala Bodhisattvas, Gods and Goddesses)

Compilation Sources for the Above Material on the Teachings of the Buddha:

Primary Compilation Source: Epstein, Ronald B., Ph.D, compiler, Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z, Burlingame, California: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003. ISBN: 0881393533 Paperback: 284 pages. www.BTTSOnline.org www.Amazon.com
http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881393533/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20

Secondary Compilation Source: The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., San Francisco, California: Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 1998: www.budaedu.org.tw

Secondary Compilation Source: Muller, Charles, editor, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB], Toyo Gakuen University, Japan, 2007: Username is "guest", with no password.
http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb - Based in large part on the Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms with Sanskrit and English Equivalents (by Soothill and Hodous) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.

Secondary Compilation Source: Ehrhard, Diener, Fischer, et al, The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 296 pages. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5 www.Shambhala.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877735204/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20,
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-0-87773-520-5.cfm

The Dharma is a Priceless Jewel,
thus these research compilations
and audio and video teaching materials are
offered free-of-charge by this anonymous Buddhist Monk
for the Bodhi Resolve benefit of All Sentient Beings in the Universe...

...under a Creative Commons License.

The rights to textual segments ("quoted, paraphrased, or excerpted") of the are owned by the author-publisher indicated in the brackets next to each segment and are make available and commented on (under the "shastra tradition") under Fair Use. For rights regarding the Buddhist "Encyclopaedia - Glossary - Dictionary" compilation as a whole, please know that it is offered under this Creative Commons License.

This Nalanda University site (www.Nalanda-University.com)
is redacted by an anonymous Buddhist monk
for the benefit of all living beings
so they may diligently (virya paramita) cultivate freely to
realize Bodhi enlightenment for the sake of all.

On the Buddha Shakyamuni's Birthday 2007,
this free redaction is offered (received, upheld, read, recited, studied, pondered, explained, and written out),
in accordance with the Lotus Saddharma Pundarika Sutra Chapter 19: "Merit and Virtue of a Dharma Master" as a
selfless offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattva Sangha above to adorn the Pure Lands and
to liberate living beings suffering in samsara below by compassionately helping them to plant good roots in this and their future rebirths.

The merit is dedicated to anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

Increasing Effect Mantra:
Om Sambhara Sambhara (These Bhikshu Bodhisattva Bodhichitta Vows) Bimana Sara (Spread) Maha (Greatly) Java (Rapidly) Hum (recited 7x)

To increase by 100,000 times the merit created:
Tadyatha Om Pancha Griya (five offerings or five faces) Ava Bodhani Svaha (7x)

Om Dhuru Dhuru Jaya (Victory) Mukhe (Face or Mouth) Svaha (7x)

I Now Universally Transfer the Merit and Virtue of to All Beings to realize Anuttara-Samyak-Sam-Bodhi
(“Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment”)

Sarva Mangalam.
May all be Auspicious.

Arya Bhikshu Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara says:
Just as Manjushri works
To fulfill the aims of all limited beings
To the far reaches of space in the ten directions,
May my behavior become just like that.

For as long as space remains,
And for as long as wandering beings remain,
May I too remain for that long,
Dispelling the sufferings of wandering beings.

(Like Ananda says in the Shurangama Sutra introduction to the Shurangama Mantra,
"And even could the nature of shunyata melt away, my vajra-like Supreme Resolve would still remain unmoved.)

Whatever sufferings wandering beings might have,
May all of them ripen on me,
And through the Bodhisattva assembly,
May wandering beings enjoy happiness.

May the teachings,
the sole medicine for the sufferings of wandering beings
And the source of all happiness,
Continue to endure for a very long time,
With material support and shows of respect.

Updated May 10, 2008