Foreword
The enquiry into absolute reality has been a fervent pursuit of many people through the ages. Out of the multitude, only a few had discovered the right path and among those few, even fewer attained the absolute truth. The accomplished ones usually had no words to say when asked about their achievement for
absolute reality is cognizable only through experience. By trial and error a seeker may discover the right path at last, but this process may be shortened or omitted if one has an experienced guide who is free from both sidesaying or keeping silence.
Now we are fortunate to have found such an experienced guide in the distinguished Buddhist Yogi C. M. Chen who, out of compassion, has enabled the Ven. Sangharakshita and Ven. Khantipalo to write down this systematic and practical guidebook for the benefit of the serious students in Buddhist meditation in the English-speaking world.
It is hoped that sincere readers will read, reflect, and practice accordingly. Gautama Buddha's teaching does not tell us just to believe blindly. It invites us to come and achieve results ourselves.
The Buddhist Yogi C. M. Chen has some other useful works in manuscript awaiting for publication. Interested people are welcomed to contribute for the cost of printing them for free distribution so that more phases of the Dharma may be presented to the Western World.
May all attain the Peace Profound.
Upasaka Khoo Poh Kong
MALAYSIA, 11.6.1966 (2993)
Foreword to the 1980 Edition
This book is unusual among the numerous publications available on Buddhist meditation. It is based upon the experiences of a well-known Buddhist yogi, Chien-ming Chen, (commonly known as Yogi C. M. Chen) who practiced meditation alone in Kalimpong, India at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains for over 28
years. This book presents both doctrinal and practical aspects of the subject. Furthermore, it explains and correlates the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions of Buddhist meditation and offers detailed instructions on undertaking the Vajrayana method for a Western student. The main text is augmented by several appendices which give more detailed information and instruction.
The manner in which this meditation manual was first written in 1962 in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India, is described in the beginning of the Introduction of the 1966 edition and 1976 reprint: "In this book, the words of our Buddhist yogi, C. M. Chen, have first been noted down and particular care taken to
preserve something of his original expressions and peculiar style. So that nothing is missed, two persons met him every week. One listened, that is Venerable Sangharakshita Sthavira, and another was the recorder, that is the writer (Khantipalo Bhikkhu). The next day, the subject still being fresh in
mind, these notes were converted into a rough draft after which they were given to the Ven. Sthavira for his comments. After revising as he suggested they were typed and then taken along to the next meeting with Yogi Chen. He then read them carefully, adding or deleting material where necessary, resulting in
a final manuscript which is certainly well-checked and we hope, an accurate presentation of the Buddha Teachings and Yogi Chen's practical experience of these."
The final draft was published as a book in 1966 by Upasaka Khoo Poh Kong of Malaysia for free distribution to all who may be interested in Buddhist meditation. When that edition became out of print but still in demand, I had 1000 copies of it reprinted in the United States in 1976 for free distribution
from my office in New York City. The reprint edition was photo-printed from the 1966 edition to which Yogi Chen added two interesting appendices: "How To Transform The Human Body Into The Buddha Body" and "How To Transmute the Human Consciousness Into The Buddha's Wisdom"
It became apparent that there was a great public demand for this book soon after its reprinting in 1976. It was also apparent at that time that certain revisions to the book were necessary. Sanskrit transliterations needed standardization and some passages required clarification. It was felt, however, that the basic style should be left intact as long as clarity of meaning could be maintained. In this way it was hoped that the reader will have a greater sense of contact with Yogi Chen himself. To accomplish this The Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions, New York, obtained the permission of Yogi Chen
and proceeded to organize a team headed by Dr. Christopher S. George. Miss Vicki Brown was then dispatched to Berkeley, California where she worked with
Yogi Chen for over eight months revising the text. The present edition is the result of the joint effort made by the members of the team which included Teresa Szu, Alice Romanelli Hower, Larry Hower, Vasiliki Sarantakos and Janet Gyatso.
For more than 30 years Yogi Chen wrote and printed many Buddhist books both in English and Chinese. He made a vow that none of his works should be printed for sale. He lives such a humble life that one can hardly find any difference between his one room apartment in Berkeley, California and his small hut in
Kalimpong, India. By putting Yogi Chen's words to print, we are attempting to put you, the reader, in spiritual communication with him and enable you to visualize the kind of man Yogi Chen is.
C. T. Shen
A Note to the Readers
This book assumes that most of its readers have some basic knowledge of the Buddha's Teachings and in particular are acquainted with the tradition of Buddhist Meditation and Wisdom. A number of books exist where this subject is treated for the instruction of beginners but the special merit of this book
is that it takes the whole range of Buddhist thought in its three vehicles (yana) and shows how these complement each other to form a unified three-in-one systematic way to Buddhahood. The meditations of the Hinayana are comparatively well-known in western lands but knowledge regarding those of the Mahayana,
especially the practice applications of the perfection of wisdom, is very scanty indeed, while the West knows almost nothing of Vajrayana techniques for Full Enlightenment in this very life. It must be emphasized, as our wise and learned author has often done, that each one of these chapters could be
expanded into a book, or into many books and that here, as one might expect in a book of this size, only a selection can be given of the very vast range of material dealing with Meditation in Buddhism..
Readers who come new to this subject are therefore advised to read first the biography of our yogi as he says, "to get some interest," and then to turn to the conclusion where a brief summary appears of the contents of this work concisely presenting our Three-ways-in-one. They will also find it instructive to
read the answers given by our yogi-author to a number of questions on practical matters connected with meditation which form an appendix to this book.
Having thus gone in full circle around the work, they will be ready to spiral inwards, to the inner chapters containing the explanatory diagrams and a digest of meditations to be practiced in the various vehicles taught by Lord Buddha for carrying all beings to the Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment..
Triyana Vardhana Vihara,
Kalimpong, West Bengal,
India.
The writer, Khantipalo Bhikkhu.
On Full Moon Day of December
in the Buddhist Era
2989 (1962 CE).
Foreword to the 1989 Printing
This is a photocopy of the 1980 edition. The photo from the 1967 edition that shows Yogi Chen giving this talk to the two monks has been reinstated. A set of images of the Four Guardian Kings who are the protectors of this book has been reinstated onto the backcover. These reinstatements are made in accordance with my late Guru Yogi Chen's wish.
The Second Lineage Holder of Adi Buddha Mandala Yutang Lin July 4,1989
El Cerrito, California
U. S. A.
Foreword to 2011 Revised Edition
The printed version was scanned long ago and then converted by software into Word Perfect 5 files. Then we converted those into Word 2003 files. A Buddhist tried to correct the Sanskrit terms contained in it, but did not finished the work after long years.
Then in 2009 a Buddhist by the name of Dhammacari Shantavira contacted me via our websites and volunteered to review and revised the Sanskrit terms, and he also offered many findings on typos and mistaken references. All his results in Word 2003 files finally reached me by the end of March 2010.
The fonts used showed Sanskrit properly but looks ugly. Nowadays one can easily find references to Sanskrit terms on-line using only English letters. So I decided to use Times New Roman as the font, and get rid of all those Sanskrit alphabets.
From August 2010 to May 2011 I worked on reviewing and revising these files and showed my revisions in green highlights. Many mistaken references had been corrected and all Chinese terms are given in Pin Yin now. As soon as each chapter or appendix is done, I released it to all on my email list. And disciples who are maintaining our websites updated and posted them immediately.
May Guru Chen's teachings spread and benefit many sentient beings!
Yutang Lin
May 9, 2011
El Cerrito, California
