What is the state of meditation? How is it different from sleeping?

Someone asked me, "What is the difference between meditation and sleeping?" In short, the posture of meditation is still sitting upright, with a straight back like a pen, straight and unbiased, or breathing stops, or pulse stops, looking like a living dead, but sentient.

You can sit still for a day, for ten days, or even for a month. Sleeping posture, head tilted and involuntary, breathing in, whistling, and even snorting like thunder. The difference is in this place.

The process of participating in Zen is like reading, from elementary school to middle school, university, and graduate school, and after these four stages, you can obtain a doctorate. The method of Zen meditation is also the same, divided into four steps, that is, the realm of the four meditations. Briefly described as follows:

The first Zen is called "the land of joy of leaving life". It is to leave the relationship of sentient beings and get another kind of happiness. This is not the happiness obtained by ordinary people, but in the self-nature kung fu.

In the first meditation, breathing stops. The outside breathing stops, and the inner breathing moves, just like hibernation, no more details. At this time, the heart is as clear as water and as bright as a mirror. According to the essence of one's own nature, one knows that one is meditating.

The second Zen name is "Pure Birth and Joyful Land". In meditation, an incomparable happiness is born, the so-called "Zen joy is food, and Dharma joy is full." "Getting this kind of happiness, you don't know hunger, so you can go many days without eating or drinking, it doesn't matter.

But don't be persistent, if you are persistent, your previous efforts will be abandoned, that is, you will enter the demonic realm, and you must be cautious. In the state of the second meditation, not only does the breathing stop in meditation, but also the pulse stops. When it comes out, it returns to normal.

The name of the three meditations is "Leaving Joy and Wonderful Happiness". It is to leave the joy of the second meditation and get indescribable happiness, feeling that everything is Buddhism and everything is happiness.

In the realm of the three meditations, the breathing pulse stops in meditation, and the mind also stops. At this time, do not think of good, do not think of evil, do not think of yes or wrong, that is, do not think of any thought. But don't think it's amazing, it's just a process, and there are still 108,000 miles away from life and death.

The four meditations are called "Giving Up Thoughts on the Pure Land". In this state, there is no even the thought of happiness, and it has been abandoned, and it has reached the state of purity and non-action. That is, to the point of doing nothing and doing nothing.

When it comes to the fourth meditation, it is the only way to participate in meditation, there is nothing great, don't mistake it for the result. If you think like this, you will make the same mistake as the ignorant monk and fall into hell.

The realm of the four meditations is still the status of an ordinary person. If you diligently move forward and realize the state of "five non-return to heaven", you will realize the status of a saint. But this person has not yet finished life and death, and he has to go beyond the three realms to escape death. This point should be clarified and not confused.