Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

(red) and the sunyata of pleasure (white). When they are
well identified, the Buddha-wisdom arises.
In the five meditations of the Hinayana, there is one
concerning breath. Now we see that its significance in
Tantra is quite different, and is the highest stage among
our breathing practices. Readers should see our second
diagram in Chapter X (see also Ch. VIII, G) for the
correspondences through the various yanas.
2. Realization
This depends on two factors: sunyata and breath. The
realization of sunyata has already been given (see Ch. X,
Part Two, H) and it only remains to list here the three
degrees of breath-realization.
Mr. Chen then showed how the breath timing is
calculated. Sitting up straight, with the left hand in
dhyana position, he drew in a breath and
then—rhythmically and unhurried—tapped with the
fingers of his right hand first upon his right knee,
then his left knee, then his forehead, and finally he
snapped his fingers.
a. When one can hold a single breath for 36 of these
cycles (about one minute), then this is the lowest
achievement.
b. The middle rank is calculated in the same way but the
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