General Principles: Please carefully study the rituals and instructions in the Dharma text before beginning your session, and practice according to the requirements of the Dharma text.
Q: A session starts at 2 hours. Does the ritual count toward the time?
A: No, it does not count. You can set the total duration to a little over 2 hours in advance.
Q: Can I move my legs?
A: We cultivate the mind, not the legs. Just focus on reciting the mantra. As long as the mantra does not stop and the mudra is not released, you may change legs if they become truly unbearable (but you must not casually stand up, walk around, talk to others, or open the door, etc.).
Q: Can I go to the toilet right after the session?
A: Wait at least twenty minutes after the session before going to the toilet. However, during meditation there may also be situations where you feel the urge to have diarrhea. In that case, persist until the session is finished, and you may go directly to the toilet afterward. It is fine if this happens once or twice occasionally.
Q: Can I look at the time?
A: Just focus on reciting the mantra; time passes the fastest that way. You cannot simply endure your way through it. So try not to look at the time. You can set an alarm and place your phone somewhere out of reach.
Q: Must I cover myself with a yellow cloth?
A: Yes. If you are traveling, a clean towel may be used as a substitute.
Q: What should I do if I feel sleepy?
A: If you feel sleepy, open your eyes and recite the mantra loudly. Fight against drowsiness and do not fall asleep. If you are in a daze and wake up to find that your mudra has not fallen or scattered, that is entering samadhi.
Q: What if I suddenly forget the mantra?
A: Memorize the mantra thoroughly before sitting. If you cannot recall it during the session, do not panic. It will come back to you.
Q: What if I forget to change the mudra, and after seven or eight minutes I remember and then change it?
A: That is fine. Then simply extend the session a little longer before finishing.
Q: What is the purpose of forming the mudra? It hurts so much.
A: Hand pain is the dissolving of karmic obstacles. When obstacles dissolve, wisdom opens. As the saying goes, the ten fingers are connected to the heart. Through the hands, one directly and forcefully subdues the mind. It does not rely on reasoning; it is fast. The Mind Seal is originally a practice of threefold esoteric empowerment. The mudra is the antenna, and the mantra is the signal being sent. In this way, the body holds the mantra, and the mouth and mind recite the mantra—body, mouth, and mind, the three secrets—relying on the Buddha's power of empowerment to directly and secretly transform the eighth consciousness into the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. The practice is fast, powerful, and suited to contemporary beings.
Q: During the session, the mudra suddenly broke open and scattered on its own. I hurriedly re-formed it, and this happened several times. What should I do?
A: This is a stirring of qi. If it was not released by your own active intention, it is fine. Just re-form it.
Q: What does the check-in format mean?
A: For example, 1-2-3 means the third session of the second mudra in the first round. The Mind Center has six mudras. At the beginning, each mudra is practiced for eight days, so the six mudras total 48 days. Two rounds make 96 days. This is the Hundred Sessions. After completing the hundred sessions, one will never fall into the three evil paths for all future lives. Also, check-in is not mandatory. It is mostly a reminder to prevent yourself from forgetting the sequence. What you actually do is what matters most.
Q: During the session, should I keep my back straight? How should I place the mudra?
A: Just let the body relax naturally. There is no rule that a straight back or a bent back is wrong. The mudra is not pressed against the center of the chest. The wrists are joined, and the mudra is at a forty-five-degree angle to the chest.
Q: If I only start the session at 11 or 12 at night, does it still count as today's session?
A: If you have not sat that day, then it still counts. The Mind Seal does not specify a particular hour as the boundary. But it is recommended to sit first thing in the morning. This avoids unexpected situations that leave no time to sit during the day. In addition, if you can truly only sit at night after returning home, it is advised not to take a nap to catch up on sleep first. Sit directly; finish the session first. If you are tired, you simply have to persevere yourself. This prevents the situation of taking a nap and then sleeping right through.
Q: Recently during meditation, after about an hour, I could no longer recite the mantra, and the mudra had not fallen or scattered.
A: Elder Yuanyin said: When discursive thoughts can no longer be stirred and the mantra can no longer be recited, and the mudra has not fallen or scattered, you should let go of the mantra and peacefully enter samadhi. At first the samadhi is dim, but after a long time it becomes clear.
Q: There are also times when the mudra falls and I feel as if I have fallen asleep, and I am even dreaming.
A: If you are dreaming, there may be two possibilities: one is a state within samadhi; the other is that you have actually fallen asleep and are dreaming, which means you are having wandering thoughts during the session. Quickly pick up the mantra again. You must not entertain wandering thoughts.
