Senior sister seemed to have anticipated my question, she said, this Zhixing Taoist was originally in a fairy mountain in the mainland to practice, and later because of a coincidence, came to Hong Kong, the conditions at that time were very difficult, Zhixing Taoist chose to practice on the edge of this Wong Tai Sin Temple, originally to get the way, but after several cultivation, but the progress is very small. For this reason, the Path Master chose to practice retreat in order to move up the ranks.

In fact, I have also heard the retreat in martial arts, but my senior sister told me more carefully. She said that retreat, also known as "sitting retreat," comes from Buddhism. In Buddhism, "retreat" refers to the practice of meditation or several people in a closed door, and the practice of meditation or the study of scriptures, confession, writing, etc., and the severance of all affairs and personal interactions. The closing period is three days and seven days for the shortest, 21 days, 49 days and three months for the medium, and one year or even three years for the elderly. Retreats are usually done in a single room or a small courtyard, while yogis in Tibetan Buddhism often live alone in caves. Having someone to take care of their daily life is called "guarding the pass", and in martial arts, it is called the retreat "protector". After entering the customs, the entrance or portal of the cave must be closed, leaving only a small window for delivering food, and only after the cultivation period expires can the entrance be broken and exited. The end of the retreat is dedicated to meditation, and for people who are generally scattered, it is obviously easy to get through the scattered barrier, so that the practice can be rapidly improved in a relatively short period of time, and even go deeper into various meditations.

The martial arts masters in his pen practice in retreat are mostly to break through the difficulties in the practice or to concentrate on cultivating some kind of novel martial arts. It is said that this retreat must pass through the four levels of wind, breath, breath and breath. At the beginning of the retreat, there are many hallucinations, and the meditator will suddenly have the feeling of "sprinkling the fresh breeze through all the orifices", which is for the "wind"; At this stage, it is most likely to go crazy. In the second stage, when the true qi fills the limbs and hundreds of remains, the practitioner will naturally have a deep and rapid breathing, which is for the "gasp" level; In the third stage, the strange sound due to shortness of breath is for the "qi" off; After breathing, it turns into tranquility and peace, and it is the "rest" level. After the four levels, the retreat is completed and the retreat person returns to normal. During the retreat, the human body is in an extraordinary state, not only has no power to resist the enemy, but also extremely avoids interference, otherwise the consequences are unimaginable. Retreat practice is not mentioned much in many martial arts, and it is all in their own language, which cannot be trusted.

This is also the reason why both Buddhism and Taoism also have to go through a retreat stage, which is simply a retreat in which the practitioner closes himself in the closed room, does not come into contact with other people or external affairs, abstains from everything, and meditates and meditates for a long time on his own, which is called retreat. But this is only a superficial view of the secular view of retreat, and in fact the Buddhist interpretation of retreat has a deeper meaning. Buddhists believe that the closed person is the act of defilement beyond the Three Realms; The person who is concerned means that his actions are related to the entire Dharma realm and its cultivation system without any reversal, that is, the cultivation must be based on a certain order. There are differences in the conditions of retreat between Sutra, Zen Buddhism, and Tantra. The most important aspect of the Sutra retreat is to have the "four places of thought" as the basis of thought, i.e., contemplation of impurity, contemplation of suffering, contemplation of impermanence of the mind, and contemplation of the absence of self. Because the body is impure, the mind of impermanence arises, and the practice is diligent, so as to reduce the pollution, so as to prevent death due to impermanence; Contemplating suffering is suffering, and knowing that all suffering is suffering, we must empty our perception of suffering, so as not to be troubled and attached; Contemplate the impermanence of the mind and do not follow it, so as to alleviate the scattered and dim mind; The purpose of contemplating selflessness is to attain emptiness. With these conditions, the retreat will have the right motivation to practice and persevere. In Zen Buddhism, you are not allowed to retreat until you are enlightened. After enlightenment, one should retreat in a house, which is called the first retreat; After breaking the initial pass, you have to live in the mountain, but you can come and go freely in the mountain, which is called the heavy pass; If you break the heavy pass, you will live in the downtown area, and practice in the sound and color occasions, which is called the prison pass, and you will not become a Buddha until you break the prison pass. The important condition of tantric retreat is the four fundamentals, namely the four fundamentals, namely, the Guru, the Buddha-figure, the empty mother, and the Dharma protector. All in all, whether a retreat can be achieved or not depends on whether or not it develops the great bodhichitta of purifying all sentient beings and practices it in person.

Retreats are divided into formal retreats and convenient retreats. A formal retreat is a true retreat, or retreat in the broadest sense; A convenient retreat is a non-true retreat, or a retreat in the narrow sense.

In terms of the duration of the retreat, the formal retreat is for the true monks, not only to be untainted by all the drama and indulgence of life and death, but also to complete the meditation system in stages. In other words, formal retreat solves the problem of how to attain the ultimate attainment, attain the highest attainment, solve the major issues of life and death, and break through the barrier of life and death. Therefore, the duration of the retreat must be long-term, ranging from years to decades or even life. However, a convenient retreat is different in that it is designed for lay people or beginners, or for people who are busy with work and daily work, and the retreat can be as short as a few months or a few days, such as winter and summer holidays or other holidays.

Judging from the location of the retreat, the location prescribed for the formal retreat is very strict. Patriarch Milarepa stipulated that only three places (corpse grounds, cemeteries, caves, and mountains) could be retreated. Retreat in the Corpse Grove allows you to practice the Dharma of the Body and the Manifestation of emptiness, and you can practice the combination of horror and emptiness. In the cave retreat, the cave entrance should be selected to the south, this kind of pass can not be closed, the cave should be inaccessible to people. In the retreat on the highest snow-capped mountain, there are no clouds and clear skies throughout the year, because the mountains are high and there are strong winds or clear snow, which is convenient for the cultivation of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. For convenient retreats, you don't have to be so particular about retreats, you can retreat by setting up a retreat room in your home, an institution, a factory, etc. ）

From the point of view of the goal of the retreat, the goal of the formal retreat is to solve the major issues of life and death, to achieve the end, to stay in retreat until death or achievement, and not to leave the retreat if the goal is not reached. Convenient retreats are just a short period of detachment from defilement, an exercise in renunciation, and a solution to some of the problems in the practice stages.

As for the living conditions during the retreat, according to tradition, the food in the formal retreat is meat or vegetarian, depending on the Dharma being practiced. You can't read books in general, but only scriptures that are related to the goals you have set; Unable to communicate or talk to the outside world; And there are no waiters in the gate. Convenient retreats are much more free, and they can be independent of each other, they can also study, they can also have attendants, they can also consult doctors, etc. But at the very least, there should be no speech, no feet, and no homework schedule. For modern people who have not yet become a monk, of course, it is advisable to practice a convenient retreat, but when starting a retreat, it is still necessary to examine whether one's motives are righteous and pure, not personal**, and the purpose is to save all sentient beings, so as to avoid demonic obstacles.

There are also several methods of tantric retreat, such as the white retreat, that is, the door and window can be opened to see the day, and the general tantric retreat, which is of this type. Hongguan, that is, the room is closed for ventilation, but there is no daylight, and only one lamp is lit in the room. Practitioners who have received the empowerment of King Fuxian and can see the rigid chain in the white pass, then they can study this level, so that the vajra chain that can be seen in the white pass can also be seen in the lights of this red pass. The purpose of the black pass, that is, the ventilation of the house, but the slightest light, is to make the practitioner who can see the diamond chain in the red pass, and can also see the Buddha statue, mandala, etc. The walker must be able to introduce the empty color into himself in the black level, and if he cannot introduce himself, he does not need to close the black level.

The senior sister also said that there are many things that need to be paid attention to in retreat, one is that the practitioner should stay away from all greed and hatred and settle in a quiet place, which is called an external retreat. The second is to know that there is no accumulation of wealth outside, and there is no desire to seek inside, which is an internal retreat. Whether we are close to our loved ones or friends, or devout believers, we should give up our attachments, be at peace with what happens, and devote ourselves to practicing the Dharma diligently. The third is to follow the teachings of recognizing the nature of the mind, to stay away from attachments such as being able to take two things, and to settle down in the realm of light and thoughtlessness, which is called a closed retreat. Fourthly, we do not aspire to the realm of goodness, such as supernatural powers, seeing Buddha-figures, receiving memories, etc., that is, being free from all hopes, which is what we call a retreat. Fifthly, in the process of practicing according to the teachings, we should not have any worries or doubts about the Dharma we are cultivating, and we should not worry about whether there will be any negative causes such as demonic obstacles or sickness, and we should pray wholeheartedly to the Guru for the Three Jewels to practice diligently, which is called a lower retreat. Sixth, without any trivial ties and attachments, contemplating and practicing according to the teachings such as dreams and illusions, letting go of all fates, and practicing wholeheartedly, this is called a retreat. If you can have these six tips, then you will not have any negative conditions in the process of cultivation.

Retreat is a practical method for practitioners to directly experience and experience the nature of the mind, and in Tibet it is called "Gusari Juegong". Strictly speaking, the real practice is after retreat. Because only by retreating can we truly stay away from the defilement of the worldly influences and truly practice in order of order. Practice is one of the main contents of the retreat, and practice is the essence of listening, contemplating, and meditating. Therefore, if you are not influenced by the outside world and have a certain foundation of hearing and thinking before you practice, then you can call it a "retreat." Tantra emphasizes "becoming a Buddha in person", so it is necessary to practice in person within a certain period of time.

As mentioned earlier, there are three types of retreat places that should be retreated: cemeteries, caves, and the highest snow-capped mountains. These places are suitable for the higher levels of Tibetan Tantric Yoga, such as Mahamudra, Dzogchen, and Dharma. It is convenient for the practitioner to be autonomous, to read the scriptures and to contemplate the mind, but also to abstain from speech, abstinence, and to make a meritorious worktable. In the end, the retreat of life and death means that you will not go out of the pass before you have fulfilled your goal, and you will not go out of the retreat until you have attained enlightenment.

Beginners should not immediately retreat for a long period of time, but gradually extend the period starting from three or seven days. The length of retreat can range from one year, three years, five to thirteen years. The retreat is divided into several stages: first, the five, four, six, or ten preliminaries, whichever one is chosen, followed by the stages of rebirth, on the basis of which the supreme tantric practices such as Dzogchen and Mahamudra are practiced.

The retreat must be long-lasting and uninterrupted; During the retreat, all worldly matters should be abandoned; Except for a short sleep, the rest of the time is spent on meditation, and there is no room for any distraction, so that success can be achieved; Sometimes external distractions can make the retreat more effective, so choosing a retreat location is an important part.

Every practicing lama in the temple has a retreat center where every practicing lama in the temple has to go through at least three years, three months and three days of retreat, some of which are six, nine years, or even longer. It is precisely because every practitioner who has practiced here has this great wish that countless Mahasiddhi have come out of this temple since ancient times.

The conditions of the lamas' retreat were very difficult, and the retreat room was windy, rainy, and leaking. Every day when I wake up in the morning, I sit down and start the day's schoolwork.

In order to benefit all sentient beings, they devote all their time and energy to the practical experience of the truth in their humble retreats, skillfully using the swords of the Ganges Mahamudra, Dzogchen and Madhyamaka, wearing the armor of diligent practice and holding the shield of bodhichitta for all beings, and swerving on the path to enlightenment, subduing demons and destroying demons along the way, and vowing not to give up until they reach their goal. The three meals sent by the guards are often full and brought back.

Sometimes they eat one or two meals a day, and sometimes even one meal a few days. You can't even talk, let alone wash and cut your nails.

From the day of entry to the time of exit many years later, the hair and beard grew long, and this good tradition of retreat has continued here for hundreds of years.

In Buddhism, retreat, also known as concealment, is a term and custom that is not found in India, and it was only after the Yuan Dynasty and even the Ming Dynasty that China saw records of this way of practice. The retreat may have its roots in the long-term cave practice of Tibetan Buddhism, and when the lamas arrived in Chinese mainland with the Mongol dynasty, the retreat became increasingly popular. In the "Zen Forest Elephant Instrument Notes", it is said: "Since entering the Yuan, there has been a saying of retreat. Since entering the Ming Dynasty, there is a matter of retreat and learning. ”

In the practice of Buddhism, there are timed, regular homework and a certain period of practice, such as seven days, twenty days, forty-nine days, ninety days, one hundred days, etc., to collect evidence and concentrate on practicing a certain method, if the environment permits, it can also be for one year, three years, or even six, nine years, or decades. But it doesn't have to be done individually. For example, in the Shakya era, the summer meditation period in the Chinese Zen forest in winter and summer was practiced by many people. The confessions and rituals compiled by the patriarchs of the Tiantai Sect were all practiced by gathering six or seven or dozens of people to form an altar together. During the Buddha's life, the summer dwelling was also within a certain range, either under a tree, or in a cave, or in a self-built hut, or in the empty house of a layman's house, and it was practiced individually. But these are not popular retreats.

There is a popular saying in ancient Zen Buddhism: "If you don't break the ginseng, you don't live in the mountains; No enlightenment, no retreat. It can be seen that for Zen monks, they must wait until they are enlightened before they can be eligible for retreat. This is because the practice of retreat requires a certain foundation, otherwise, if you close for three or five years, you will either achieve nothing, or because of the obstacles, you will not be able to fulfill your original vows as scheduled. In addition to Zen Buddhism, practitioners of other schools often practice retreat. For example, the Pure Land sect closed the Pure Land Pass in order to chant the Buddha and practice; In order to cultivate the view of the Dharma realm, the Huayan Sect recited the Huayan Sutra and closed the Huayan Pass. In Buddhism, there is a type of meditation called "Closing Life and Death" which is the most touching, and some great practitioners make a great vow to be free from birth and death in their lifetime, so that they spend the last few years or more than ten years of their life in retreat until they feel that they have a grasp of life and death. If you are not sure, you will not go out. In the great jungle monasteries, there are some monks who practice in retreat, and generally those who retreat have two purposes: first, to concentrate on reading the Tripitaka; Both of them can successfully specialize in a certain method. So, the duration varies, some months and some years. The houses in which the retreat live are called "closed houses", which are usually built in secluded places, and must have certain living conditions, such as small balconies where the retreat can bask in the sun, toilets, and so on. During the retreat, the principle is not to leave the house. Therefore, outside the closed room, someone must protect food, medicine, and other things, which is called "guarding the gate".

In the monastery, it is a very important thing for someone to be willing to retreat, so a very solemn retreat ceremony is held. The monks of the monastery gathered in the main hall, and the Vena Master held incense and praised it, and then recited the three titles of "Nam Mu Great Pessimistic Avalokiteshvara", the "Great Compassion Mantra" three times, the "Heart Sutra" once, and the three titles of "Mahaprajnaparamita", chanted Guanyin and praised the "Bodhisattva Horn Yuantong", and the Guan Zhu (the person in retreat) performed the ten prostrations, thanked the public for his practice, and prayed for the blessings of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. Then, singing the eight verses of "Guanyin Bodhisattva is wonderful and difficult to reward", the public recites the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, each person takes a stick of incense, and sends the "Guan Master" to the front of the closing room. Before closing the room, the incense table is preset, the abbot monk and the master of the pass make incense, and then knock on the three arrays of chimes, and the abbot explains the importance of the retreat, and advises the master to cherish this special cause and practice hard in the pass. After saying the law, the monk said "please", when the master entered the door, he looked back and thanked the public, closed the door three times, and the public returned to the main hall to recite the dedication.

At the end of the retreat, the monastery also holds a grand ceremony to congratulate the monk, and there are many devotees who come to support the monk. First of all, the guest hall hung the "opening card" to inform the public, and the public gathered in the hall after hearing the noon, sang incense praises, and recited the three titles of "Nan Wu Benshi Shakyamuni Buddha", and then recited the four verses of "Heaven and the world are not like Buddhas". The public recites the holy name of "Nan Wu Benshi Shakyamuni Buddha" to the front of the closing room, the people knock on the chime three arrays, the abbot monk said the law, after speaking, the monk uses "Ruyi" to hit the lock, shouting "open", after the master of the pass is out of the customs, follow the abbot to the main hall to read the return to the confession, and then make incense offerings. After the offering, the lord must give thanks to the people in the main hall.

Retreat is one of the best ways to focus on practice, allowing you to let go of your chores and get rid of your outer edges. However, there are many conditions that must be met, one is the meditation of the retreater, and the other is something that the monastery can achieve, so it is not easy.

Therefore, it is indeed a very rare thing for this Zhixing Dao Leader to retreat and practice in this way, otherwise how could Shi Taizi let the senior sister invite the Taoist Dao Master to spend this little ghost, it seems that the things in this are also very mysterious.

(To be continued)