Phenomena Arising from the Cultivation of Profound Meditative Concentration

Question: For over half a month now, whenever I go out, I can't stand hearing any sudden noises. Whether I'm at home or outside, if I'm not careful, I get startled by sounds. It was especially severe the first couple of days—my body felt like it was floating, I couldn't maintain balance, it was as if my body was out of control, and it seemed like there was a hole on the top of my head letting wind drill in. I generally don't dare to go out for fear of being startled. My daughter says I ignore them, adding that I look like I've lost my spirit, and she even took me to the hospital for a check-up, but nothing was found to be wrong. When I sit in meditation at home contemplating the Dharma principles, I feel much better, but sometimes I still feel unsettled inside. I've never experienced anything like this before. Is something wrong with me?

Answer: You probably don't understand the workings of the body's energy channels, nor do you know whether the energy has passed through the Ren Meridian at the front of the body, passed through the Du Meridian at the back, and finally, after circulating around the body, entered the Central Meridian, with the energy about to rush out from the top of the head. When the Baihui point at the crown of the head is about to open, the top of the head becomes very soft and sensitive to cold, creating the sensation of wind drilling into it. The feeling of the body being light and floating occurs because meditation transforms the coarse four elements of the human body, making them more refined and subtle, closer to the physical form of desire-realm devas. After attaining the first dhyāna (meditative absorption), the four elements become even more subtle, and the body feels lighter, approaching the physical form of form-realm devas. When one reaches the fourth dhyāna, the four elements become extremely subtle, making the body feel exceptionally light and floating, enabling one to fly, ascend to heaven, or enter the earth, attaining the supernatural power of flight. Simultaneously, the mind becomes extremely subtle, giving rise to the ability to read others' minds.

Your current state is one of extreme inner stillness, where you pay no attention to the external world. You cannot focus on phenomena outside the mind or the body, dwelling solely within your inner world. That's why any sudden external noise startles you. At this time, try to avoid going out and steer clear of people to prevent being startled. After the crown of your head opens, there are still some matters requiring you to avoid people. You need to be careful to protect yourself from being startled and try to let others handle necessary tasks.

Your samādhi (deep meditative concentration) is already very deep and will deepen further. As long as you recognize these as states within samādhi, keep your mind unattached to appearances, and remain in concentration according to circumstances without dwelling on anything, you will be fine. Because you are unclear about these phenomena and lack a foundation of understanding, you feel unsettled inside.