Primordial Energy: The Secret of Meditative Concentration Lies in the Inward Gaze

Do you still remember what it felt like to be in your mother's womb? Most of us do not. But according to Venerable Thích Chân Quang, that moment holds a source of energy we have lost. It is the "pure primordial energy" — an inexhaustible wellspring of life that, if we only know how to return to it, can slow our aging and bring us peace.

Pure Primordial Energy and Its Dispersion at Birth

While in the mother's womb, we do not use our five senses. The baby has only a feeling of the whole body. But once born, our eyes begin to see, our ears begin to hear, our mouth begins to taste, our nose begins to smell, and our brain begins to think. All of these activities take place in the head, gradually drawing up the yin essence — the source of primordial energy at the dantian. When it is drawn up completely, we must die.

"When we are in the mother's womb, we have a source of pure primordial energy that has not yet been dispersed, promising us eternal life without death."

The time in the womb is a stage of "natural meditation." The baby does nothing but feel its whole body, and thanks to this, the primordial energy accumulates. But the moment we are born, we forget this practice entirely, drifting along the current of life and enduring old age, sickness, and death.

The Breath Is the Bridge Between Body and Mind

When we sit in meditation and abide with full-body awareness, turning our gaze inward into the body, the breath becomes clearly apparent. As a natural law, the breath and wandering thoughts are bound tightly together. When thoughts stir, the breath stirs; when the breath is calm, the thoughts are calm. If we keep the breath gentle, with the out-breath longer than the in-breath, the mind will grow peaceful.

"Saying that the breath is the link between body and mind is only speaking in theory. But when we can abide with the whole body, looking into this mass of the body, and the breath appears, only then do we truly see that the breath and wandering thoughts are bound tightly together."

The secret is to breathe in little, softly and gently, and breathe out slowly, about five times as long. In this way, wandering thoughts are suppressed and cannot arise. That is the key to going deep into meditative concentration.

Four Types of People in Meditative Concentration

Venerable Thích Chân Quang uses the image of a house. The first type of person runs out into the yard to watch the stream of life, becoming infatuated and suffering. The second type also stands there watching the stream of life, but knows it is an illusion, and so is less infatuated — yet still loses primordial energy because they are looking outward. The third type returns to their own body and feels the whole body, but still looks outward, like a fetus. Only the fourth type — the one standing at the door of the house looking inward — is the one who truly practices correctly.

"Only this fourth type is correct. That third type also abides with the whole body, feeling the whole body, but it is like the baby in the womb still looking outward."

When we sit in meditation, let us close our eyes and look fully inward into the body, not turning toward sounds or forms outside. Simply keep looking into this mass of our own body. Gradually, our inner strength will return.

Let the Fetus Have Wisdom

There is the story of a mother in Germany who, while pregnant, said to her child, "Let us meditate together, mother and child," and meditated every day. During an ultrasound, the doctor was astonished to see the fetus sitting in the lotus posture. This shows that the baby could sense its mother's state of meditative concentration. This is precisely a conscious return to the state of being in the womb.

"Let us meditate together, mother and child!"

If we practice correctly, many wondrous things will appear. Because we have wisdom, when we abide with the whole body, we do not merely feel as a fetus does — we can also see the breath clearly and tame our own mind.

Blessings from Merit: The Foundation of All Practice

Even with correct meditation technique, if we lack blessings from merit, we will easily forget the body and forget the breath. Therefore, creating merit is not only about making offerings or doing good deeds; it is about transforming our way of living. Live selflessly, living only for sentient beings, no longer living for yourself. When the mind has become purified and unified as one solid block, meditative concentration and morality become one.

"Live completely selflessly, living only for sentient beings and nothing else, no longer living for yourself."

Let us begin today. Whenever you sit in meditation, close your eyes and listen to your breath. Return to the pure primordial energy of your time in the womb. And do not forget: all practice needs selflessness and love. May your journey of return be filled with peace and happiness.