The Woman Who Walked in Meditative Concentration and Her Husband's Chase

Late one afternoon, at a small temple, the Teacher was sitting and drinking tea when he saw a married couple walk in. The wife's face glowed with excitement, and she walked lightly, as if gliding over the ground. The husband looked exhausted, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Surprised, the Teacher asked, "What is the matter that you two are in such a hurry?"

The husband wiped his sweat and told the story: "Venerable Teacher, my wife has... has come down with something. She walks as if flying, and I cannot keep up with her. From our home to her mother's village is a road of more than ten kilometers, yet she arrived a full hour ahead of me. When she got there, she was perfectly calm, without shedding a single drop of sweat."

The Teacher turned to the wife: "How have you been practicing?"

She bowed her head and answered innocently, "I listened to your recorded dharma talks, and then I practiced meditation on my own. I was able to slip into meditative concentration, and I felt my mind grow light and buoyant. Wherever I went, it felt as though the wind were lifting me."

The Teacher frowned. "Did you rest your mind on a meditation object? Or did you let go and simply enjoy that tranquility?"

She hesitated. "I... I found the tranquility so wonderful that I let go and let my mind spread out wide. I felt as if I were floating on the clouds. It was delightful."

The Teacher sighed. "That is a great mistake. You are indulging in the fruits of your practice, and this is dissolving your blessings from merit. When the mind spreads out wide, arrogance and wrong view easily arise. You must gather your mind back in and rest it on a single point, such as the breath or a phrase of reciting the Buddha's name. Do not let the mind wander and drift."

The husband asked anxiously, "Teacher, is my wife in any danger?"

The Teacher reassured him, "There is no danger if she knows how to correct it. But if she continues like this, she will lose her blessings from merit, and her mind will become scattered and difficult to control. She must practice resting the mind again, and not indulge in that pleasant feeling."

The wife nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I understand now. I will correct it."

The Teacher taught her how to contemplate the breath, focusing on the tip of her nose and keeping her mind gathered and small. After a few months, she returned to normal, walking gently but no longer floating and drifting. She was grateful to the Teacher for pointing out her error, and from then on she practiced in the right way.

The Meaning of the Story

Practicing meditation requires a foundation of merit and the correct method. Do not indulge in the pleasant sensations that arise from meditative concentration, for doing so dissolves the blessings from merit. Always rest the mind on a meditation object, keep the mind gathered and small, and do not let it scatter and drift.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.