Purification Through Sitting...

[Shi Da Dao]

Sit with a straight back and a straight mind - in this way the mind, body and environment will be 'purified' from the inside out - regardless of the conditions prevailing in the outside world! Of course, the spine is not literally 'straight' like a stick (as this anatomically impossible), but is rather 'curved' correctly like a well-crafted bow - so that each concave and convex curve supports the structure above and below without any undue effort - as if a straight stick is running right through the middle of the structure! If the spine is hunched-up, then the curvature will be out of all alignment and the inner organs will be unnaturally compressed and hindered in their natural regularity functions - possibly causing illness and distress. Furthermore, the mind will be unsettled and unable to focus properly. A straight mind, is, of course, a mind that has become 'stilled' like a great and reflective lake! A mind which is expansive and all inclusive - like a great lake which reflects the sky!