[Featured Book] The Physiology of Sammae... 'A Meditation Physiology Book Revealed Solely Through Experience'

The Revised and Expanded Edition of the Physiology of Sammae

A book has been published that physiologically elucidates the profound principles of meditation, ranging from everyday mindfulness to deep states of practice. It draws special attention as a unique meditation text that sounds a warning against the recent trend of separating body and mind in meditation.

Dr. Lee Young-il (54), a meditation expert who earned his master's degree (A Study on the Expression of Sublimity through Visual Perceptual Egocentrism) from Seoul National University and his doctorate (The Development of the Lotus Position and Its Significance in Practice) from Dongguk University.

The author, having explored yoga, Buddhist practice, and meditation for over 30 years, sought to move beyond the limits of mysticism by studying the principles of meditation physiologically. He published "The Physiology of Samadhi" (Training Stone, 60,000 KRW) in 2018 and recently released a revised and expanded edition.

In the revised edition, the author concretely objectifies samadhi, clarified through his own practice, based on classical texts. Samadhi (concentration), often described as ineffable (不可言說), beyond words (不立文字), free from discursive thought (離言絶慮), and emptiness (空) as the ultimate state of practice, is argued by the author not to be a mysterious or inconceivable phenomenon.

He also explains actual meditation experiences based on Eastern medicine, Taoist practice, and yoga physiology. Through a psychophysiological understanding of 'Anapana Sati' (awareness of breathing), he presents a method to recognize and extinguish the suffering of body and mind. By becoming aware of the breath, the body and mind become healthy, leading to a proper understanding of the foundation of concentration. He emphasizes that meditation is not separate from life.

Consequently, each chapter in the upper and lower volumes deals with independent topics under subheadings, yet features a narrative style that repeatedly concretizes themes throughout the entire work. The author hints that it is acceptable to start reading from any page. However, he stresses that to internalize the psychophysiological context of Anapana Sati and the mind-body relationship, breath awareness or breath training is required throughout both volumes.

This book deeply covers content ranging from beginners entering breath training to advanced practitioners. Such specialized practice physiology is very challenging for beginners in meditation and breath training. It includes extensive physiological principles, Indian philosophy, and Eastern medicine terminology, much of which is new even to experienced practitioners. However, the author kindly strives to alleviate these difficulties by visually presenting internal phenomena. He provides practical evidence of breath experience through diagrams. Considering the difficulty of letting go of the 'intellectual illusions' ingrained in existing concepts, these numerous references help readers introspect and directly perceive the invisible psychophysiological phenomena of breathing.

Finally, the author suggests that one must break free from the misconception that theoretical and doctrinal study alone constitutes practice and the habit of relying solely on texts. To transcend the discriminative concepts of body and mind, one must contemplate the breath. Through breath training that vibrates with the mind, the path toward the state where the mind disappears with the breath is the path to the extinction of suffering. The author's experiences, having attained healing and introspective supernatural power through the cessation of mental activity, permeate the entire text.

The author states, "I proceeded with this revised and expanded edition without losing sight of my original intention to record only the Dharma confirmed through experience," and repeatedly urges readers, "I hope they avoid the mistake of letting preconceived notions obscure the eyes of wisdom."

Meanwhile, the author operates the 'Kundalini Meditation Channel' on YouTube.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.