Editor’s Note
Practice is inseparable from daily living. Daily living is inseparable from the four decorum of walking, standing, sitting and lying . If one knows how to integrate the four decorum in his practice by maintaining awareness and not entangle in mental afflictions, there is no excuse for saying he has no time for practice. The basic requirement of the practice is to maintain awareness, be it in the narrow sense of “auspicious lying”, i.e., lying on the right side of the body, or in the broader sense of all sleeping positions. This analogy of sleepi like a bow is a more meticulous requirement in practice, to lay curled up like a bow, aiding the practitioner in maintaining and nurturing his awareness. Such traits help us to develop the wisdom that can have insight of al matters.

(The four decorum refers to the practice to restrain our body and mind through the four types of body posture o walking, standing, sitting and lying down, so as to meet the goal of cultivating the Buddhist conduct. In doing s externally we display solemnness and dignity, and internally we remedy the afflictions of heedlessness, forgetfulness, laziness, restlessness, lethargy and distraction. If a practitioner manages to carry out the four decorum of walking, standing, sitting down and lying down, it indicates that the period his mind is associated with liberation exceeds the period it is associated with afflictions. It is an important stage in the cultivation of practice. The Bodhisattva Charya Nirdesha states the following: “One who cultivates the Buddhist conduct achieves his goal by not allowing his mind to go heedless, and always subduing his mind whether during walking or sitting. He would endure the sufferings of walking or sitting for a long period of time, and would not stop doing so or lie down when the time is not right. During standing or lying down, he would abide by the principles of the truth and maintain right mindfulness. The four decorum refers to the conduct of these four type of body posture properly and in good manners.” On the four decorum of walking, standing, sitting and lying down, the sages offer a metaphor of walking like the wind, standing (remain stationary) like a pine, sitting like a bell and lying like a bow. It means walking like the wind without coming into contact with anything, standing like a pine tree which stands erect, sitting like a bell which is as steady as a rock, and lying like a bow which is inwardly prepared and always ready.)

“Lying” occupies the last position of the list of the four decorum”. It is a decorum on the stationary state. In the narrow sense, the word “lying” refers to “auspicious lying”, i.e. while sleeping, lying on the right side of the body with the arched right hand above the pillow against the cheek, and the slightly bent left hand at the left thigh. This sleeping posture is also called the “lion’s way of lying” or the “lying meditation”. The broad sense of “lying” refers to the three types of lying posture, viz. lying on the left, lying on the right, and lying facing upward . “Lyin meditation” has two important meanings: Firstly, it refers to the ability to cultivate the practice even after a who day of physical and mental toiling; and secondly, to go to sleep under in such a posture has the effect of reinin in the mind.

The four decorum works as a combined whole. Hence it is not logical to expect accomplishment from the singl posture of lying while sleeping. As such, we should have a wholesome perspective of the four decorum. In the narrow sense, the four decorum refers to “walking meditation”, “standing meditation”, “sitting meditation” and “lying meditation”. It is reasonable to put “walking meditation” at the first of list as amongst the four as it is the easiest to practise. Next, to enhance the power of concentration and contemplation through an extended perio of practice, a most direct method is to prolong the period of “walking meditation”. However, as a human being’s physical energy is limited, “standing meditation” serves its purpose here. In addition to allowing the practitioner to have a brief rest, it prepares the state of body and mind necessary for the practice of “sitting meditation”. Although “lying meditation” is next following “sitting meditation”, it is not necessary for the practitioner to follow this sequence. Depending on his physical and mental conditions, he can elect to perform “walking meditation” “standing meditation”. Of course, if he is physically worn out, especially in the evening when it is time to retire, “lying meditation” would be the best option.

“Lying like a bow” is the metaphoric description of “lying” by ancient sages. The bowed shape of a bow brings t practitioners the perception of reining in and incubating. The practice of a practitioner ought not be kept at the superficial level of the four decorum of walking, standing, sitting and lying, but with the deeper understanding that one needs to maintain and nurture one’s awareness, and in so doing develop the wisdom that has the ability to have insight of all matters.