Sitting meditation is a practice that, in the mind, calms wandering thoughts and manifests the true nature. It is also a method that, in the body, causes the fire energy to descend and the water energy to ascend. As delusive thoughts are calmed, the water energy will ascend; as the water energy ascends, the delusive thoughts will be calmed. Consequently, one’s body and mind will be in perfect harmony, and both the spirit and energy will be refreshed.

However, if delusive thoughts are not calmed in one’s mind, the fire energy will constantly ascend, burning up the water energy in the entire body and obscuring the light of the spirit.

The operation of the human body is like a steam engine; without the energies of fire and water, not even a finger can be lifted. A human’s six sense organs are all controlled by the brain. Whether seeing, hearing, or thinking, whenever one uses the six sense organs, the entire body’s fire energy will naturally become concentrated in the head, burning up the entire body’s water energy, just as the oil is burned when a lamp’s wick is lit.

Therefore, whether we think long and anxiously on something using our mental powers, look carefully at something using our visual powers, or raise our voices to talk energetically about something, our faces will become flushed and our saliva will dry up. This is precisely what we mean by the phenomenon of the fire energy rising upwards. We should use our six sense organs sparingly even with things that must be done. How much less should we let the wicks of our heads burn continually day and night with useless delusive thoughts! Therefore, sitting meditation is a practice that aims to remove all these delusive thoughts, to manifest our original nature, to bring down all the fire energy, and to raise the pure water energy.

– The Scriptures of Won Buddhism