A person meditating peacefully in a comfortable space, representing the Ma-eum Su-ryun subtraction meditation method.

Have you been at a loss because you wanted to try Ma-eum Su-ryun meditation but couldn’t find a proper method to follow online? You probably found it difficult to find the step-by-step Ma-eum Su-ryun method (the step-by-step subtraction method).

Because it is safer to learn while receiving coaching from an instructor, we do not disclose the full method online. However, just like trying a free sample at a supermarket, we will guide you below on a simple method you can try following.

Ma-eum Su-ryun meditation is about reflecting on oneself. There are no methods such as breathing techniques or focusing on your breath. While breathing naturally as you always do, you can learn the method of discarding the mind, practice it in your daily life, and gain a sense of personal growth and self-efficacy.

Introduction to the Ma-eum Su-ryun Method 📚

Basic Methods

  1. Choose a Space to Meditate 🏡 Choose a comfortable place where you can focus. Looking back at yourself requires more concentration than you might think. We recommend creating your own personal space, complete with a soft cushion. When starting for the first time, you will focus better if you start at a meditation center. At a center, you can receive immediate help whenever you wonder, “Am I doing this right?” Because it is a space optimized for meditation, it is pleasant, free from distractions, and perfect for meditating! If you make a reservation, you can have your own meditation room at any time.
  2. Comfortable Posture 🪑 When most people think of meditation, they imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor. When practicing Ma-eum Su-ryun meditation, you do not necessarily have to sit in the lotus position. Any posture is fine as long as you feel comfortable. For example, if your back hurts and sitting is uncomfortable, you can sit on a chair instead of the floor. Some people even meditate lying down.
  3. Breathing In and Out Deeply 🌬️ This is not a strictly necessary action. However, sometimes people who rush into the meditation center after work might not be able to focus immediately due to daily stress or parking issues. In that case, simply taking a deep breath in and out about three times will be enough to relax your body.
  4. How to Step Out of Yourself and Reflect ♟️ Go (Baduk) has a practice called “reviewing” (replaying the game in the exact order the stones were placed to analyze the match after it ends). If you know where you went wrong, at what point you made a mistake, and what you did well, you can apply it to the next match and grow. Likewise, in Ma-eum Su-ryun, you first do a reflection meditation before doing the mind subtraction. You look back on the life you have lived in chronological order or in the order that memories come to mind. We guide you to reflect not from your own perspective, but from the perspective of the grandest universe, stepping entirely outside of yourself. (Please understand that we cannot explain this part online because you must learn it directly from a meditation instructor.)
  5. The Step-by-Step Subtraction Method 🔢 The false mind you have created throughout your life cannot be discarded all at once. It must be discarded in a step-by-step order to be truly eliminated:
    • Step 1: Discarding one’s lived life
    • Step 2: Discarding images of oneself and images of human relationships
    • Step 3: Discarding one’s body
    • Step 4: Discarding one’s body and the universe
    • Step 5: Discarding one’s body and the universe
    • Step 6: Eliminating oneself from the universe
    • Step 7: Eliminating one’s lived life

A Simple Guide to Following the Ma-eum Su-ryun Method 🌿

The following is a simple method applying the Step 1 subtraction meditation of Ma-eum Su-ryun:

  1. Relax your body and mind, which have been tense all day.
  2. Breathe in and out slowly, taking long breaths.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Recall the things you experienced, saw, and heard while living through today.
    • Send them away on the cold winter wind.
    • Or, burn them in a bonfire that makes everything disappear.
  5. As soon as you recall them, they disappear one by one. (Images of yourself living through yesterday, scenes of worrying and regretting, words you hated hearing, etc.)
  6. All distracting thoughts disappear, leaving only a clean mind.
  7. In that mind, think for a moment:
    • How you will spend your day today.
    • How you will help the people around you.
    • Organize your thoughts.
  8. Slowly open your eyes with a joyful heart, ready to start a new day.

The step-by-step meditation methods that you can specifically follow can only be learned with the coaching of an instructor. Just like when you receive PT at a gym, you need coaching starting from the basic posture to use your muscles correctly. It is a similar principle.

For those who want to follow along step by step, it may be a bit of a hassle, but we highly recommend learning the meditation methods under the guidance of an instructor. If it is difficult for you to visit in person, you can also learn online.