Cultivation of Concentration and Chan Meditation for Realization of the Way (Part 1)
Section 2: The Relationship Between Meditative Concentration and Afflictions and Sleep
1. The Difference Between Suppressing Afflictions and Eradicating Afflictions
Suppressing afflictions and eradicating afflictions are two different concepts, two different levels of practice, and the difference between them is great, or even immense. Suppressing afflictions only requires corresponding meditative concentration (samādhi); once the meditative concentration regresses, the afflictions will reappear. Eradicating afflictions, however, depends not only on meditative concentration at the level of the first dhyāna and above, but also on the wisdom of eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi); only by combining concentration and wisdom can afflictions be eradicated. All meditative concentrations can subdue the manas' grasping and afflictions, but cannot eradicate afflictions or extinguish grasping. Because the eradication of afflictions and the extinguishing of grasping require not only meditative concentration, but even more so complete cognitive wisdom—contemplating truth in accordance with reality (manasikāra/manana) and realizing the truth. In other words, only when both meditative concentration and wisdom are present can one eradicate afflictions and grasping, attain liberation, and accomplish the Buddha Way.
People who have cultivated the four dhyānas and eight samādhis have very high meditative concentration, and it seems they have eradicated fundamental afflictions such as greed, with very pure minds. But after the meditative concentration disappears, the afflictions will manifest again, and after death they will still remain within the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra). After taking on another body, when the meditative concentration has not appeared, afflictions such as greed continue to manifest, and then they take rebirth again due to lustful thoughts, though possibly with afflictions somewhat lighter than those without meditative concentration. If one has not eradicated the view of self and realized the fruits, so-called eradication of afflictions like greed is not true eradication or uprooting, but suppression and subjugation; temporary non-manifestation does not mean they will not manifest later.
2. Only with the Attainment of First Dhyāna Can Afflictions Be Eradicated
Because the physical and mental experiences within first-dhyāna concentration are extremely wonderful, one loses interest in desire-realm craving, and thus can subdue or eradicate desire-realm craving; because within first-dhyāna concentration there is inner joy, one can subdue or eradicate anger. Therefore, without the merits and benefits of the first dhyāna, one cannot eradicate the two fundamental afflictions of craving and aversion. But there is a prerequisite: one must have the wisdom of eradicating the view of self. Without this prerequisite, even if one attains first-dhyāna concentration, one still cannot eradicate the two fundamental afflictions of craving and aversion; one can only suppress afflictions, not eradicate them, and once the power of concentration disappears, the afflictions will reappear. Therefore, eradicating afflictions happens after attaining first-dhyāna concentration, and before that one must first sever the three fetters. The realization of any dharma is the combination of meditative concentration and wisdom—neither can be lacking—and the prerequisite also includes merit (puṇya).
3. Only Those with Upright Minds and Light Afflictions Can Have Right Concentration and Right Deliberation
The Eightfold Noble Path: right view, right deliberation (manasikāra/manana), right speech, right action, right livelihood (samyag-ājīva), right effort (samyag-vyāyāma), right mindfulness, and right concentration. When the practice of the Eightfold Noble Path is fulfilled, one will depart from the eightfold unwholesome path, accord with noble nature, be able to realize the fruits, and thereby enter the ranks of the noble ones. If a person is deceitful, sinister, despicable, crooked-hearted, unscrupulous, and lies and deceives, this clearly does not meet the requirements of the Eightfold Noble Path—not right speech, not right deliberation, no right mindfulness, not pursuing right livelihood, mind not in right concentration—such a person does not have the Eightfold Noble Path. Then even if such a person speaks eloquently and fluently about principles, it cannot show that this person has genuine insight, cannot show that this person has eradicated the view of self and realized the first or second fruit.
A person with blazing wrong thoughts cannot have meditative concentration. A person with meditative concentration has a pure and upright mind, few delusive thoughts, little grasping at external objects, no restless thinking, a straightforward mind, and cannot have wicked thoughts. Therefore, if a person is crooked-hearted and full of schemes, it shows the mind is not in concentration, without meditative concentration. Most sentient beings are foolish, always liking to be dominated by others, liking grandiose talk, worshipping those who speak glibly. Truth is not mere verbal cliché; the Way is not on the lips. Those who speak fluently do not necessarily have the Way. If they did, then literati of the past such as Hu Shi, each with eloquent speech and brilliant writings, with volumes of Buddhist works and Chan works to their name, with lengthy treatises so enviable—yet they did not have the Way.
4. How to Improve Sleep Quality
Poor sleep is due to the manas' heavy grasping, a mind that is not purified and emptied, heavy afflictions, and much rumination; hence restless sleep—except for those with poor physical health. If one's meditative concentration is cultivated fairly well and the power of immersion in the Buddha-dharma is great, with the mind filled with the Buddha-dharma, one will not think much about or dwell on worldly dharmas, and can let the mind calm down and become tranquil. If one diligently studies the Buddha-dharma with the mind filled with it, even in dreams while sleeping there will be the Buddha-dharma, with no room for other matters in the mind, and sleep will be very clear and lucid. Cultivating more meditative concentration also helps improve sleep quality; not only sitting in meditation is cultivating concentration—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down all should be cultivation of concentration, training one's manas not to grasp at worldly matters. Practicing according to the Satipaṭṭhāna Sūtra, meditative concentration will improve quickly, and inner grasping will all lessen.
With a sense of urgency about birth and death, one will no longer care about worldly dharmas; when life is too comfortable, the mind of renunciation is not strong. Frequently contemplating the impermanent nature of all dharmas, one can have the mind of renunciation, and the mind for the Path will be firm. Therefore, one should often observe whether one has somewhat detached from worldly dharmas, whether one has the mind of renunciation, whether the mind for the Path has strengthened. Look more for one's own deficiencies and find ways to remedy them, striving to see the mind and eradicate the view of self as soon as possible—this matter is extremely important.
5. Meditative Concentration Benefits Sleep
When there is meditative concentration, sleep is reduced, and the body does not need too much sleep. Because meditative concentration itself can reduce the activity of the six consciousnesses, consuming less of the four great elements' nourishment. Meditative concentration can also make the manas grasp less, reducing the activity of the physical body, reducing the pulling and controlling of the whole body's nervous system; the brain's nervous system, the five organs and six viscera, and the whole body can all be less active and consume less of the four great elements, so the body does not fatigue, and the manas will not crave sleep.
The deeper the meditative concentration, the less sleep is needed, to the point of being able to completely forgo sleep. Because at that time the manas is very quiet, no longer wanting to engage in any activity, no longer excessively mobilizing the brain's nervous system, with very little activity of the body faculty and the conscious mind. The more concentrated the manas, the less grasping, the less regulatory activity, the less consumption of the four great elements, and the less need for sleep and food.
Some people, in their daily work, do plenty of work but have few mental thoughts; their consumption is low, they do not need to eat so much, do not need so much sleep, yet remain full of energy. This shows that the greatest consumer of the four great elements' energy is the manas' mental activity, while the six consciousnesses themselves do not consume very much. So even though the six consciousnesses' workload is not reduced at all, when the manas' mental thoughts decrease, the activity level decreases, and work does not feel tiring.
It can be seen that the manas can grasp and understand the condition of the physical body anytime and anywhere, can regulate and direct it anytime and anywhere; He discerns very keenly. The mind consciousness does not even know the body's various conditions, and still needs the manas' hints and alerts.
6. Why Is It Said That Sitting Quietly for a Moment Surpasses Building Seven-Jeweled Stūpas as Numerous as Ganges Sands?
"If a person sits quietly for a single moment, it surpasses building seven-jeweled stūpas as numerous as Ganges sands"—this saying has a certain truth to it. Why is this so? Because building seven-jeweled stūpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges is merely the generosity (dāna) of material things; although it can bring immeasurable merit beyond description, only the giver personally gains merit, involving no other sentient beings, and the merit will eventually be exhausted. Moreover, this is merely pure merit, without wisdom's power of merit (puṇya-bala) within it; it cannot eradicate ignorance and afflictions, and thus cannot attain liberation and great liberation. Power of merit is the accomplishment of wisdom, which can eradicate ignorance and afflictions, attaining liberation and great liberation. Only when both merit and wisdom are perfectly accomplished can omniscience/wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā) be achieved; lacking either, one cannot become a Buddha.
Meditative concentration is the most effective path for cultivating body and mind. Quiet sitting itself can not only produce the merit of concentration, but also has power of merit; not only does the practitioner personally have power of merit, but it can also influence others nearby—all related people one comes into contact with will have power of merit. Because between sentient beings, body and mind have a certain magnetic-field effect, capable of mutual permeation and influence, like the relationship between cold water and hot water; the final result is that cold and hot water blend together, the hot water's heat permeating into the cold water, warming it, and even melting hard ice. A person with meditative concentration and cultivation is like hot water; a person without meditative concentration or cultivation, or one with very shallow cultivation, is like cold water and hard ice. As a result, the power of merit of the person with meditative concentration is imperceptibly transmitted to those without it, letting those without meditative concentration or cultivation also feel physical and mental joy, reduced afflictions, a softened mind, and even the elimination of karmic obstructions and distress.
Of course, when hot water's heat is transmitted to cold water and hard ice, the heat will diminish and it will become colder; the practitioner with meditative concentration will feel physically and mentally tired, afflictions may increase, and illness and suffering may also increase, thus weakening the power of cultivation, requiring greater cost to maintain the original physical and mental state, or to further deepen meditative concentration and cultivation. Therefore, practitioners should choose their practice location well, choose the people around them well, and stay away from places with heavy karmic obstructions; if one can avoid crowds, that is best. Everyone needs good spiritual friends; if there are none, one can only remain alone.
But this does not mean that once one leaves the crowd, sentient beings are no longer influenced by one's power of merit—there is still influence; it is just that previously the power of merit was transmitted to the very few people nearby. Once the obstruction of these people around is gone, one's magnetic field and energy will be transmitted farther, and more people will benefit; there is no need to let a few people block the sunlight and warmth needed by the many. A person with very great cultivation power can influence the surrounding hundred li, thousand li, ten thousand li, can influence a city, a province, a country, and can even influence the entire globe and the whole Buddhist world, concerning the rise and fall, the survival of Buddhism. A group, regardless of size, with this person present, will be harmonious and flourishing; once this person is gone from the group, the karmic obstructions can no longer be suppressed, and then conflicts/disputes/gossip appear frequently, and the group will gradually decline.
Sitting quietly for a single moment, one stops conflicts/disputes/gossip and scattered thoughts; body and mind both become still, purifying one's own and the surrounding magnetic field. Humans, animals, flying birds, and ghosts and spirits will all feel a moment of harmony and peace, instantly stopping the heat and vexation. Such merit and power of merit are beyond description; building seven-jeweled stūpas as numerous as Ganges sands cannot compare with it. Especially in today's Dharma-ending age, when sentient beings universally have blazing afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion, with karmic obstructions flowing constantly and disasters arising everywhere, sufferings compounded—if one can stop afflictions for a single moment, the power of merit is beyond description. Of course, this refers to right concentration; wrong concentration only has negative influence, because the mind is deviant, and the mind's influence is imperceptibly very great.
7. Methods for Treating Neurasthenia
While sitting in meditation or when quiet, very slowly recite the Heart Sūtra or the Medicine Buddha mantra, reciting while contemplating, visualizing Buddha-light shining on the head, especially the back of the head; the Buddha-light is golden, continuously flowing into the head or the back of the brain; then visualize black or gray karmic-obstruction qi repeatedly expelled from the crown of the head. Practice until sleep improves, and when you can no longer visualize any black qi, there is no need to continue visualizing. The better the power of concentration, the more effective it is; for those with relatively good concentration, this method is very useful, and it can also strengthen concentration, attaining samādhi quickly. Visualize the golden Buddha-light entering from the crown of the head from all directions—directly or at an angle, both are fine; the stronger the concentration, the wider the scope of visualization, which can also quickly strengthen concentration. You can imagine for yourself and visualize however is convenient; illnesses in other parts of the body can be visualized by this same method. You can also visualize for others, but you must bear their karmic debts on their behalf.
