Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)
Postscript
Is Buddhist Practice a Matter of Technical Skill or Spiritual Cultivation?
Technical practice in Buddhism refers to the study and realization of theoretical knowledge. Advancing technically means diligently meditating to cultivate concentration, rigorously researching theoretical knowledge, and earnestly contemplating and investigating in hopes of attaining a certain Dharma, achieving a certain fruition level or qualification, gaining reputation, or obtaining a specific result.
Spiritual cultivation, on the other hand, entails observing the non-self nature of the five aggregates, subduing the ego, overcoming afflictions, cultivating a gentle and virtuous mind, embodying the selfless nature of sages, eliminating selfishness and egoism, taming the habitual tendencies of ordinary beings, and thereby enabling oneself to benefit personally while willingly benefiting others. Specifically, this means earnestly practicing the six perfections (paramitas) of a bodhisattva: gradually accumulating merit, upholding precepts, enduring all circumstances to tame the mind, eliminating laziness and negligence, cultivating meditative concentration to enhance the mind’s power of observation, subduing afflictions, and steeping the mind in the principle of prajñā (wisdom of emptiness) to gradually align it with emptiness and draw closer to sages.
Spiritual cultivation and technical practice should complement each other: spiritual cultivation is the eye, and technical practice is the foot—the eye determines the direction and height of technical practice. Buddhist practice should integrate both spiritual cultivation and technical skill; one cannot focus on one aspect while neglecting the other. Only by walking on both legs can balance and stability be achieved.
Unilateral technical practice means engaging only in theoretical study without subduing the ego, leading to a disconnect between theory and reality. The Dharma is meant to help sentient beings subdue the self, realize non-self, and attain liberation and ease. Yet, the aim and outcome of sentient beings’ practice of non-self often result in strengthening the ego, increasing self-attachment, inflating the self even more, and deteriorating the mind’s nature—creating a vast gap from the intended result of practice. This is the consequence of neglecting spiritual cultivation and focusing solely on technical skill.
Practicing only at the technical level without spiritual cultivation results in “virtue not matching the position,” leading to great disorder. Treating Buddhist practice as a form of capital, one may, after mastering technical skills, deem oneself superior to all others, believe oneself capable of rising above others, and take pride in these skills, fostering arrogance and using them as leverage to overpower others. This is precisely a grave manifestation of the notions of self, others, and sentient beings—a pitiful outcome of technical practice alone, one that tragically runs counter to the Dharma. In severe cases, such arrogance and self-attachment can corrupt the Dharma and Buddhism, undermining sentient beings’ faith in them.
Practice cannot be a unilateral, technical endeavor focused solely on theoretical study; the cultivation and transformation of the mind are far more crucial. If Buddhist practice were merely a matter of technical diligence, the Buddha would not have urged sentient beings to make pure and great vows to guide their practice through the power of aspiration. If it were only technical, why do some people, despite burying themselves day and night in studying sutras and theories, diligently engaging in various contemplations, and uncovering insights beyond ordinary understanding—appearing to have gained knowledge—still harbor intense greed, hatred, and delusion? They may remain stuck at the fifth, sixth, or seventh stages of abiding for a lifetime, unable to advance further despite mastering extensive Yogācāra theories.
If Buddhist practice were purely technical, why do some people meditate diligently for thirty or fifty years yet fail to attain even the first dhyāna, while others achieve it within a year or two? Some may have been “enlightened” for thirty years without a trace of the first dhyāna, while others, new to Buddhism, grasp the theory and, with minimal contemplation, attain various fruition levels—even before fully understanding many Buddhist terms—as their wisdom of contemplation arises early.
If Buddhist practice is merely technical, are the six perfections of a bodhisattva technical or spiritual? Is the perfection of giving (dāna) technical or spiritual? Is the perfection of precepts (śīla) technical or spiritual? Is the perfection of patience (kṣānti) technical or spiritual? Is the perfection of meditation (dhyāna) technical or spiritual?
What kind of wisdom does a person with poor spiritual nature possess? Does such wisdom align with that of bodhisattvas or Buddhas? Diligence (vīrya) can be right or wrong: wrong diligence is technical, while right diligence cultivates the mind. Can those with ulterior motives truly benefit from the Dharma? The true mark of a bodhisattva’s accomplishment is compassion, joy, and equanimity (maitrī, muditā, upekṣā). Without a transformed mind, one will never manifest the conduct of compassion, joy, and equanimity, and the bodhisattva’s fruition will remain unfulfilled.
Whose spiritual nature is superior—that of an arhat or a bodhisattva? Whose spiritual path is more elevated? Who is most favored by the Buddha? Who attains Buddhahood first? Who practices technically, and who practices spiritually? Did the Buddha not condemn those focused on technical work as “inert seeds and rotten sprouts,” fallen into the pit of inactivity?
The ultimate outcome of Buddhist practice must be a balance of virtue and talent—possessing both, but virtue is paramount. Without virtue, talent becomes a crooked skill, potentially misused for unwholesome ends, creating negative karma unknowingly. The world has many talented people, but not all use their talents for good; many employ them for evil. If used for evil, it would be better to lack talent altogether.
For Buddhist practitioners, virtue must take precedence. With virtue, talent will naturally follow. A person with talent but no virtue, no matter how gifted, cannot apply it rightly. A virtuous person without talent can be nurtured into one with both virtue and talent; with a bodhisattva’s mind and the Buddha’s blessings, they can attain the path swiftly. Thus, Buddhist practice is not merely technical work—it is primarily the cultivation of the mind. A truly selfless person is a genuine bodhisattva. Those whose hearts harbor only themselves, personal gain, and self-interest are not true bodhisattvas.
Technical practice is always many times easier than spiritual cultivation. With diligent study and research, one can always extract some insights from texts and gain rewards. With intelligence, many technical skills can be acquired. But the mind? A hundred years may not suffice to subdue it—old habits die hard. A bodhisattva who masters technical skills but fails to subdue the mind is not a true bodhisattva but merely a nominal or counterfeit one, incapable of fulfilling a bodhisattva’s role.
Many people painstakingly devote themselves day and night to contemplation, research, and study but never examine their own minds. No matter how diligently they study the “science and technology” of Buddhism, they cannot subdue their egoism and selfishness, truly eradicate the view of self, or genuinely realize the mind’s nature. Such people are not bodhisattvas—despite mastering Buddhism’s “science and technology”!
In this era, how many people practice Buddhism merely as technical work, never applying effort to their spiritual cultivation? They acquire technical skills, but their virtue does not match their position. Wherever they go, they inflate their egos and flaunt themselves, ultimately causing chaos. They practice Buddhism only to stand out, to assert themselves—never to subdue the self, never for inactivity, never for non-self and liberation from mental afflictions. The more they study, the more arrogant they become; the more they study, the heavier their ego; the more they study, the greater the chaos in the world—until society itself is thrown into disarray. Many practice Buddhism only to rise above others, stepping on others’ shoulders, never considering the need to extinguish the self, to make it vanish. Is this eradicating the view of self or reinforcing it? If Buddhism continues to develop this way, it will end in universal chaos.
Therefore, to truly cultivate oneself, one must address both aspects: diligently working to soften the mind through spiritual cultivation while also striving in contemplation and investigation to attain genuine realization, becoming a true sage in the fullest sense.
