Cultivation and Zen Practice for Attaining Enlightenment (Part Two)

Chapter Two: How to Cultivate Meditative Concentration Effectively

I. Subduing Afflictions to Remove Obstacles in Concentration Practice

To cultivate concentration without hindrance, one must subdue afflictions and transform the mind, reducing its attachment to phenomena. The attainment of meditative concentration does not necessarily depend solely on prolonged sitting; it primarily relies on refining the mind’s nature, diminishing greed, hatred, and delusion. When the mind is purified and free from excessive worldly thoughts, concentration naturally deepens. Strict adherence to precepts reduces mental distraction and afflictions, allowing concentration to improve swiftly without relying solely on extended sitting. The mind’s nature is crucial: upholding precepts and minimizing afflictions play a decisive role in the arising of concentration.

Greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, and doubt, along with incorrect views, are all afflictions. Individuals differ in their dominant afflictions, leading to varying obstacles on the path. Some are exceedingly greedy, others prone to hatred, delusion, arrogance, or doubt, while some hold severely distorted views. Ultimately, all afflictions stem from ignorance and delusion. Delusion is the root affliction; without it, greed, hatred, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views cannot arise. Practitioners should observe themselves diligently to identify their primary affliction and focus on subduing it. Resolving the main conflict dissolves all others. Major afflictions are the cause of minor ones; eliminating the cause removes the conditions for obstacles in concentration.

II. How to Enter Concentration Quickly During Sitting Meditation

To enter concentration swiftly, relax the body and mind completely. When sitting, let the body loosen, and the mind empty. Relax the arms, hands, shoulders, legs, and feet; avoid tensing any part of the body. Keep the head naturally straight, slightly lowered, and the back upright without stiffness. Allow the shoulders to drop gently backward without exertion. Any physical tension stiffens the body, hindering the flow of vital energy and blocking the channels.

After relaxing the body fully, release the mind into emptiness. Remain at ease, focusing only on the object of contemplation without distraction. Abandon all concerns, even if the sky were to fall. Let the body be as it is; the more you control it, the more you cling, hindering the activation of vital energy and impeding concentration. Conversely, the emptier and more relaxed the mind and body, the deeper the concentration. To enter concentration quickly, let go of all attachments during practice.

III. How to Enter Concentration Rapidly

During sitting meditation, contemplating the Dharma’s meaning allows faster and deeper entry into concentration than silently reciting the Heart Sutra or regulating the breath. This applies to those with sharp faculties and few afflictions, as they possess a foundation in concentration and can omit preliminary methods. For beginners with scattered minds, contemplation may cause further distraction. Without a stable foundation, such thinking becomes mere rumination, which agitates the mind. Thus, contemplation should be reserved for those with established concentration.

When I sit, I cross my legs and enter profound contemplation directly, without preliminary methods. This is the deliberation of the *manas* (root mind), free from conscious thought. After settling, I focus on the Dharma to be contemplated and rest unmoving upon it, without a single distracting thought. This is the state of *manas* investigating Chan.

*Manas* deliberates deeply and slowly but thoroughly; conscious thought is swift and shallow, lacking depth. Conscious thought serves as a preliminary step to prompt *manas*’s contemplation—a necessary initial process. In *manas*’s investigation, little new knowledge is gained, yet it holds the joy of exploration, a hazy anticipation of discovery. It unveils innate wisdom, not external knowledge. At this stage, one feels no fatigue and may sit for hours or days, interrupted only by unavoidable obligations.

IV. How to Cultivate Concentration

Initial methods for cultivating concentration are numerous. *Cultivating Concentration and Attaining the Way Through Chan Investigation* describes techniques such as regulating the breath, performing prostrations on a cushion to harmonize the body, and then sitting in meditation. These simple methods are practical for beginners. The book also details how to visualize during sitting, recite mantras or sutras when the mind is scattered, and apply effort in Chan investigation once concentration stabilizes. Step-by-step guidance is provided, supplemented by detailed audio recordings.

Once the mind stabilizes slightly and one genuinely seeks to eradicate self-view, practice according to the *Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation* and the *Sutra on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness*. These texts teach methods integrating concentration and wisdom, which are excellent for practice. Mastering the four foundations of mindfulness enables progress toward any stage of Mahayana enlightenment, as the method balances concentration and wisdom. With sufficient effort, realization is assured.

Some practitioners cultivate concentration for long periods using effective methods, attaining deep states. Yet, their concentration remains stagnant, devoid of wisdom. Content with physical comfort, they only wish to sit, lacking the wisdom to investigate Chan or deepen their understanding.

Others focus solely on concentration without awakening wisdom. At death, they follow karmic currents, having neither eradicated self-view nor attained the wisdom to transcend birth and death or realize the mind’s nature. Only through concentrated investigation can self-view be severed, the mind realized, and birth and death resolved. This is paramount.

Today, practitioners often fall into two extremes: one emphasizes concentration without wisdom or investigation; the other neglects meditation entirely, relying only on intellectual learning or scattered thinking, prioritizing understanding over realization. Integrating both approaches is essential for attaining the Dharma.

V. Vegetarianism Aids Concentration

In the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra*, the Buddha states that consuming pungent and animal-based foods creates numerous hindrances to spiritual practice. To cultivate concentration effectively, one must abstain from such foods. “Pungent” refers to foods like leeks, onions, garlic, garlic stems, and scallions, which produce unpleasant bodily odors. “Animal-based” means flesh foods.

These foods disturb the mind, arousing desire and anger, and attract spirits who crave such scents. They hinder practice, invite misfortune, and constitute indirect killing, incurring karmic debts repaid multifold. Following the Buddha’s guidance in the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra*, one should swiftly abandon such foods to enter the path.

VI. How to Attain and Sustain Access Concentration

To attain and sustain access concentration (*anuloma*), focus the mind on essential tasks in daily life, neglecting minor matters. During unimportant activities, turn attention inward, only peripherally aware of external events. Without attachment, let them pass. Gain requires loss; clinging to everything leads to mastery of nothing. Train to detach from trivialities and concentrate solely on the essential; undivided attention gives rise to concentration.

To succeed in life, learn to focus. Prioritize vital matters and minimize attention to the nonessential. Once concentration is cultivated, wisdom in action increases, enabling excellence in all endeavors. Interest in everything leads to superficial knowledge without depth. Depth surpasses breadth, representing wisdom that accomplishes all, including Buddhahood.

Modern people are greedy, interested in everything, wanting to know and participate in all. With excessive desires and distractions, they achieve little. Those who cannot discern priorities suffer thus. To attain, concentrate on your goal and relinquish unnecessary people and matters. With only two hands, grasping at everything yields little—like a bear snapping corn ears, dropping one after another.

Examine the apps and content on your phone to gauge your capacity for concentration. What will lifelong attention to these bring? Knowing the world’s novelties—what does it gain you? What do you truly seek in this life? Some study Buddhism for decades without finding a suitable path, dabbling in all methods, appearing erudite yet mastering nothing. Aimlessly adrift, they find no refuge.

VII. How to Attain the First Dhyāna

Some claim sitting for hours daily leads to the first dhyāna. This is uncertain. Entering the first dhyāna depends not on sitting duration but on relinquishing desire-realm attachments. Many can sit for months without food or drink yet fail to attain the first dhyāna due to strong desire-realm cravings. Relinquish desire-realm phenomena as much as possible; the more discarded, the deeper the concentration.

The first dhyāna corresponds to the first heaven of the form realm. Only when the mind resembles that of its inhabitants can one attain it. To embody their mind, discard all desire-realm phenomena. By daily renouncing and distancing from them, the mind aligns with the form realm, and the first dhyāna arises spontaneously. To discard desire-realm phenomena, contemplate what they are and how to relinquish them.

VIII. Is Visualizing a Sunset Photo Effective for Concentration?

Two years ago, I explained how to visualize the setting sun. The method involves personally observing the golden-red sun hanging like a drum in the western sky, then closing the eyes to recall it vividly. This approach, grounded in direct experience, makes visualization effective and accessible. All such methods are similar; choose what suits you best.

Any method enabling clear, direct contemplation is valid if it engages *manas* in focused deliberation. Once *manas* is trained to investigate any phenomenon, it attains great wisdom-samādhi (*prajñā-samādhi*), mastering all practices without obstruction.

In the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, Sudhana’s fifty-three consultations follow this pattern: after each teacher’s guidance, he contemplates in samādhi through *manas*’s deliberation, free from intellectual understanding. He attains samādhi balancing concentration and wisdom, advancing to the stage of equal enlightenment (*samyaksaṃbodhi*). Sudhana did not spend time amassing theories but verified each teaching through meditative investigation, achieving profound, balanced realization. Thus, we too should cultivate this equilibrium, avoiding excessive intellectualism or dull concentration. Master one method and investigate it in concentration.

Merely studying theories hinders the development of concentration, leaving knowledge undigested and fostering arrogance.

Those rich in theory should swiftly turn to realization. Theories unverified by experience are useless. Only realization yields personal wisdom, carried across lifetimes to benefit perpetually. Those still exploring the path should cultivate concentration while seeking understanding. Both must be pursued with equal vigor.

The first contemplation in the *Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus*, if perfected, surpasses access concentration and may reach the first dhyāna. This is genuine practice—exceedingly difficult. Few attain access concentration, requiring great worldly renunciation. The first dhyāna demands subduing immense greed and minimal worldly desires—who can achieve this, especially householders burdened by habits? Do not believe claims of attaining the four dhyānas lightly; access concentration alone is a significant trial.

Only by subduing worldly desires can one attain access concentration. Subduing even the desires of the desire-realm heavens is necessary for the first dhyāna. Without conquering basic desires, access concentration remains out of reach. Those craving power, wealth, fame, attention, fine food, clothing, and comfort cannot attain concentration. Concern with worldly matters blocks concentration. Link practice to your life, examining body, speech, and mind constantly. Through relentless reflection and realization, subdue the self, cultivate concentration, and advance on the path.

IX. How to Handle Distracting Thoughts in Concentration

Some say, “Do not fear thoughts arising; fear delayed awareness.” Yet even with awareness, thoughts have already arisen, shattering concentration. Late awareness is like mending the pen after the sheep have fled. During sitting, if a thought suddenly appears while the mind is clear, ignore it. Let it pass and return to concentration. Engaging with it spawns further thoughts; even the “awareness” of a thought becomes another distraction, making concentration hard to sustain.

All phenomena pass naturally if unattended; nothing lasts forever. Birth implies cessation. When a thought arises, observe it come; when it departs, observe it go. Let it arise and cease on its own, like watching a play. Then concentration will surely manifest.

X. The Correct Method of Breath-Awareness Recitation

When reciting the Buddha’s name, sound flows from the chest and mouth as breath moves outward from the dantian. Inhalation cannot accompany recitation, as the breath’s inward flow conflicts with the sound. Thus, recite only during exhalation. During inhalation, focus entirely on the breath’s path—wherever it moves, direct attention there. This harmonizes vital energy, soothes body and mind, and stabilizes the mind swiftly.

Inhale through the nose to the dantian. With sufficient mental power, extend the breath to the limbs and pores, simultaneously observing bodily sensations. Exhalation should be light and subtle, as cells expel waste through the pores, which also respire. Breath-awareness recitation unites mind and energy, harmonizes body and mind, and promotes vital flow, leading to quick, deep, and sustained concentration. Beginners should start here. For details, see *Cultivating Concentration and Attaining the Way Through Chan Investigation*.

XI. Concentration Subdues Unwholesome Habits

All Buddhists should diligently cultivate concentration to overcome habitual tendencies, redirecting the mind toward the path. Do not overly indulge worldly matters experienced through countless lifetimes; they cannot resolve birth and death. Focus on the great matter, and worldly concerns pale. Recognize this with wisdom.

Subduing a habit is extremely difficult; even recognizing one’s own habits is challenging. Habits are so named because they are deeply ingrained through long conditioning. Nearly every thought and view aligns with habits. Without strong concentration to reflect and awaken, one remains unaware that their thoughts are habitual, erroneous, born of ignorance and karma, leading to birth and death.

Even upon recognizing habits, transformation is arduous. This demands constant vigilance and fierce dedication to the path. Continuously reflect on karmic obstacles, contemplate life’s truth, discern true values, recognize worldly illusions, and leap swiftly from the pit of birth and death to rescue fellow beings.