Cultivation of Concentration and Chan Meditation for Realization of the Way (Part 1)
Section Four Samadhi and Right Concentration
1. What is Samadhi
Samadhi is a Sanskrit term meaning concentration. Within samadhi, there are states of meditative absorption (dhyāna) as well as varying levels of wisdom. If wisdom is not profound, samadhi is primarily characterized by concentration. If wisdom is profound, it is a state of equipoise where concentration and wisdom are equally balanced.
The levels of various Buddha-recollection samadhis differ. Samadhi primarily based on concentration involves entering absorption by orally reciting the Buddha's name. One recites the Buddha's name while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, until it reaches the state of "reciting without reciting," where the sound of the Buddha's name continuously lingers in the mind and ears, heard even when one does not wish to hear it, unceasingly.
The Buddha-recollection samadhi of equipoise between concentration and wisdom realizes the Patience of Non-arising (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti) and the Patience of the Non-arising of Dharmas. For example, in Buddha-recollection by visualizing the image and Buddha-recollection by contemplation, one begins with oral and mental recitation, culminating in the manifestation of the "manifestation of solitary shadow" (dhyāna-nimitta) and the appearance of "concentration-produced form" (dhyāna-rūpa), realizing the principle of non-arising and clearly understanding the Buddha-nature within one's own essence.
Upon mastering the contemplation on the impurity of the body or the skeleton, one also attains the state of samadhi, an equipoise of concentration and wisdom. Concentration is the state of one-pointedness, at or above the first dhyāna. Wisdom is the realization of non-arising, knowing the impurity of the physical body, the selflessness of the five aggregates (skandhas), corresponding to the fruition of the third or fourth stage (of Śrāvaka path). This is also the Śrāvaka "Emptiness Samadhi," where the manifestation of solitary shadow appears and concentration-produced form manifests. Mastering the Four Foundations of Mindfulness also results in the Śrāvaka Emptiness Samadhi, equipoise of concentration and wisdom, achieving the third or fourth fruition. Mahāyāna samadhis include the achievement of Buddha-recollection samadhi and the Sixteen Contemplations from the Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus Buddha, both representing equipoise of concentration and wisdom. Without concentration, wisdom contemplation is not achieved.
Within these samadhis, concentration often predominates over wisdom. Mahāyāna meditation (Chan), upon the breakthrough at the end, is also a samadhi state, possessing both concentration and wisdom. If concentration is shallow, wisdom is shallow, achieving only the seventh or eighth abiding stage (bhūmi). If concentration is deep, wisdom is deep, reaching the first or second ground (bhūmi). The mind abides in the emptiness of the Tathāgatagarbha; the five aggregates themselves are the empty Tathāgatagarbha. Walking, standing, sitting, or lying down is as if within the Tathāgatagarbha, without the self of the five aggregates.
When Śrāvakas engage in contemplation and investigation to sever the view of self, samadhi also manifests, possessing both concentration and wisdom. Shallow concentration yields shallow wisdom, achieving only the first or second fruition. Deep concentration yields deep wisdom, achieving the third or fourth fruition. After realizing the fruition, the mind resides in the Emptiness Samadhi of the selflessness of the five aggregates, without the feeling of a self within the aggregates. Encountering conditions and objects, the mind does not give rise to the notion of self, does not oppose or hold grudges against anyone or anything, and is indifferent to everything around oneself because there is no self in the mind.
If one merely intellectually understands the Dharma, or has an intellectual comprehension of the Dharma, there is no samadhi whatsoever—no state of concentration, no feeling of emptiness. The mind still harbors a self; the sense of "I" is not dead. When encountering conditions, one must rely on deliberate mental effort (manaskāra) to recall that the five aggregates are selfless. Once conscious awareness (smṛti) is lost, the sense of "I" suddenly emerges, and one loses control over body, speech, and mind. The function of conscious awareness is very limited, severely and obviously intermittent; it is always lost and cannot be maintained. Even if the power of consciousness is strong enough to maintain it for a period, it will eventually be lost, especially at the time of death.
2. All samadhis, whether primarily based on concentration or equipoise of concentration and wisdom, are the result of the achievement of the mental faculty (manas). Only when the mental faculty is stabilized, not scattered or wandering in pursuit of objects, can a state of concentration arise. Only then can the mental faculty have sufficient energy to ponder the Dharma brought by consciousness, understand the fundamental meaning and essential connotation of the Dharma, and samadhi will inevitably manifest. This is called realization.
Whether it's the Sun Contemplation from the Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus Buddha, the Skeleton Contemplation, or any other contemplation, upon ultimate achievement, the image appears spontaneously without conscious effort, whether eyes are open or closed. Of course, if conscious effort is applied, the image becomes more distinct. So-called "achievement" means it appears naturally; this is called samadhi. If it does not appear spontaneously but requires conscious effort to manifest, it is not considered an achievement and is not samadhi.
So-called samadhi is a very deep state of concentration, but it does not exclude the simultaneous presence of a wisdom state. The organic integration of wisdom and meditative concentration is called samadhi; lacking either one, it is not samadhi. Within this samadhi, there is already relatively deep meditative concentration; it necessarily means the mental faculty has also been trained to maturity. Once the mental faculty is mature, it can function constantly, and this kind of vision can appear constantly in the mind.
If your power of concentration is not cultivated to achievement, samadhi is not achieved. The mental faculty has not been successfully habituated; it is merely that consciousness is more skilled. When skilled consciousness applies effort, it activates the mental faculty, which then applies effort, after which the state manifests. This state, however, is not proficient; it is intermittent. This kind of concentration power is insufficient and therefore cannot be called samadhi.
3. Samadhi and Right Concentration (samyak-samādhi) are the mental and physical states of equipoise between concentration and wisdom. When a person encounters a point of Dharma meaning, deeply contemplates and investigates it with the mind, and suddenly the mind resonates deeply with the Dharma meaning, profoundly understanding its connotation and realizing the deep meaning indicated by the Dharma, wisdom surges forth, and the mind experiences incomparable joy, beyond words. Afterwards, body and mind become light, at ease, and comfortable. Walking, standing, sitting, or lying down is like being in empty space, as if entering a place devoid of people. The mind is empty, vast, serene, thoughts are deep and profound, the intellect is sharp. Energy channels surge into the chest and shoulders, the back is straight, the chest is open, the shoulders sink down, the body is light as a swallow. The mind is utterly empty, corresponding to emptiness, corresponding to selflessness, corresponding to the absence of the four marks (of self, being, life, and personhood). Everything seen is felt to be illusory and unreal; thinking is deep, focused, subtle, and clear. A feeling of joy constantly arises in the heart, peaceful and tranquil, no longer troubled by miscellaneous deluded thoughts and floating notions. There is no past, no future, the present is also insubstantial; the three times are empty, emptiness itself does not exist. The mind is broad and compassionate, tolerant and magnanimous, not disputing others' faults, not reckoning good or evil, not clinging to forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or mental objects. Before the five desires, one is like a walking corpse; unmoved by the eight winds, as if sitting on a mountain of treasures.
Concentration and wisdom support each other equally, without bias or leaning. Lacking either one, it is not samadhi; if either is biased, it is not Right Concentration. The equipoise of concentration and wisdom is true samadhi and true Right Concentration.
4. All samadhis are a combination of concentration and wisdom. Lacking either one, it is not samadhi in the true sense. However, some states of concentration lack wisdom and can only be called concentration states; some concentration states contain wisdom, harboring wisdom, and are called samadhi. The scope and connotation of concentration states are relatively shallow and narrow, while the connotation of samadhi is deeper and broader. Therefore, samadhi necessarily includes a state of concentration; without concentration, it is not called samadhi, and without wisdom, it is also not called samadhi. The fruitions at various levels are all samadhis; hence samadhi must include meditative concentration and wisdom.
5. Buddhist samadhis are divided into two kinds: one is solely a state of concentration, common to worldly and non-Buddhist concentrations; the other is not only a state of concentration but also includes a wisdom state. Those with a wisdom state are not common to worldly or non-Buddhist meditative concentrations.
The first kind, concentration samadhi, has three types, called the Three Samadhis: Samadhi with Examination and Analysis (savitarka-savicāra, below the first dhyāna), Samadhi without Examination but with Analysis (avitarka-vicāramātra, between first and second dhyāna), and Samadhi without Examination or Analysis (avitarka-avicāra, second dhyāna and above).
The Three Samadhis merely involve gathering the mind and are unrelated to wisdom. Samadhis involving contemplation (visualization) and investigative practice (observation) can give rise to wisdom and are true samadhis, including the contemplative wisdom of both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. For example, upon achieving Buddha-recollection by visualizing the image, one can realize the mind and see the nature. Upon achieving Buddha-recollection samadhi, one can realize the mind and see the nature. Upon achieving the samadhi of contemplating the five aggregates, one can attain the purity of the Dharma-eye. Upon achieving the Skeleton Contemplation samadhi, one can sever the view of self and realize the first to fourth fruitions. Upon achieving the Four Foundations of Mindfulness samadhi, one can realize the first to fourth fruitions. Upon achieving the seventh contemplation in the Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus Buddha, one can realize the mind and attain enlightenment. Upon achieving the Pratyutpanna Samādhi (Buddha-recollection samadhi), Buddhas of the ten directions stand before one; the wisdom state is the realization of the mind and enlightenment. The Pratyutpanna Samādhi involves ninety days of Buddha-recitation, neither sitting nor lying down, only walking and standing, without sleep. Upon achieving the Buddha-recollection samadhi after ninety days, Buddhas of the ten directions stand before one—one sees the Buddha, the Tathāgata. This is the enlightenment state.
6. When Buddha-recollection samadhi is achieved, Buddhas of the ten directions stand before one, seen clearly by the eye consciousness, yet others cannot see them—what state is this? After mastering the Skeleton Contemplation, one sees all people as interconnected skeletons, extremely clearly, yet others cannot see them—what state is this? In the Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus Buddha, after achieving the first contemplation, the Sun Contemplation, whether eyes are open or closed, the setting sun like a suspended drum appears before one and in the mind, yet others cannot see it—what state is this? After achieving each of the Sixteen Contemplations, corresponding states appear, seen by the eye consciousness, yet others cannot see them—what state is this? Seeing stars dancing before the eyes, yet others cannot see them—what state is this? Mirages are seen by everyone—what form is that? For example, seeing stars: can the eyes see golden stars, black stars? The white bones of the Skeleton Contemplation, the red color of the setting sun, etc.—how is this explained? The eye consciousness sees colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, white. What is seen with the participation of the eye consciousness cannot be the "manifestation of solitary shadow" (dhyāna-nimitta). However, any form seen during any kind of meditative concentration is seen by the solitary functioning consciousness (mano-vijñāna, mental consciousness acting alone), not by the eye consciousness. Colors appearing in recollection, colors seen in dreams are all seen by the solitary functioning consciousness, not by the eye consciousness; there is no eye consciousness involved here.
7. True samadhi is the equipoise of concentration and wisdom, possessing both concentration and wisdom; it is a state attained after realization. The methods of practice differ, the levels differ, the depth of meditative concentration differs, the wisdom of contemplative practice differs, and thus the samadhi achieved differs. Any meditative concentration requiring contemplative wisdom must have either the "access concentration" (anāgamya-samādhi) or the first dhyāna. Contemplative practice is most effective within the first dhyāna. Without the first dhyāna, the more complete the access concentration is, the better; the closer it is to the first dhyāna, the better. Without access concentration, contemplative practice is impossible; the mind is very coarse and superficial, unable to observe any Dharma. Insufficient access concentration makes contemplative practice ineffective.
In concentrations above the second dhyāna, consciousness has no thoughts and cannot engage in contemplative thinking. One must emerge from the concentration to rely on consciousness for contemplative thinking. The higher the concentration, the better the power of concentration after emerging, and the more subtle, deep, and penetrating the contemplative thinking will be. Unless consciousness has already transmitted the Dharma of contemplation to the mental faculty, and the mental faculty wants to clarify it, then within concentrations above the second dhyāna, the mental faculty can ponder and investigate alone, without interference. All Buddhas attained enlightenment within the fourth dhyāna; it is possible that the mental faculty attained enlightenment independently, with consciousness playing a minor role.
Possessing meditative concentration and learning contemplative practice, many practitioners can find their own starting point and realize any Dharma. This is a very important method and path of practice, and also a bottleneck difficult for modern Buddhists to break through. After intellectually understanding the Dharma, one can deeply engage in contemplative practice for verification. When the Dharma meaning resides with the mental faculty, it ensures that the mental faculty ponders the Dharma meaning and points of doubt. Only after thorough contemplation and understanding can one be utterly certain and free from doubt about the Dharma. That mental state is very relaxed and joyful; liberation is like that.
8. How to Achieve Samadhi
So-called samadhi is the state where concentration and wisdom are perfectly integrated. The *Dhyāna Samādhi Sūtra* (坐禅三昧经) introduces several methods for cultivating samadhi.
Among them is the method for achieving Buddha-recollection samadhi through Buddha-recollection by visualizing the image. When practicing Buddha-recollection by visualizing the image, one should have an upright body and mind, concentrate single-mindedly without attending to other dharmas, and focus the mind on visualizing the Buddha image before one. During visualization, meditative concentration must be complete, precepts must be complete, and contemplative wisdom must be complete. When precepts, concentration, and wisdom are all complete, one finally achieves the Buddha-recollection samadhi by visualizing the image, the equipoise of concentration and wisdom. The cultivation of other kinds of samadhi is also achieved only when precepts, concentration, and wisdom are complete. If precepts are incomplete, the mind is scattered and agitated internally, concentration is incomplete. If concentration is incomplete, contemplative wisdom cannot arise. If contemplative wisdom is insufficient, samadhi cannot be born.
The Śūraṅgama Sūtra introduces the various samadhi states cultivated by twenty-five sages. All involved complete precepts, concentration, and wisdom. Within profound meditative concentration, they deeply and subtly contemplated and investigated, achieving profound samadhis and attaining vast wisdom. Attaining samadhi states is inseparable from profound meditative concentration and the contemplative wisdom of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses (mano-vijñāna and manas). The mental faculty plays a far greater role than consciousness within it. Therefore, when profound samadhi is attained, great spiritual powers manifest.
In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the youth Sudhana (善财童子) made fifty-three visits. Each teacher he visited taught him a method for cultivating a samadhi. He then deeply and subtly contemplated each one within concentration. Each time he achieved one samadhi, his wisdom increased, ascending a step, until finally his wisdom reached that of an Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva (等觉菩萨). Therefore, precepts, concentration, and wisdom are the preliminary expedients; concentration is the intermediate link; contemplative wisdom is the bridge; samadhi is the path fruition. The fifty-three teachers instructed Sudhana in fifty-three dharmas. Sudhana diligently cultivated them all, and his path progress advanced by leaps and bounds, surpassing the cultivation time of other Bodhisattvas by two or three immeasurable kalpas. His practice was truly divinely swift. Why so fast? Because his vows were vast and profound, he revered his teachers and the path, his meditative concentration was profound, his wisdom was deep and sharp, and he was incomparably diligent. Therefore, he could achieve all samadhis.
