Cultivation of Concentration and Chan Meditation for Realization of the Way (Part 1)
Section Three: Questions Concerning Meditative Concentration and the Fruits of the Path
1. The Relationship Between Greed, the First Dhyāna, and the First Fruit
Question: If the mind of greed is suppressed, can one cultivate the first dhyāna? Does severing the mind of greed amount to attaining the first fruit (srotāpanna)?
Answer: The mind of greed is one of the five hindrances. By subduing the five hindrances and subduing the mind of greed, one can attain the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna. If one severs the mind of greed after attaining the first fruit, one becomes a person of the third fruit (anāgāmin). After realizing the first fruit, one must additionally have the first dhyāna; only when the two are combined can greed be eradicated. The first fruit and the first dhyāna are both necessary conditions for eradicating greed—lacking either one condition will not do. At that point one is a noble one of the third fruit, having transcended the worthy one of the first fruit. If non-Buddhists possess the first dhyāna, because they have not severed the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), they can only subdue the affliction of greed but cannot eradicate it; once the meditative concentration disappears, the affliction of greed will arise again.
2. Can Self-Grasping Be Severed Without Realizing the Tathāgatagarbha?
Severing self-grasping means eradicating the attachment of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses to the world of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha); it does not involve the question of whether or not one has realized the tathāgatagarbha. Even those who have not realized the tathāgatagarbha can sever self-grasping: arhats have not realized the tathāgatagarbha, yet they sever self-grasping; pratyekabuddhas are the same—without realizing the tathāgatagarbha, they sever self-grasping. Within meditative concentration above the first dhyāna, if one contemplates the five aggregates and the eighteen realms through and through with complete thoroughness and eradicates all afflictions, self-grasping is severed completely. With no lingering attachment to the three realms, one can be assured of leaving the world of the three realms at the end of life and entering nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa).
Severing self-grasping is cultivated in common by both the Great and Small Vehicles. Of course, Great Vehicle bodhisattvas who have realized the tathāgatagarbha can also sever self-grasping; once self-grasping is severed, one is an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva. Before that point, bodhisattvas will not sever self-grasping, in order to avoid entering nirvāṇa without remainder. The severing of self-grasping by Great Vehicle bodhisattvas takes place after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, then passing through the contemplation of illusion and the contemplation of mirages, passing the three checkpoints of the Chan school, passing the contemplation of dreams, and entering the first bhūmi—only then do they have the capacity to sever self-grasping, but they cannot sever it completely; if it were completely severed, they would enter nirvāṇa without remainder.
If Great Vehicle bodhisattvas lack the first dhyāna, they cannot reach the third checkpoint of the Chan school, and naturally cannot pass the third checkpoint, the "firm barrier," nor can they realize nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). Some people have not even genuinely realized the first checkpoint, yet day after day they contemplate the contemplation of dreams without any meditative concentration; contemplating with a scattered mind and armed with a bit of theoretical knowledge and views, they come to feel that they have realized the contemplation of dreams—this is a tremendous misunderstanding. Generally speaking, from the first enlightenment to the contemplation of dreams requires the passage of several great kalpas; it is impossible to cultivate to the contemplation of dreams within a single lifetime. Moreover, since they do not cultivate meditative concentration, none of their contemplative practice can gain entry.
After entering the bhūmis, one begins to sever grasping at dharmas. Grasping at dharmas is extremely deep and subtle; the wisdom of the Small Vehicle cannot sever it—only the wisdom of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis who have realized the tathāgatagarbha has the capacity to sever grasping at dharmas. When one realizes that each and every subtle dharma is brought forth and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha, that none of them is real, and that all are without self, one severs one portion of grasping at dharmas. Can everyone now understand what is meant by actual practice? What is "actual," and what is "practice"? Everyone claims to be engaged in actual practice, but apart from any one of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, it is neither actual nor is it practice.
3. Which Fruits of the Small Vehicle Do the Contemplation of Mirages and the Contemplation of Dreams Respectively Correspond To?
When one cultivates to the contemplation of dreams, one has already passed the third checkpoint of the Chan school. The third checkpoint corresponds to the third fruit of the Small Vehicle, having severed the two afflictions of greed and hatred within the first dhyāna concentration. After the contemplation of dreams, one enters the first bhūmi and becomes a first-bhūmi bodhisattva, possessing the seed wisdom of Consciousness-Only.
When cultivating to the contemplation of mirages, one must have preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) perfectly and completely fulfilled, or else possess the first dhyāna concentration, in order to accomplish the contemplation of mirages and realize that any state of mind arising in oneself or others is as unreal as the illusory shadows of water vapor over a sandy beach. This is because at that time one can directly perceive how the tathāgatagarbha conjures up the minds of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses the way a painter splashes ink, and directly perceive that the activities of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are so unreal—seemingly existent yet seemingly nonexistent. At this point, in terms of the Small Vehicle, one is at the second or third fruit.
Every kind of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) requires corresponding meditative concentration; only by contemplating within meditative concentration can one realize the Dharma and pass through each of the checkpoints—otherwise not a single checkpoint can be passed. When realizing the third fruit and eradicating afflictions, the first dhyāna concentration is indispensable; when cultivating the third checkpoint, the first dhyāna concentration is indispensable. Before the second checkpoint and before the second fruit, preparatory concentration is required, and it must be complete. Without preparatory concentration, no dharma can be realized; one can only work out some intellectual understanding—superficial and without any real effect.
4. The First Dhyāna Concentration Is a Necessary Condition for Realizing the Noble Ones of the Third and Fourth Fruits
Some people say that with preparatory concentration alone one can become an arhat liberated by wisdom (prajñā-vimukti), without needing meditative concentration above the first dhyāna—this statement is obviously not spoken by the Buddha. The Buddha said in the Āgama sūtras that only after the first dhyāna, by eradicating the two root afflictions of greed and hatred, can one become a person of the third fruit; and a person of the third fruit must further eradicate self-conceit (asmimāna) and self-grasping in order to become an arhat liberated by wisdom. Eradicating the root afflictions must take place within meditative concentration above the first dhyāna, and only by eradicating the root afflictions can one be a noble one of the third or fourth fruit of the Small Vehicle; those who have not eradicated the root afflictions are worthy ones of the first or second fruit. Therefore, a person of the third fruit must have the first dhyāna concentration, and a person of the fourth fruit should all the more have it. Some people are incapable of cultivating concentration, so they try by every possible means to negate the cultivation of concentration. There is no help for it—the karmic power of sentient beings is simply too great.
Only after the first fruit, by cultivating the first dhyāna concentration, can one eradicate afflictions. Without the first dhyāna concentration, no affliction whatsoever can be eradicated; without eradicating afflictions, one cannot realize the third fruit—how then could one become a fourth-fruit arhat? Some people fervently hope to become Buddhas directly without cultivating concentration. However, this is sheer fantasy.
5. The Relationship Between Sitting Meditation and Becoming a Buddha
Some people say that sitting meditation cannot make one a Buddha. Then, can one become a Buddha without sitting meditation? Some people understand the meaning of "sitting meditation cannot make one a Buddha" in a one-sided way, thinking that since sitting meditation cannot make one a Buddha, they will simply not sit in meditation—moving from one extreme of only sitting in meditation to cultivate concentration to the other extreme of not sitting at all. Both are walking on extremes, so of course neither can become a Buddha.
We should all know that becoming a Buddha involves many, many conditions and causes, and sitting meditation to cultivate concentration is one of those causal conditions for becoming a Buddha. To have only the single causal condition of sitting meditation is the practice method of non-Buddhists—cultivating only the body and not the mind, fundamentally unable to develop wisdom, and naturally unable to become a Buddha. Becoming a Buddha requires an immense number of causal conditions; therefore one cannot devote all of one's time and energy to the single practice of sitting meditation. One must also study and contemplate the theoretical principles of becoming a Buddha, and practice the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the bodhisattva's six perfections, and so forth. If one further removes the causal condition of sitting meditation and no longer sits, then one lacks yet another causal condition for becoming a Buddha and is even less able to become a Buddha.
If one wishes one's practice to bear fruit, one must attend to the other aspects of practice as well, making overall arrangements and never neglecting one side. According to one's own practice situation, one should reasonably arrange the content of practice; every dharma that should be cultivated must be cultivated to the proper degree, without attending to one thing while losing another, without neglecting any aspect.
