How to Practice Zen Diligently

When consciousness has nearly penetrated all theoretical knowledge and the power of samadhi is nearly sufficient, one begins to engage in Chan investigation and contemplative practice. Whether sitting in meditation, walking, standing, or lying down, the mind must carry a questioning state, constantly contemplating, reflecting, and investigating. During the investigation, consciousness first clarifies the principles of the Dharma, comprehends the general direction, thoroughly understands the content of contemplation, and masters the essential foundational knowledge. Then, it condenses the Dharma principles into a single point and hands it over to manas (the mental faculty). At this stage, the mind becomes free of language and words, seemingly emptied. In reality, manas is not empty at this moment; instead, it suspends the Dharma principles within the mind, continuously pondering and examining them. A persistent questioning state arises within, driving diligent exertion. This requires considerable samadhi power. If samadhi is insufficient, conscious thinking emerges, preventing manas from delving deeply into the Dharma principles, hindering profound contemplation, and making sustained diligent effort impossible.

Before engaging in Chan practice, first calm the mind and cultivate sufficient samadhi power. If the mind cannot settle for a day, refrain from Chan investigation and contemplative practice. If it remains unsettled for a month, Chan practice and Dharma investigation should not be attempted at all. When you investigate with adequate samadhi power, the deeper your samadhi becomes, the clearer your investigative insights will be. When samadhi is extremely deep, manas will have little left to investigate, leading entry into profound meditative absorption. After emerging from samadhi, resume investigation—this practice will be equally potent. Occasional entry into samadhi is beneficial: first enter absorption, then emerge. With samadhi power maintained throughout walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, one can diligently pursue investigation and contemplative practice. Proceed step by step in Chan practice, examining each point meticulously. This accumulates sufficient experience, enabling swift application in future lives and allowing others to benefit by absorbing this experience.

All methods for cultivating samadhi and restraining the mind ultimately aim to enable manas to realize the Buddha Dharma. Naturally, consciousness must first attain a certain level of wisdom and fully comprehend the Dharma before manas can realize it. Without samadhi, mistaking conscious understanding for realized wisdom would be a grave misunderstanding. Wisdom unmoistened by the "water of samadhi" is called "dry wisdom"—meaning consciousness comprehends, but manas neither realizes nor understands, rendering it practically ineffective. If problems arise during practice or bottlenecks are encountered, one must return to the theory, correct the principles anew, find the right direction, and then resume practice.

Studying the Dharma must lead to genuine realization. Only through genuine realization will the body, mind, and spirit of the living being transform, and ideological perspectives shift. When manas comprehends the truth, ideological perspectives will inevitably change, and the world will follow suit. All behaviors, methods of engaging with the world, and attitudes will consequently transform—this is the very purpose of spiritual practice. One must not assume they already understand the principles and need not cultivate further. Without actual practice grounded in conscious understanding of the principles, one remains unchanged in practical matters, still revolving with greed, hatred, delusion, and afflictions. The result remains entanglement in the cycle of birth and death, without liberation.