Are the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis Practiced by Non-Buddhists of Any Use?

Regardless of who it may be, if one cultivates the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis, they will effectively subdue afflictions and inherent hindrances, significantly reducing the obstacles to realizing the path. By then, the majority of the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment will have been cultivated, with only the correct knowledge and insight required for path realization being insufficient or lacking. If one possesses sufficient virtuous roots and merit, and encounters correct knowledge and insight that they can accept without doubt, wisdom will no longer be obscured, making it possible to realize the path immediately. During the Buddha's time, many non-Buddhists attained the pure Dharma-eye upon hearing the Buddha's teachings, becoming practitioners of the third or fourth fruition, including some at the first and second stages.

What is the merit of meditative concentration? It lies in subduing the scatteredness and clinging tendencies of the mental faculty (manas), thereby causing the six consciousnesses to also become subdued, ceasing their constant discrimination and fabrication. In this way, the mind can remain focused and unified at all times, enhancing its capacity for reflection, allowing wisdom to develop. If one possesses the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis, which are common to both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, contemplating the Buddha Dharma becomes considerably easier, making realization relatively straightforward. Therefore, concentration (samādhi) is one of the necessary and essential conditions for realizing all dharmas, and also the most important direct condition.

Wisdom arises from stillness and profound tranquility. When the mind settles, it becomes pure; purity gives rise to wisdom, whereas turbid water disturbs the will and harms the emotions. Without cultivating meditative concentration, seeking to attain fruition and realize the mind is utterly impossible. What one obtains would be like a bubble-like fruit, lacking practical value; upon prolonged observation, it will inevitably burst.