Eradication of the View of Self Must Be Accompanied by Meditative Concentration

The pattern for eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) was already established by the Buddha long ago, and none of these patterns can be separated from the power of meditative concentration (samādhi); they all involve contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and deliberation within meditative concentration. Even when the Buddha was teaching the Dharma, he required his disciples to listen with a concentrated mind and to be able to deliberate. The Buddha always said: "Listen well, listen well, and ponder it skillfully." People in those days, having simple and pure minds, possessed varying degrees of meditative concentration; they could deliberate while listening to the Dharma and all knew how to engage in contemplative practice, so attaining realization of the fruits seemed very easy.

People nowadays do not have very good merit; their minds are not pure, full of scattered and disordered thoughts, and they lack meditative concentration. Due to the limitations of environmental conditions, they cannot cultivate meditative concentration well, so that even when the Dharma is taught in great detail, they still do not know how to engage in contemplative practice, and a questioning doubt still does not arise. If one has a certain degree of meditative concentration, then merely looking at the text can give rise to contemplative practice, questioning doubt will appear, and the doubt will grow ever deeper. Those with very strong resolve for the Path will give up some worldly affairs, determined to resolve the questioning doubt no matter what. Without meditative concentration, contemplative practice is impossible, and one cannot penetrate deeply into the manas; the manas cannot exert any force, and even though the answer lies right there, plainly before one's eyes, it cannot be obtained.

The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sūtra taught by the Buddha contains methods that include both meditative concentration and wisdom, combining the two; for eradicating the view of self, it is the fastest. Those methods of deliberation were taught by the Buddha very clearly and in great detail. As long as one diligently cultivates according to those methods, eradicating the view of self is not too difficult. The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sūtra is an excellent method of practice, suitable for all people; it is just that many people are unwilling to put in the effort.