Spiritual Powers and the Power of the Path Are Beyond Compare to Worldly Pleasures

The Buddha in the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment teaches us that the cultivation to attain all samādhis relies entirely on the practice of equal balance of concentration and wisdom, the dual cultivation of śamatha (calm abiding) and vipaśyanā (insight). There is no dry wisdom without concentration, nor is there any perverse concentration without wisdom. Only the samādhi achieved in this way is one of equal concentration and wisdom. Relying on the power of this samādhi, one can continuously manifest all phenomena of the world. Buddhas possess the power of Buddha-samādhi, and Bodhisattvas possess various corresponding powers of samādhi. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas rely on these various powers of samādhi to transform and accomplish all phenomena. For instance, manifesting various Buddha-lands relies on the power of samādhi; accomplishing great chiliocosms relies on the power of samādhi; displaying various supernatural powers and spiritual abilities relies on the power of samādhi. All the supernatural powers of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas depend on the power of samādhi. 

The power of samādhi cannot be separated from concentration, nor can it be separated from wisdom. For example, an eighth-stage Bodhisattva, through supernatural manifestation, can draw the waters of the Four Great Oceans into his belly. The waters of the Four Great Oceans are immeasurably vast and boundless; our Earth floating upon them is like a tiny sphere. Fish, shrimp, dragons, and crabs are all drawn into the Bodhisattva's belly without being aware of it. Another example: an eighth-stage Bodhisattva can hold sentient beings in one hand and lift the Earth with the other. The sentient beings on Earth leave the planet without knowing it, thinking they are still on Earth. Or he can transport sentient beings to distant stars, and the sentient beings remain completely unaware. The Bodhisattva relies precisely on this profound and miraculous power of samādhi, relying on wisdom and meditative concentration, to liberate and benefit sentient beings. 

We pursue worldly pleasures like food, drink, entertainment, wealth, sex, fame, and sleep. Pursuing these for a lifetime, whether attained or not, is ultimately meaningless and utterly boring. Observe how supremely free and miraculous the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are! They can manifest as much food and drink as they wish—foods of a hundred flavors, a thousand flavors, a billion flavors—manifesting them all to offer to hungry sentient beings, yet they themselves have no need for food or drink. Yet we spend all day focusing our minds and energy on eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating—it’s utterly meaningless. Such a life is no different from that of ants, yet we are immersed in it, unable to extricate ourselves. How unwise! If we dedicated all that time and energy to cultivating the Way, attaining various samādhis, how free and liberated we would be! 

If you were to become an eighth-stage Bodhisattva, your talents and achievements in almost any field would be nearly the best in the world. Your wealth and treasures would be beyond description—precisely because you no longer need them, they would multiply endlessly, becoming limitless, all used to benefit and liberate sentient beings. This comparison clearly reveals how narrow our vision is. We can only see what is right before us; anything farther away, anything vaster, we remain ignorant of. Our vision must be long-term, then longer-term still. Do not fixate on one lifetime, half a lifetime, or the immediate few years ahead; anything beyond that we cannot consider or attend to.

This is a matter of merit (puṇya). It is a severe lack of merit that causes such shortsightedness, as small as a mung bean. The higher you stand, the farther you see; the farther you see, the broader your mind becomes. The path you walk becomes faster and more direct. With a clear goal, you won’t be entangled by the scenery before you. If you linger over the immediate scenery, you cannot move forward on the path behind. When traveling far, do not linger excessively over the scenery by the roadside; stride forward bravely. If you covet enjoyment and admire the scenery, you cannot proceed along the path. Because indulging in and clinging to the scenery delays your journey, then the enjoyments you should have had in future human lives will be absent, unattained. If you go to the heavens first and enjoy the celestial realm, you will miss the enjoyments of other Buddha-lands. Therefore, no matter how splendid the immediate scenery may seem, do not let it affect your steps. Do not stop. Aim for that highest goal, press forward single-mindedly, and obstacles will be removed.