Dhyāna Required for Zen Meditation

Engaging in Chan meditation requires the first dhyana of the form realm or the access concentration preceding the first dhyana to investigate the true mind tathagatagarbha, thereby enabling one to break through and discover the true mind tathagatagarbha. This corresponds to the concentration of the sixth heaven in the desire realm. If the concentration becomes deeper or shallower, it becomes difficult to investigate and realize the true mind tathagatagarbha through Chan practice. If the concentration deepens further, one enters the second dhyana, where the eyes do not perceive form, the ears do not hear sound, the five consciousnesses cease, and only the manas (mental faculty) and the mental consciousness remain. In this state, one cannot discover the true mind within the union of true and false in bodily, verbal, and mental actions. It is difficult to find tathagatagarbha when entering deep meditative concentration because the mental consciousness at that time is relatively weak and insensitive, making it hard to discern what is the true mind tathagatagarbha. Moreover, bodily and verbal actions cease, leaving only subtle mental actions; it is difficult for the mental consciousness to find the true mind within these mental actions. Discovering tathagatagarbha occurs in the very moment of bodily, verbal, and mental actions, particularly during the enactment of bodily and verbal actions, within the union of true and false where the true mind tathagatagarbha can be found.

When the mental consciousness is weak and mental actions are scarce, it is difficult to discover the true mind tathagatagarbha. Unless one possesses exceptionally sharp faculties, one should not expect to realize the mind and attain enlightenment within deep concentration. If the concentration is too shallow or absent, the mental consciousness becomes scattered, the mind coarse and agitated, and one cannot open wisdom to realize the true mind. In the intermediate access concentration or the first dhyana, the mental consciousness is undistracted and relatively focused, enabling one to achieve one-pointedness of mind. In this state, contemplation becomes more refined, facilitating the opening of wisdom.

Attaining enlightenment cannot be separated from the mental consciousness focusing the mind in one place, nor can it be separated from this kind of dedicated, concentrated attention. Therefore, realizing enlightenment through Chan practice cannot occur in a state of very deep concentration nor in a state of very shallow concentration. After cultivating the meditative skill of concentrating the mind and fixing it in one place, one must still know: what is this "one place"? At this point, one must know the direction and the starting point for Chan investigation; otherwise, realization is still impossible. One must know what is to be realized and what the mark of realization is; if one does not know this, it is still impossible to attain enlightenment.

After realizing the mind, wisdom opens, and one knows how tathagatagarbha cooperates with the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses in their functioning, how bodily, verbal, and mental actions are produced, and one can observe some of the intrinsic characteristics of tathagatagarbha. Subsequently, one can also know the causes and conditions for the arising of all phenomena. At this stage, if one has not attained very deep meditative concentration, it is impossible to possess supernatural powers, nor can one know worldly secret matters. The state of enlightenment is different from the state of meditative concentration; the two cannot be confused. Knowing everything pertains to the state of supernatural powers and meditative concentration and is unrelated to enlightenment. "The void shatters and the great earth levels flat" describes a state of meditative concentration and is unrelated to the wisdom state of enlightenment.