眾生無邊誓願度
煩惱無盡誓願斷
法門無量誓願學
佛道無上誓願成

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Dharma Teachings

21 Sep 2018    Friday     3rd Teach Total 839

How to Initiate the First Dhyāna After Enlightenment

The attainment of the First Dhyāna is relatively difficult to cultivate; it requires specific conditions and causes to succeed. For example, immediately after severing the view of self and attaining the first fruit of the Śrāvaka path, or right after realizing the mind-nature or seeing one's true nature, there arises inner joy, clarity and awareness (jue ming), with afflictions being slight and sleep being reduced, making it easy to eliminate the five hindrances. The five hindrances are wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, or form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; strictly speaking, they are the hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt. When the mind is not attached to any of the five hindrances, they are easily eliminated. Once the five hindrances are removed, the First Dhyāna can manifest.

If, at the time of attaining the fruit or realizing the mind-nature, the skill in dhyāna is not well-developed, the inner joy is not great, the clarity and awareness lasts only a very short time, and afflictions have not been effectively subdued, then the five hindrances cannot be eliminated, and the First Dhyāna cannot arise. Then, after this period of clarity and awareness passes, when the mind becomes lax, attempting to cultivate the First Dhyāna again becomes very difficult. Many people, even after a lifetime of awakening, never see even a trace of the First Dhyāna. Therefore, cultivating dhyāna well before awakening is extremely important.

Lacking concentration power and merit, even after realizing the mind-nature, subsequent progress will be very slow. If concentration is insufficient upon realizing the mind-nature, the clarity and awareness lasts only a very short time, subsequent dhyānas become difficult to arise, and the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion cannot be reduced. Because concentration power is insufficient, the wisdom gained from contemplative practice (guan xing) also arises with difficulty, and many dharmas cannot be contemplated. Attaining the fruit and realizing the mind-nature must be achieved with excellent concentration power; then dhyāna can arise rapidly. Seizing this opportunity, one can soon cultivate up to the First Dhyāna. If this time is missed, the First Dhyāna becomes difficult to arise, the second and third fruits become difficult to attain, the second and third barriers in Chan (Zen) become difficult to pass, and then in this lifetime, there is no hope of entering the First Ground (Bhūmi).

——Master Sheng-Ru's Teachings
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