After Enlightenment, How to Arouse the First Dhyāna Concentration?

The first dhyāna is relatively difficult to cultivate; it can only be accomplished under special causal conditions. For example, when one has just eradicated the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and realized the first fruit of the śrāvaka path, or has just attained seeing the mind or seeing the nature, with inner joy arising and alert clarity (bodhi-light) manifesting, afflictions being slight, sleep being minimal, it becomes easy to remove the five hindrances. The five hindrances are wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, or alternatively form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; strictly speaking, they are the hindrances of desire, ill will, restlessness and remorse, sloth-and-torpor, and doubt. When the mind is not attached to any of the five hindrances, it becomes easy to remove them; once the five hindrances are removed, the first dhyāna can manifest.

If, at the time of realizing the fruit or attaining seeing the mind, one's meditative concentration is not very good, the inner joy is not great, the period of alert clarity is very short, and the afflictions have not been effectively subdued, then the five hindrances cannot be removed and the first dhyāna cannot arise. Then, after this period of alert clarity passes, the mind becomes lax, and it becomes very difficult to cultivate the first dhyāna thereafter. Many people, even after enlightenment, go their whole lives without ever seeing a trace of the first dhyāna; therefore, cultivating meditative concentration well before enlightenment is extremely important.

Lacking the power of meditative concentration and merit, even if one attains seeing the mind, subsequent progress will be very slow. If concentration is insufficient when one attains seeing the mind, the period of alert clarity will be extremely short, subsequent meditative concentration will not easily arise, and the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion cannot be reduced. Because the power of concentration is insufficient, the wisdom of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) also does not easily arise, and many dharmas cannot be contemplated. Realizing the fruit and attaining seeing the mind must be achieved under excellent power of meditative concentration; then meditative concentration can arise rapidly, and taking advantage of this opportunity, one can soon cultivate to the first dhyāna. Once this moment passes, the first dhyāna will not easily arise, the second and third fruits will not easily be attained, and the second and third gates of the Chan school will not easily be passed; then, in this life, there would be no hope of entering the first bhūmi.