The condition for the arising of the first dhyāna is the subjugation of the five hindrances: sensual desire, ill will, sloth-torpor, restlessness-agitation, and doubt. These must be effectively subdued. One must strive to distance oneself from wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep to initiate the first dhyāna.
The five hindrances are: sensual desire, ill will, sloth-torpor, restlessness-agitation, and doubt. If there is ill will within the mind, thoughts and awareness-contemplation will constantly arise, preventing the mind from settling into tranquility, and dhyāna will not manifest. If there is sensual desire within the mind, the mind will ceaselessly grasp and cling, making it impossible to attain stillness; cultivation of concentration becomes difficult. Sloth-torpor pertains to mental dullness; when the mind is turbid and impure, it naturally obstructs dhyāna. Restlessness-agitation involves the mind clinging to past people and events, engaging in constant recollection and reminiscence, desiring continuous thought, which also obstructs dhyāna.
Doubt refers to unresolved questions within the mind—doubting oneself, doubting others, doubting the Dharma. When doubt hangs suspended in the mind, stuck and unresolved, awareness-contemplation persists incessantly, which naturally obstructs dhyāna. Regret involves constantly dwelling on one's past mistakes, leading to unceasing mental deliberation, afflictions, and thoughts. When the six consciousnesses cannot become quiescent, dhyāna will not arise. Therefore, before cultivating concentration, one must examine one's inner state thoroughly, sweeping away the mental dust until the mind is empty and pure. Then, upon sitting cross-legged, concentration will arise. When the mind is ordinarily free from concerns, dhyāna may manifest even while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
To subjugate the five hindrances, one must generate renunciation and a strong aspiration for the Path. One must not crave the material enjoyments and worldly life of the desire realm, being unconcerned and unattached to food, drink, clothing, or dwelling. Only then can one achieve a state where the mind abides nowhere, transcend the dharmas of the desire realm, and cease coveting forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations. Only then can the first dhyāna be initiated.
People nowadays are very particular about enjoyment, emphasizing comfortable and carefree living, and concerned with face, constantly comparing themselves to others. The entire mind is immersed in the mundane, which severely obstructs the arising of dhyāna. Those who are very particular about food, clothing, dwelling, and possessions, and who are strongly attached to them, cannot possibly attain dhyāna. Deva beings in the first dhyāna of the form realm lack tongue-consciousness and have no need for food and drink. If we enjoy eating, prefer delicious food, and cling to the sense-object of taste, the first dhyāna cannot arise. Form realm devas lack nose-consciousness and do not perceive smells. If we constantly prefer pleasant scents, dislike foul odors, and are attached to the sense-object of smell, the first dhyāna similarly cannot arise.
Only by not clinging to the dharmas of the human world can the concentration of the desire realm arise. If one has no interest in worldly human affairs, the concentration of the desire realm will arise. If one delights in the people, things, and matters of the human world, the concentration of the desire realm will not manifest. Only by not coveting the states of the devas in the desire realm can the dhyāna of the form realm arise. Only by relinquishing the enjoyments and attachments of the lower realm can the dhyāna of the higher realm appear. This is the principle and condition for the arising of dhyāna.
If we wholeheartedly immerse ourselves in the affairs of the desire realm every day, constantly scheming and calculating, the first dhyāna cannot arise. If we pursue everything, desire to obtain everything, and wish to surpass others in everything, the first dhyāna cannot arise. If the merit gained from studying Buddhism and practicing the Path is entirely used for material enjoyment, the merit needed for the Path work will be insufficient. Preserving more merit for use in cultivating the Path allows the Path work to progress continuously.
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