Exegesis of a Passage from the Platform Sutra

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: "Virtuous friends, what is meant by seated meditation? Within this Dharma gate, there is no obstruction or hindrance. Externally, regarding all realms of good and evil, when thoughts do not arise in the mind, this is called 'seated' (dhyana). Internally, perceiving the unmoving self-nature, this is called 'meditation' (samadhi)."

Explanation: The Sixth Patriarch said: "This Dharma gate of seated meditation has not the slightest obstruction. When sitting, regarding all objects of the six dusts (senses), whether good or evil, your mind should not give rise to thoughts. This is called stillness, named 'seated' (dhyana). During meditation, do not sit idly; there must be contemplation. Only through contemplation and investigation can you perceive your own self-nature. Perceiving that the self-nature is originally unmoving—this is meditation (samadhi). Seated meditation is to illuminate the mind and perceive the self-nature. Seated meditation is not about having no thoughts whatsoever, not about applying no mental effort, nor is it about entering a state of meditative absorption. True seated meditation requires being able to perceive that one's self-nature is originally unshakable."

The Master instructed: "Virtuous friends, what is meant by meditative concentration (dhyana-samadhi)? Externally, detachment from characteristics is dhyana; internally, undisturbedness is samadhi. If externally one clings to characteristics, the mind within becomes disturbed; if externally one detaches from characteristics, the mind remains undisturbed. The intrinsic nature is inherently pure and inherently concentrated. It is only when perceiving objects and thinking about them that the mind becomes disturbed. If one perceives all objects yet the mind remains undisturbed, this is true samadhi."

Explanation: The concept of meditative concentration (dhyana-samadhi) is: Externally, detachment from characteristics is dhyana; internally, undisturbedness is samadhi. This means externally one must detach from all characteristics—as stated in the Heart Sutra: no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; no six sense faculties, six sense objects, or six consciousnesses; no five aggregates or eighteen realms; no Four Noble Truths; no Six Perfections of the bodhisattva—all characteristics are absent. Internally undisturbed means not giving rise to discrimination regarding any object or characteristic, being unshaken, without mental thoughts—this is dhyana.

To what does "this" refer? It refers to the tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature). When you sit there cultivating meditative concentration, your mind is not disturbed by any object; your mind becomes concentrated. Essentially, this means the tathagatagarbha is detached from all characteristics—externally detached from all characteristics, internally undisturbed. The tathagatagarbha is never disturbed; it is eternally in meditative concentration. If, while you are in meditative concentration, you cling to all objective characteristics—when good and evil, right and wrong, all arise—your mind is disturbed, and this means you have neither dhyana nor samadhi. If the deluded mind can be like the true mind, undisturbed, then you attain meditative concentration. The meaning here requires distinguishing between the two natures of the true mind and the deluded mind. The previous statement refers to the true mind, the tathagatagarbha's self-nature. The latter part explains that when cultivating meditation, do not cling to characteristics; clinging to characteristics causes the mind to become disturbed, and you lose meditative concentration. To attain meditative concentration, externally you should detach from all characteristics, not cling to any; your mind remains undisturbed—only then can you have meditative concentration.

Who possesses meditative concentration? The tathagatagarbha is like this: It detaches from all characteristics, its mind is undisturbed—it is meditative concentration, eternally abiding in concentration. Your self-nature, the pure mind, is originally pure, originally in meditative concentration, originally concentrated and undisturbed—it does not require you to cultivate it. Rather, you must rely on it to cultivate your deluded mind, enabling the deluded mind to also become pure and enter concentration. Do not give rise to thoughts or cling to characteristics upon perceiving objects; do not let the mind become disturbed. Our deluded mind, upon seeing objects and thinking about them, becomes disturbed and clings to characteristics. If the deluded mind can perceive all objects yet remain undisturbed, this is true meditative concentration.

The tathagatagarbha is also aware of all external dharmas and corresponds to them, yet its mind does not cognize the specific characteristics of these dharmas—it does not know good, evil, beauty, ugliness, right, or wrong. Therefore, its mind is undisturbed; the tathagatagarbha is true concentration. It functions within all dharmas—it is not inactive, but active yet unmoving. While functioning within all dharmas, it does not cognize the characteristics of good and evil, right and wrong within those dharmas. Thus, its mind is undisturbed; it is the true naga's great concentration.