The Four Preparatory Practices and Four Wholesome Roots for Cultivated Wisdom

Is there a relationship between the contemplation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Four Noble Truths? During the process of contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, each foundation involves contemplating the principles of the Four Noble Truths. Thus, when combined, sixteen aspects are observed. When the contemplation of these sixteen aspects is fully accomplished, one attains four kinds of wisdom states, which are the four wholesome roots. These four wholesome roots are warmth, summit, forbearance, and the supreme mundane dharmas, also known as the Four Preparatory Practices. This is a necessary stage one must undergo before attaining the path of seeing. The Four Preparatory Practices and the four wholesome roots belong to the wisdom attained through cultivation. Before this stage, it pertains to the wisdom attained through hearing and reflection, which is relatively shallow and has not yet permeated the mental faculty. When it permeates the mental faculty, the mental faculty becomes affected and transformed, aligning with the truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, thereby initiating conformity with decisive discrimination, which constitutes the wisdom attained through cultivation. Only upon the complete perfection of this wisdom attained through cultivation does one attain the path of seeing. Therefore, the Four Preparatory Practices are extremely important. Everyone should understand this, and I will gradually explain more about this Dharma.

Another theory that needs to be elaborated upon for everyone is the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment. I will explain it in a bit more detail, enabling each person to know whether they are practicing the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment and to what extent they have progressed. Finally, I will discuss which relatively coarse afflictions of the desire realm need to be eradicated through meditative concentration during the cultivation path before attaining the path of seeing. Subtle afflictions can only be eradicated after attaining the path of seeing; they cannot be eradicated before then. Afflictions of the form realm are even more impossible to eradicate beforehand. With this, the teachings of the Hinayana are basically sufficient, and there is no need to elaborate further.

The path of cultivation, in reality, consists of ninety percent of the time spent on personal diligent practice. Only a small amount of time is used for hearing the Dharma, absorbing theoretical knowledge and views to guide practice and prevent deviating onto wrong paths. Once the theoretical knowledge and views have been absorbed sufficiently, it is entirely a matter of personal, single-minded diligence. Spending more time studying theory beyond that point becomes a hindrance. Therefore, I do not wish to explain too much Dharma in the future, lest it delay everyone's actual practice. If in the future I find any theoretical deficiencies, I will gradually supplement them. The focus should remain primarily on actual practice; theory is sufficient when it serves its purpose. Craving more theory is not very useful and only wastes time.

During the cultivation stage of the Four Preparatory Practices, because the mental faculty is effectively permeated, both body and mind undergo changes. The mind becomes more purified than before, afflictions become lighter, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions transform. Only in this way can one gradually align with the mental qualities and conduct of the noble sages after attaining the path of seeing, thereby enabling one to attain the path of seeing. Therefore, it is not the case that if one's body and mind change and afflictions lessen, one has attained the path of seeing or realized the fruit; one is still far from it. Those who constantly suspect that they have attained awakening in the Mahayana path, if they have not practiced these Dharmas or have not practiced them to perfection and completion, should henceforth abandon this doubt. Do not doubt; you have not attained awakening, nor is it even intellectual understanding. Some people experience little or no change in their body, mind, or world after their supposed awakening, merely possessing a bit more knowledge and views. Some lack even sufficient knowledge and views. Such individuals have not cultivated the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, nor have they reached the stage of the Four Preparatory Practices; they are merely at the stage of hearing and reflection. Such a misunderstanding is incredibly vast. Why does such a misunderstanding arise?

Dedication Verse: We dedicate all the merit from propagating the Dharma and group practice on our online platform to all sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm, and to the people of the world. We pray for world peace and the absence of war; may conflicts cease and weapons be forever laid down; may all disasters completely subside! We pray that the people of all nations unite in mutual aid, treating each other with compassion; may the weather be favorable and the harvests abundant, and the country be prosperous and the people at peace! May all sentient beings deeply believe in cause and effect and harbor compassion without killing; may they widely form good affinities and extensively cultivate wholesome karma; may they believe in the Buddha, learn the Buddha Dharma, and increase their wholesome roots; may they understand suffering, abandon its origin, aspire to cessation, and cultivate the path; may they close the door to the evil destinies and open the path to Nirvana! We pray that Buddhism flourishes eternally and the true Dharma endures forever; may the realm of suffering transform into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!