How to Cultivate Wisdom

Question: What do "resembling samadhi" and "resembling anutpattika-dharma-ksanti" mean?

Answer: "Resembling" means similar, close to the real thing—looking alike, resembling in form but not in essence, not genuine yet similar to the genuine. "Resembling samadhi" has not yet reached the level of true samadhi; it is close to samadhi, similar to samadhi, but not genuine samadhi—it merely appears to be samadhi. Similarly, "resembling anutpattika-dharma-ksanti" has not yet attained the level of true anutpattika-dharma-ksanti; it resembles and is analogous to anutpattika-dharma-ksanti but is not the genuine anutpattika-dharma-ksanti.

If one clarifies the conceptual meaning of Chinese nouns, the general idea of a sentence or paragraph can become clear. If one is not intellectually lazy but diligent in contemplation, gradually, some Dharma principles will become comprehensible on one's own. Always relying on others or ready-made answers is a sign of unwillingness to think deeply; this will not increase wisdom. One must learn to depend on one’s own intellectual wisdom. The prerequisite is to diligently cultivate merits and dhyana.