Subduing Coarse Craving: The Path to Dhyāna and the Eradication of Self-View

Engaging in various forms of recreational activities, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and all kinds of arts, falls within the scope of craving. Regardless of how elegant, noble, exalted, wonderful, or delightful these activities may seem in worldly perception, they are contrary to the Way (Dharma). They belong to the realm of worldly existence and thus are things within the cycle of rebirth (samsara). Attachment to them prevents liberation from samsara. When the mind harbors craving, it corresponds to the path of ghosts (preta-loka), and upon death, one will go to the ghost realm to receive karmic retribution. The scope of craving is extremely broad; it is present almost everywhere. Any liking, attachment, or grasping constitutes craving. Therefore, regardless of whether one studies Buddhism or not, if their virtuous karma is insufficient for rebirth in the heavens or as a human, due to their various cravings, they will almost always first go to the ghost realm to receive retribution. Afterwards, they will go to the animal realm to receive retribution. Only when the karmic retribution in the lower realms is temporarily exhausted and some residual merit remains will they return to the human realm. Craving for phenomena within the desire realm (kama-dhatu) prevents transcendence of the desire realm; craving for phenomena of the human realm prevents rebirth in the heavens, or even prevents rebirth among humans.

The desire for food and drink is the most superficial and easiest affliction (klesha) to subdue in the human realm; it is the first barrier in spiritual practice. If one cannot overcome this barrier, other cravings will be even harder to subdue. The myriad faults and wrongdoings of ordinary beings manifest precisely in the minute instances of craving in daily life—craving everywhere, grasping everywhere. Living with such "refinement"—what does this refinement entail? Refinement in everything, refusing to let go of any phenomenon, always pursuing the best. The variety and refinement concerning food alone are immense. However, the karmic retribution often contradicts what is sought. Craving for food leads to rebirth as a hungry ghost; arrogance causes the physical body to be short and small, and so on.

The desire between men and women is the heaviest craving in the human realm. If one can subdue it, one can attain the first dhyana (meditative absorption), and by eradicating the craving for sexual desire, one can be reborn in the heavens of the first dhyana in future lives. If one can subdue the cravings for food, clothing, shelter, possessions, and travel in the human realm, one can attain the access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), thereby subduing the afflictions of the human realm and being reborn in the heavens of the desire realm after death. Those unable to attain dhyana should examine the various cravings within their own minds. Enjoying high-rise buildings, fine clothes, and sumptuous food in the human realm comes at a cost. When the merit is exhausted, it becomes insufficient to sustain existence in the human realm, forcing one to suffer in the three lower realms (hell, hungry ghost, animal). Therefore, those who enjoy wealth, honor, and splendor should awaken and plan early, seeing through the unreality of worldly glory and avoiding vanity.

Why do the dhyanas correspond to the heavenly realms, enabling rebirth in the heavens upon death? Beings in the heavenly realms possess corresponding virtuous karma; their minds are virtuous, and their afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are slight. The heavens of the desire realm are primarily the result of virtuous karma, the fruition of good deeds, and also contain some fruition of dhyana. The heavens of the form realm (rupa-dhatu) and formless realm (arupa-dhatu) are primarily the fruition of dhyana. Without the corresponding dhyana, one cannot be reborn in the form or formless heavens. Therefore, dhyana certainly subdues and eradicates afflictions. Realizing the non-self (anātman) and seeing the true nature of mind (mind-seeing) both require at least the access concentration, which entails subduing the coarse afflictions of the desire realm. Fame, profit, wealth, sex, reputation, food, and sleep are all afflictions within the desire realm. Those burdened with such severe afflictions cannot attain dhyana, cannot realize non-self, cannot see the true nature of mind, and certainly cannot attain the stages of enlightenment (bhumis).

If someone claims to have realized non-self and seen the true nature of mind but still exhibits obvious afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion like an ordinary person, then it is not genuine realization of non-self or genuine seeing of the true nature of mind. Worldly people, ignorant of the matters of cultivation and realization, often overestimate their own and others' spiritual practice, leading to many misunderstandings. Due to the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), they do not err by underestimating, but only by overestimating. In the past, some people told me they had realized non-self and seen the mind, asking me to verify and prove it. They would repeatedly explain how they perceived non-self and emptiness. In truth, such theories are ubiquitous and easily obtained. Can I necessarily judge whether someone has genuinely realized something just by hearing these descriptions? Of course not; it is better to see with one's own eyes than to hear about it.

In reality, the primary way to determine whether someone has severed or realized something does not lie in listening to what they say, but in observing what they do—conduct is the truest indicator. Therefore, a very simple method of judgment is to examine their words and observe their actions, to observe the conduct of their body, speech, and mind, their attitude towards food, clothing, shelter, possessions, and travel, and their attitude towards material phenomena (rupa-dharma). This is where the coarsest afflictions reside and what must be changed first in the process of cultivation. Slightly subtler afflictions concern one's attitude towards mental consciousness (vijnana) and one's thoughts and views. These must also undergo some change; otherwise, nothing has been severed or realized. Since one has realized the non-self of the five aggregates (skandhas) and realized emptiness (shunyata), clearly knowing it is empty and devoid of self, how could one still continue to grasp and cling to coarse and heavy phenomena without relinquishing or changing? Testing a person in this way is the most direct, simplest, and most effective. How many people can withstand such scrutiny?