Essential Conditions for Zen Meditation

So-called Chan meditation involves observing, practicing, contemplating, and investigating the Tathagatagarbha to realize the True Suchness Buddha-nature. The principle of Chan meditation is akin to searching for a person. To find someone, you must first know that person, or have their photograph, keeping their appearance clear in mind; only then is it possible to find them.

Secondly, you need to know where to look. Searching aimlessly and blindly is like finding a needle in a haystack, offering slim hope. You must also understand all the places this person might appear, where they could hide, where there are secret passages or mechanisms—all must be known. Thirdly, appropriate transportation, time, and travel expenses are necessary. You must also possess the discernment to recognize this person; otherwise, even if you meet face to face, you wouldn’t know them. The best and most reliable way is to have someone who has seen that person and knows the place lead the way—this is the fastest route. Therefore, finding one person is no easy task, let alone the True Suchness Buddha-nature, which we have neither known nor understood since beginningless kalpas—it is even more difficult.

Hence, to practice Chan meditation, one must lay a solid foundation, ensuring all necessary conditions are met. Laying the foundation means cultivating the Six Perfections (Paramitas) of a Bodhisattva; lacking even one perfection prevents realization, and Chan meditation will lack efficacy. Comparing it to the method of searching for a person, finding the True Suchness Mind, the Tathagatagarbha, also requires several steps.

First, one must understand the essential nature of the Tathagatagarbha. By studying the Great Prajna Sutras, such as the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra, one develops correct knowledge and understanding, and only then can one begin the search for the Tathagatagarbha.

Secondly, one must know where the Tathagatagarbha manifests. Through studying Prajna, one must clearly comprehend that it appears within the various activities of the Five Aggregates (Skandhas) and in the contact of the Six Roots with the Six Dusts (Sense Objects). As the saying goes, "wherever there is arising of conditions, conditions arise everywhere." Wherever illusory dharmas appear, the Tathagatagarbha manifests; the birth of every dharma is a union of the true and the false. The point where the true and false unite is a crucial place for observation; this understanding is essential and extremely critical.

Furthermore, since the Tathagatagarbha manifests within the activities of the Five Aggregates, one must also clearly understand the nature of the Five Aggregates. The seven consciousnesses combined with the physical body constitute the Five Aggregates; thus, the seven consciousnesses are key, and their nature must also be clearly understood. This allows one to clearly discern the true dharmas and the false dharmas, so that when the true and false unite, one can find the true dharma amidst the various false dharmas of the Five Aggregates.

All of this constitutes correct knowledge and understanding. With correct knowledge, one also needs merit, corresponding concentration power for investigation, and most importantly, the guidance and assistance of a wise teacher (Kalyana Mitra) to avoid taking wrong paths and practicing blindly. To possess sufficient concentration power, upholding precepts (Sila) and practicing patience (Kshanti) are prerequisites, along with possessing a mind of diligent cultivation. These represent the general content and conditions of the Bodhisattva's Six Perfections. Specific details must be carefully studied in the sutras, deeply contemplated, and then put into practice. Finally, one must wait until the causes, conditions, and time are ripe to find the Eighth Consciousness, the Tathagatagarbha, thereby realizing the Mind and awakening to the Way.

Therefore, fulfilling the conditions to be a Bodhisattva is the direction we should diligently strive towards now and the starting point for practice. Cultivation cannot be rushed or advanced recklessly; it must proceed step by step, one stage at a time. If your strength is insufficient, you cannot run; thoughts of seeking quick success and instant benefits must be overcome.