Theoretical Research Is Not the Proper Path to Cultivation

Nowadays a kind of drawback has appeared in the Buddhist community: placing emphasis only on theoretical knowledge, feeling that the more theory one learns the better. If one can be extremely learned, one feels wonderful and proud; if one can write a number of articles and a number of books, one feels even more wonderful and even prouder. But whether this theoretical knowledge can guide and regulate one's own bodily, verbal, and mental actions, whether it can turn around some of the mental activities of the seventh consciousness, whether it can make one's mind tranquil and reduce ignorance, whether it can bring real benefit—none of this is attended to. Worse still, it is euphemistically claimed that bodhisattvas need not concern themselves with afflictions, and that with correct views, afflictions will naturally be eradicated when the time comes.

But the facts are not like this. Merely having theoretical knowledge, merely having the mind consciousness's views, will never be of any help with regard to afflictions. At the time of death, one's destination in the next life is determined by the manifestation of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and by the karmic actions created through greed, hatred, and delusion; it is not determined by theoretical knowledge or by views about the Buddha-dharma. Therefore this issue is extremely important, and every learner of Buddhism should take it seriously and must not treat it lightly.

Theory and views are like recipes used in cooking. Having studied several cookbooks, yet never having personally worked in a kitchen, not even having selected and combined ingredients—can the cooking knowledge and cooking views one has acquired solve the problem of hunger? One spends precious time and energy studying and studying again, and after studying, writes books and expounds theories, widely recruiting disciples, thereby achieving great fame, yet one has to endure hunger and starvation—impressive in appearance only. For example, a child studies from elementary school all the way through university, then graduate school, then a doctorate, and then a postdoctoral program—all of it studying theoretical knowledge. Above the university level, one may engage in some scientific research and experiments and gain some real verification, but what is learned before university is all knowledge. Knowledge cannot be directly applied to production and manufacturing; an intermediate stage of internship and practice is needed before knowledge can be transformed into productive power.

Studying the Buddha-dharma must likewise be applied in living within the world of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha). This requires continual observance of precepts and cultivation of meditative concentration (samādhi), diligent investigation within profound meditative absorption, connecting it with one's own five aggregates, linking it with bodily, verbal, and mental actions, letting theory be put into practice, striving for personal realization and true verification, eradicating ignorance, growing real wisdom, transforming and changing body and mind. Only such cultivation can be considered accomplished, only then is there real benefit, and only then is it the correct path.