When the mind is empty, no realms appear (2025-07-03)

Ven. Shi Ruyuan: Now I am in control of the meditative concentration states; as soon as I enter a state of meditative concentration, a concentration state manifests, and I feel that the concentration state is no different from dreams or the waking state—all are illusory and unreal, without meaning, and my mind keeps contemplating, within meditative absorption (samādhi), the interesting dharma meanings that appear in my mind. What I mean is that as soon as I sit quietly or recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra—silently or in a low voice—I keep entering concentration, so I rouse my spirit to avoid entering concentration and instead contemplate the dharma meanings in my mind.

Assessment: When the mind is empty, no states appear. If states manifest when you enter concentration, it shows that there is still something in the mind that has not been emptied. Unless you have expressed it incorrectly—in fact, when you enter concentration, no states manifest, something like an empty concentration (śūnyatā-samādhi); but within an empty concentration, one cannot investigate dharma meanings. From now on, you need not recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra anymore; just investigating dharma meanings and contemplating will suffice.