All Accomplished Ones Throughout the Ages Have Been Endowed with Samadhi

The contemplative method taught in the Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation involves guiding contemplative practice with clear reasoning, though it is somewhat rudimentary. Concentration (dhyana) combined with contemplative practice is sufficient to attain the fruits [of enlightenment] and achieve various samadhis. Additionally, maintaining strict precepts (sila) in daily life allows one to cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom (sila, dhyana, prajna) together. During the Buddha's lifetime, after disciples heard the Dharma, they practiced meditation, contemplated, engaged in contemplative practice, and then attained the fruits. This was the path of practice at that time, and it was highly efficient. This was also the case during the Tang and Song dynasties; the masses cultivated concentration and contemplated Chan. When the Chan masters gave teachings in the hall, and when the causes and conditions were ripe, they realized their true nature.

Furthermore, all the non-Buddhists (tirthikas) had attained meditative accomplishments. When they met the World-Honored One, as soon as He expounded the Dharma, they were able to immediately contemplate and engage in contemplative practice, attaining the fruits right then and there. Therefore, do not merely see that the final step in others' attainment of the fruit is gaining wisdom upon hearing the Dharma. Before that, their concentration had already been perfected, their minds were already purified, and they had already cultivated the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment (bodhipaksika-dharma). All they lacked was right view (samyag-dristi). The World-Honored One's teaching supplemented their right view, and thus upon hearing the Dharma, they immediately attained the fruit. We should not just look at the final result others achieve; we must observe the process of their cultivation. The process is crucial; without a process that accords with principle, it is impossible to have the correct result.

The accounts recorded in the Agama Sutras and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra are authentic. Indeed, there were non-Buddhists who, after cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis (catur-dhyana, asta-samapatti), heard the Buddha expound the Dharma. After contemplating for only a few minutes, they severed the view of self (satkaya-dristi) and self-grasping (atma-graha), became fourth-fruit Arhats (arhat), and then entered Nirvana without residue (nirupadhi-sesa-nirvana). These non-Buddhists were extraordinary; the merits of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis are extraordinary. Many of us hear the Buddha Dharma for a lifetime yet cannot sever the view of self. Non-Buddhists with the four dhyanas and eight samadhis need only a few minutes or even less time—not only to sever the view of self but also to sever self-grasping—and immediately enter Nirvana without residue. This is truly inconceivable.

Consider why they were so sharp in faculties (tiksendriya)? Because during their process of cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, due to such profound concentration, the mind of consciousness (mano-vijnana) became extremely subtle and sensitive. The mental faculty (manas) had already been subdued; only a mistaken view in understanding remained unclarified and unsevered. Once this wrong view was severed, all afflictions (klesa) and attachments immediately fell away. This is the merit of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis. From this, we can understand that subduing the afflictions of the mental faculty (manas) is very closely related to the four dhyanas and eight samadhis. Concentration is extremely important.

The Chan Patriarchs of the past were all masters of concentration. Their disciples all had concentration; they had already cultivated the Six Perfections (paramitas) of a Bodhisattva, and the process of their cultivation was complete. When the Chan master gave teachings in the hall, the disciples beneath the seat would awaken. The fruit appeared like this. We cannot only look at the result achieved by accomplished people; the most important thing is to observe their cultivation process, including what level they had reached in past lives, how they cultivated, and what kind of foundation they had. Those whose foundation was already solid could awaken immediately upon hearing the Dharma, without gradual cultivation (anupurva-bhavana), because they had already gradually cultivated in the past or in previous lives—that part of the path had already been traversed. To take only the final segment of a practitioner's cultivation process is a severe case of taking words out of context (uttara-sutra), which harms people deeply.

Beginners in Buddhism should read more about the Buddha's past life stories (jataka tales), referring to the path the Buddha took in his cultivation from the initial arising of the aspiration (bodhicitta). This should provide us with great inspiration. To learn Buddhism means to learn everything about the Buddha. Although one may read ten thousand volumes of scriptures, if one does not understand their meaning, it is not true diligence (virya). The fundamental purpose of learning the Dharma is to attain wisdom (prajna), not to amass countless bits of knowledge and learning, not to study for the sake of studying, and certainly not to study for others to see. Therefore, to attain wisdom, we must consider what we should do and how to do it with careful thought. Buddhists learn the Buddha's mind and conduct. It is not about collecting all the Buddha's words, but rather, through the Buddha's words, understanding the Buddha's mind, then learning the Buddha's mind, emulating the Buddha's conduct, and ultimately becoming equal and non-dual with the Buddha, compassionate towards all beings.