Why Did the Sixth Patriarch Cultivate Among Hunters for Fifteen Years After Enlightenment?

The Sixth Patriarch was pursued by assassins and had no choice but to blend in with a group of hunters. In that environment, he could only cultivate meditative concentration. However, his purpose in cultivating concentration was not to maintain the true mind; rather, he contemplated the principle of suchness within that state of concentration and thereby attained profound subsequent wisdom. Those who genuinely realize the Tathagatagarbha do not need to maintain the Tathagatagarbha; one awakening is eternal awakening. If one awakens to the conscious mind free from thoughts, then it becomes necessary to maintain the thought-free state of that consciousness. One must constantly cultivate concentration to keep the conscious mind free from thoughts and devoid of deluded thinking. If one does not cultivate concentration, deluded thoughts will reemerge, indicating that this is not genuine awakening but rather a profound misunderstanding, an erroneous realization.

This is because they mistake the conscious mind devoid of deluded thoughts for the Tathagatagarbha. When deluded thoughts arise, it is no longer seen as the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, they must rely on cultivating concentration to maintain the conscious mind without producing deluded thoughts, striving to remain free from delusion for extended periods. This is the error of mistaking the impermanent, conditioned conscious mind for the permanent, unconditioned Tathagatagarbha—a case of mistaken cultivation and realization, a grave misunderstanding. Genuine awakening requires no maintenance. The Tathagatagarbha never produces deluded thoughts; there is no need for the conscious mind to cultivate it into a state of no-thought, nor is there any need for the conscious mind to maintain the Tathagatagarbha's thought-free state—such effort is utterly unnecessary.

Although one still cultivates concentration after awakening to the Tathagatagarbha, the purpose is entirely different. The aim is to attain deeper states of meditative absorption, then to engage in contemplative practice to gain profound wisdom, thereby reducing or eliminating afflictions and purifying the mind. During those fifteen years, the Sixth Patriarch attained the four dhyanas, developed spiritual powers, and realized profound wisdom. He was not maintaining the eighth consciousness, the Tathagatagarbha. Having awakened to the realization of the Tathagatagarbha, the Sixth Patriarch recognized it forever and would never lose that recognition. Through cultivating meditative concentration, he gained a more profound experiential understanding of the nature of the Tathagatagarbha, purifying his mind further and deepening the breadth and depth of his prajna wisdom.