Establishing the Foundation of Śrāvakabhūmi Practice and Realization: Essential for Buddhist Study

To subdue afflictions, elevate the mind, and cultivate the character of a sage, one must begin with the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness and engage in various practices of samatha and vipasyana. The path of samatha and vipasyana is long, not swift. Only by observing and practicing comprehensively and from all angles, by cultivating stillness, and by subduing one’s own mind can the entire being gradually transform, shedding the mortal shell and developing the bones of a sage. Only when one is thoroughly renewed from within and without can one become a true sage, a guide for sentient beings. Only after pulling one’s own feet out of the muddy swamp can one lead and lift other sentient beings with affinity out of the mire. If one lacks the strength to even extricate oneself from the swamp, how can one possibly pull others out?

The Buddha taught that the entire Dharma is the One Buddha Vehicle—there is neither a second nor a third. The practice and realization of the Sravaka stage are part of this One Vehicle, constituting its most foundational and essential aspect. The cultivation within this stage involves subduing and eradicating afflictions, gradually aligning with the nature of the sage and Buddha-nature—a process that is indispensable. Without laying this foundation properly, yet single-mindedly aspiring to build towering structures, even if achieved, they would be nothing but castles in the air, doomed to collapse sooner or later. Therefore, all Bodhisattvas must practice diligently and steadfastly, consolidating the foundation, emphasizing the cultivation of precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and diligently extinguishing greed, hatred, and delusion. They must not merely chant slogans without substantive means of practice, while claiming to be genuine practitioners engaged in true cultivation.