The Perfection of Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna: Essential for Realization and Avoiding Theoretical Understanding

The Buddha said: From precepts arises meditative concentration, and from meditative concentration arises wisdom. Precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom must be complete not only in consciousness but also in the mental faculty. For the mental faculty to possess the wisdom to sever the view of self and the wisdom to realize the mind, it must also have meditative concentration. Only by contemplating and examining the Dharma of non-self and contemplating and examining true suchness and Buddha-nature within meditative concentration can one sever the view of self and realize the mind to perceive true nature.

If the mental faculty cannot personally contemplate and examine, it will not accept the principles instilled by consciousness, resulting in mere intellectual understanding at the conscious level. For the mental faculty to contemplate and examine the principle of non-self, it must likewise possess meditative concentration; otherwise, it becomes distracted and scattered. Without meditative concentration, the mental faculty causes the six consciousnesses to scatter. When the six consciousnesses scatter, they continuously discern and perceive, constantly reporting their content to the mental faculty. This forces the mental faculty to divide its attention incessantly, preventing it from focusing on contemplation and examination, and thus failing to achieve a satisfactory result.

No method can replace meditative concentration. One must be cautious with approaches that rely solely on intellectual understanding. Following the methods taught by the World-Honored One will never lead one astray. During the Buddha's time, all disciples practiced seated meditation to cultivate concentration, enabling them to contemplate the Dharma with minds abiding in meditative concentration during all daily activities—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Practitioners before the Tang and Song dynasties and prior to the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras primarily relied on seated meditation to cultivate concentration. Thereafter, they were able to maintain meditative concentration in all activities, with their minds constantly abiding in concentration. This refined their mental faculties, making the opportunity to break through easily ripe—realization occurring immediately upon encountering the condition. Looking back, their attainment of the Dharma may seem effortless, yet few realize their foundational practice was exceptionally solid: their virtuous roots and merits were complete, the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment were fully present (which naturally included meditative concentration), and their contemplation was sharp and clear. Upon hearing a corresponding Dharma teaching, they realized it instantly.

Among all teachings, the Buddha’s are the most perfect and ultimate. No one surpasses the Buddha’s wisdom; trusting the Buddha's words is absolutely correct. Regardless of the era, the Dharma never changes; it remains applicable to all times. Reading more Buddhist scriptures increases wisdom, preventing one from taking wrong paths or being easily deceived. All teachings by bodhisattvas, when compared to the Buddha’s, contain omissions and leaks—imperfect and incomplete aspects. Therefore, in our study and practice of the Dharma, we should primarily rely on the Buddhist scriptures.