Section Four: Samadhi is the Prerequisite for Attaining the Fruits of the Path

1. Only with the Perfection of Samadhi Can the Fruits Be Attained Quickly

The accounts recorded in the Agama Sutras and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra are authentic. Indeed, there were some non-Buddhists who, after cultivating the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis, heard the Buddha's teaching, reflected for only a few minutes, severed the view of self (sakkaya-ditthi) and self-attachment (asmi-mana), became Fourth-Fruit Arhats (Arahat), and then entered Nirvana without remainder (anupadisesa-nibbana). These non-Buddhists were extraordinary, and the merits of the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis are extraordinary. Many of us hear the Dharma for a lifetime yet cannot sever the view of self. Non-Buddhists possessing the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis need only minutes or even less time to not only sever the view of self but also sever self-attachment, immediately entering Nirvana without remainder – this is inconceivable. Consider why they possessed such sharp faculties. It is because during their cultivation of the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis, the mental faculty (manas) had already been subdued. They merely had one erroneous view in understanding that had not been clarified and severed. Once this wrong view was severed, all afflictions and attachments fell away instantly. This is the merit of the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis. From this, we know that subduing the afflictions of the mental faculty is intimately related to the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis; samadhi is extremely important.

2. One Condition for Realization is Samadhi

Some say: Samadhi is common to non-Buddhist concentration (外道定, wai dao ding), Buddhists should not practice non-Buddhist concentration; having correct knowledge and view (正知见, zheng zhi jian) alone is sufficient to enter the path. Is this view correct? Certainly not. Since both Mahayana and Hinayana practice necessitate the cultivation of samadhi, and the Buddha repeatedly emphasized the importance of the threefold training in precepts, concentration, and wisdom (戒定慧三无漏学, jie ding hui san wu lou xue), samadhi is an essential component to cultivate. Furthermore, since the samadhi cultivated in Buddhism shares commonalities with non-Buddhist concentration, should Buddhists avoid what is common and abandon samadhi altogether? This notion is a foolish view.

Because the Buddha Dharma does not depart from worldly dharmas, non-Buddhists also eat, wear clothes, speak, remain silent, laugh, and cry. Should Buddhists, to avoid what is common with non-Buddhists, abandon wearing clothes, eating, speaking, silence, laughter, and tears to be unique and superior? Since abandoning the samadhi common to non-Buddhists leaves no samadhi, and without samadhi, one cannot see the path (见道, jian dao) or attain liberation (解脱, jie tuo), then why fear sharing with non-Buddhists and refrain from cultivating samadhi? If even the merits and benefits possessed by non-Buddhists are lacking in the so-called inner path (内道, nei dao), does this not mean the inner path is less powerful and less cultivated than the outer path? Is the unnecessary aloofness pursued by followers of the inner path, resulting in failing to attain the true benefits of samadhi, representative of foolishness? Is the so-called correct knowledge and view possessed by foolish people truly correct knowledge and view? Let followers of the inner path reflect deeply!

It is also hoped that followers of the inner path will invent a samadhi not shared with non-Buddhists for the masses to practice together and attain the merits of samadhi. If this samadhi not shared with non-Buddhists also possesses the characteristics of samadhi, where physical and mental phenomena such as comfort, expansiveness, lightness, pliancy, ease, joy, delight, compassion, serenity, gentle kindness, fewer afflictions, agile thinking, etc., appear, then, with respect, these phenomena are also present in non-Buddhist concentration; non-Buddhists also enjoy these merits. This samadhi has not departed from non-Buddhist concentration; it is still shared with it, and followers of the inner path remain unreasonably aloof.

Correct knowledge and view are indeed important, but for correct knowledge and view to become one's true realization (见地, jian di), one needs to realize (实证, shi zheng) correct knowledge and view. One method to realize correct knowledge and view is samadhi. Without the practice of samadhi, knowledge and view remain merely knowledge and view. No matter how eloquently one speaks, how fluently one expounds, how logically one argues – these are merely knowledge and view, at best defined as intellectual understanding (解悟, jie wu), nothing more. It is hoped that those who truly wish to practice according to the principles do not merely cling to the name without substance, exerting effort only in words and speech; realization is not like this.

3. Only with Samadhi Can Tathagatagarbha Be Realized

The nature of Tathagatagarbha (如来藏, ru lai zang) contains some very profound aspects. We need repeated study and contemplation to understand some of it; more of the Dharma can only be gradually understood and observed through practice (观行, guan xing) after realizing Tathagatagarbha. However, the realization of the Buddha Dharma must occur through contemplative practice within samadhi to be truly realized. Otherwise, at best, one can only understand it intellectually, and intellectual understanding is ultimately unreliable. Samadhi and contemplative practice are extremely important. Without samadhi, many dharmas cannot be contemplated and realized through practice; later, deeper dharmas cannot be understood, and one will gradually fall behind.

Everyone should cultivate samadhi when they have time. Without samadhi, one cannot realize the Buddha Dharma; what is understood remains merely at the level of knowledge and cannot withstand birth and death. Deeper dharmas cannot be understood at all without samadhi. On the path of learning Buddhism, without samadhi, one cannot contemplate and practice the Dharma and thus cannot realize Tathagatagarbha. Even if one barely realizes the mind (明心, ming xin), subsequent various contemplative practices cannot be accomplished, preventing the fulfillment of the cultivation content of the various stages (果位, guo wei). The path forward becomes impassable or progresses extremely slowly. Therefore, everyone must diligently cultivate concentration.

4. Venerable Pilindavatsa's Experience of Attaining the Fruit

In the Shurangama Sutra, when Venerable Pilindavatsa was pricked by a poisonous thorn, he gathered his thoughts (摄念, she nian). Before long, his body and mind suddenly became empty, and he attained the Patience of Non-Arising (无生忍, wu sheng ren). At that moment, the Venerable's conscious mind (意识, yi shi) was certainly gathered; it did not engage with dharmas other than the object of doubt (疑情, yi qing), nor even with the body – he was unaware of the body's existence. The mental faculty (意根, yi gen) was also gathered; otherwise, the conscious mind could not have been gathered, as it necessarily follows the mental faculty's grasping. Because the mental faculty was gathered and not engaging with other dharmas, both body and conscious mind became empty. This was not merely the "nothingness" within samadhi but also the "emptiness" in conceptual understanding – the realized state of understanding that body and mind are not self. Gathering body and mind is samadhi. Afterwards, deeper samadhi arose, and the wisdom of selflessness of body and mind was revealed.

Without samadhi, can true wisdom be born? Impossible. Even if there is so-called wisdom, it is dry wisdom (乾慧, gan hui), belonging to the school of intellectual understanding (知解宗徒, zhi jie zong tu). Nowadays, such intellectual adherents are everywhere; it's questionable whether they can be taught. When the Sixth Patriarch scolded Venerable Shenhui, it was tantamount to scolding people today. Moreover, today's people possess even less understanding than Shenhui did, yet they remain unaware, learning the Dharma only through the emotional thoughts and intellectual understanding of the conscious mind, with no means to realize it.

5. Attainments at Various Levels Are All Samadhi; Therefore, They Require Both Samadhi States and Wisdom States, Neither Can Be Lacking. Once, while talking to someone and sewing monastic robes at the same time, I discovered I had sewn the robe inside out. Sewing clothes is such a simple task, requiring almost no thought, yet with insufficient attention, I sewed it wrong. Then, how can something as momentous as severing the view of self and realizing the mind – a matter greater than heaven itself – be achieved without samadhi? How can it be so easy? When there are many things to do, the mind becomes unsettled. At such times, when organizing manuscripts, thinking becomes disordered and unclear. I have to sit quietly for a while to calm the mind before proofreading. Then, how can matters of life and death like severing the view of self and realizing the mind – matters concerning countless lifetimes and eons – be resolved without samadhi or with insufficient concentration?

6. Without Samadhi, Not a Single Contemplative Practice Can Be Passed. Although one might think all dharmas are like a dream or illusion, even if the conscious mind knows all dharmas are like a dream or illusion, the mental faculty absolutely cannot realize it. Consequently, one will say one thing but do another; moreover, the conscious mind has not truly realized these principles, lacking sufficient evidence.

Starting from the third barrier (关, guan) in Chan (Zen), subsequent contemplations like the Dream-like Contemplation (如梦观, ru meng guan) and Mirror-like Contemplation (如境观, ru jing guan) all require the attainment of the First Dhyana to be passed. All previous contemplative practices, including severing the view of self, require the attainment of the Access Concentration (未到地定, wei dao di ding); otherwise, no barrier can be passed. If someone believes they have severed the view of self but lack the Access Concentration, they should carefully consider the reliability of this. The moment of death is a major barrier of life and death; there can be no vagueness whatsoever.

7. If Lacking the Concentration Power for Contemplative Practice, and one uses anatomical diagrams to contemplate the illusoriness and selflessness of the physical body, no matter how long one contemplates, the diagrams remain diagrams, and you remain you – it has no effect, merely adding knowledge of human anatomy. Speaking eloquently about anatomy does not represent possessing the wisdom and realization to sever the view of the body (身见, shen jian). Speaking is one thing; without concentration, it cannot be called contemplative practice; it is merely study. The simultaneous practice of tranquility and insight (止观双运, zhi guan shuang yun), the equal upholding of concentration and wisdom (定慧等持, ding hui deng chi), is the true starting point for practice. Studying theoretical knowledge and actual contemplative practice are two sequential stages of cultivation. One must never mistake studying theory for contemplative practice, nor mistake memorized knowledge for one's own wisdom.

One who lacks the Access Concentration, or even any samadhi at all, yet claims to have severed the view of self, to be a Stream-enterer (初果, chu guo) or Once-returner (二果, er guo), is impossible. There will be no inner certainty. Even if the conscious mind might affirm it, deep within there is still doubt, preventing true confirmation.

8. Realizing the Buddha Dharma Requires Cultivating Concentration

If everyone could practice according to the methods in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta (大念住经, Da Nian Zhu Jing), the Hinayana path could be attained quickly, and samadhi could certainly be achieved. However, people's minds are too scattered nowadays, unable to complete these contemplative practices. During the Buddha's time, the bhikkhus practiced like this. Looking at it now, the theoretical aspects of Mahayana and Hinayana needed for our practice are almost sufficient. What is lacking is the practical application. Practical application requires cultivating precepts, concentration, and wisdom, fulfilling the practice of the Six Paramitas (六度, liu du), especially the cultivation of merit (福德, fu de) and samadhi. If individual practice is difficult, then group practice is necessary. When the Buddha was alive, he never led disciples in group practice; each sat cross-legged, contemplating and reflecting on the Dharma the Buddha had taught, and then attained the fruits.

Modern people are too busy with life and work, having no time for seated meditation. Yet, it is a fact that samadhi truly cannot be cultivated to higher levels, thinking remains superficial and lacking in detail, making realization impossible. The vast difference between the concentration attained after seated meditation and the concentration maintained only during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down can only be appreciated by those who have practiced seated meditation. Find a way yourself; you must take responsibility for yourself. It is not that knowing a lot of theory means one has attained the Way (道, dao), nor that being eloquent means one has attained the Way. After realization, even if one is not eloquent, one still has the Way. Being eloquent without realization is not the Way.

Only realization can resolve the great matter of birth and death. No other matter is more important than the accomplishment of the path (道业, dao ye). One should be willing to die for the accomplishment of the path. Otherwise, no matter how successful one is in worldly matters while alive, it is useless.