Section Six   Accomplished Practitioners Throughout the Ages All Possessed Meditative Concentration

1. The method of contemplation taught in the *Dhyāna Samādhi Sūtra* involves guiding contemplation practice with clear reasoning, though it is somewhat rudimentary. Meditative concentration combined with contemplation is sufficient to realize the fruits [of the path] and attain various samādhis, cultivating both concentration and wisdom simultaneously. During the Buddha's time, the bhikṣus also practiced contemplation within meditative concentration. After hearing the Dharma, they would cultivate meditative concentration while contemplating, and then realize the fruits. This was the practice path at that time, and it was highly efficient. It was the same during the Tang and Song dynasties; the masses all possessed deep meditative concentration and engaged in Chan (Zen) inquiry. When Chan masters gave teachings in the hall, those whose conditions and causes matured would awaken to their true nature and see their original mind.

Moreover, each of the non-Buddhist practitioners (tīrthikas) possessed meditative attainment. When they encountered the World-Honored One, as soon as he expounded the Dharma, they could immediately contemplate and realize the fruits on the spot. Therefore, do not merely see that the final step in their realization was gaining wisdom upon hearing the Dharma. Prior to that, their meditative concentration was already accomplished, their minds were already purified, and they had cultivated the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment. They only lacked correct knowledge and views. The World-Honored One's teaching supplied them with correct knowledge and views, enabling them to realize the fruits upon hearing the Dharma. We should not just look at the final result of others' accomplishments; we must observe their practice process. The process is crucial. Without a process in accordance with principle, there cannot be correct realization of the fruit.

The Chan patriarchs of the past were all masters of concentration, each possessing meditative attainment. They had already perfected the Six Pāramitās of the Bodhisattva, and their practice process was complete. When the Chan master gave teachings in the hall, the disciples below would awaken. The fruit appeared like this. We cannot only look at the result of accomplished individuals; the most important thing is to observe their practice process, including what level they had reached in previous lives, how they practiced, and what kind of foundation they had. Those whose foundation is already solid can experience sudden awakening upon hearing the Dharma, without needing gradual cultivation, because they had already undergone gradual cultivation in the past or previous lives – that part of the path had been completed. To extract only the final segment of a practitioner's process is a severe case of taking words out of context, which is severely misleading and harmful.

Beginners in Buddhism should read more about the Buddha's past life stories (Jātaka tales), referring to the path the Buddha took from his initial resolve to practice. This should provide us with great inspiration. To learn Buddhism is precisely to learn all the methods the Buddha practiced and taught, and to follow in the footsteps the Buddha trod.

    2. The examples recorded in the Āgama Sūtras and the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra are authentic. Indeed, some non-Buddhist practitioners, after cultivating the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis (absorptions), heard the Buddha teach the Dharma, contemplated for only a few minutes, severed the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and self-attachment (ātma-grāha), became great Arhats with complete liberation (ubhayatobhāga-vimukta), and then entered Nirvāṇa without residue (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). These non-Buddhists were extraordinary; the merits of the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis are extraordinary. Many of us hear the Buddhadharma for a lifetime yet cannot sever the view of self. Non-Buddhists with the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis need only a few minutes or even less time to not only sever the view of self but also self-attachment, immediately entering Nirvāṇa without residue. This is truly inconceivable.

Consider why they possessed such sharp faculties. Because during their process of cultivating the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis, with such deep meditative concentration, their mind-consciousness became extremely subtle and sensitive. Their manas (intellect, the seventh consciousness) had already been subdued; they only had one mistaken view in terms of knowledge that had not been clarified and eradicated. Once this wrong view was severed, all afflictions and attachments fell away immediately. This is the merit of the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis. From this, we can understand that subduing the afflictions of manas is very closely related to the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samāpattis. Meditative concentration is extremely important.

Although one may read ten thousand volumes of books without understanding their meaning, this is not true diligence. The fundamental purpose of studying the Dharma is to attain wisdom, not to collect endless knowledge and learning, not to study for the sake of studying, and certainly not to study for others to see. Therefore, to attain wisdom, what we should do and how we should do it requires careful consideration. Buddhists learn the Buddha's mind and conduct; they do not aim to collect all the Buddha's words, but rather, through the Buddha's words, understand the Buddha's mind, then learn the Buddha's mind, emulate the Buddha's conduct, and ultimately become equal and non-dual with the Buddha, compassionate towards all beings.

3. Looking at the practice of the Twenty-Five Sages in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, practitioners of the past were very pragmatic. They did not study vast amounts of theory. After briefly studying some theory, they immediately engaged in practical contemplation within meditative concentration. Their practice primarily focused on meditative concentration and contemplation; concentration and investigation comprised more than eighty percent of their practice. Their cultivation was very solid, so they quickly realized the truth, attained samādhi, achieved results rapidly, realized principles extensively, but spoke little about them.

People today are the opposite. They use over ninety percent of their energy studying theoretical knowledge. They have strong abilities in recitation and repetition but lack the capacity for independent practice. They dislike cultivating concentration, their minds are too scattered to attain meditative concentration, and their contemplation relies solely on the intellectual understanding of the mind-consciousness. They believe that knowing much means having attained the Way, and knowing a seemingly correct answer means realization. They are completely unaware of the consequences of being mere scholars of intellectual understanding or of "talking about food cannot satisfy hunger" (like talking about food cannot satisfy hunger). Then they write books, widely accept disciples, giving no thought whatsoever to whether they might mislead students and lead sentient beings astray. This is the result of the impetuous thinking and shallow contemplation of sentient beings in the Dharma-ending age. Looking around, we see only sophists who talk about principles; practitioners who have realized the truth are almost nowhere to be seen. The less merit sentient beings possess, the more severe these phenomena become. Speaking too much about these matters invites hatred and blame. Wanting to return to the ancient ways and follow the path of the ancient sages is extremely difficult. Few realize the great crisis existing in Buddhism or how serious the adverse phenomena are.

In all walks of life in the secular world, those who have achieved something are all individuals possessing considerable meditative concentration. In concentration, they focus single-mindedly, undistracted, easily giving rise to inspiration and creativity, thus becoming the geniuses and achievers in others' eyes. The inspiration and creativity mentioned here generally originate from manas. Initially, it may involve the conceptualization and intellectual understanding of the mind-consciousness, but ultimately, the mind-consciousness becomes powerless, stimulating instead the wisdom and potential of manas, and an excellent work emerges. The contemplative creation within profound meditative concentration is vastly superior to the intellectual understanding of ordinary people without meditative concentration. This is the distinguishing feature that sets geniuses apart from ordinary people.