Chapter Two: The Connotation of Chan Concentration (Samadhi)

Section One: The Definition of Chan Concentration (Samadhi)

I. The Meaning of Stability (Ding)

Stability (Ding) means immovability. Tranquil stability is the immovability of mind, body, and speech. The stability during daily physical activities refers to the mind remaining focused on a single object while the body moves during walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. The stronger the power of concentration (Ding Li), the slower the bodily movements become, while the mind remains undistracted, abiding on a single state without wavering. Therefore, when reciting the Buddha's name, chanting mantras, reciting sutras, or prostrating to the Buddha, we should not merely seek speed but should emphasize quality. Quality means a pure mind, enhanced concentration, reduced afflictions, mental clarity, and a clearer understanding of the principles of practice. Attaining stability is meritorious virtue (gongde); with this power of concentration, wisdom can be opened.

Deeper-level recitation concentration is the Samadhi of Buddha-Recitation (Nianfo Sanmei). Through the stability of Buddha-recitation, wisdom is aroused, thereby illuminating the mind and realizing one's true nature. Chanting mantras works similarly: by chanting mantras, one gathers and holds the mind's thoughts, achieving a stabilized and unmoving mind, thereby subduing afflictions and giving rise to wisdom. The speed of prostration should also be slow to gather the mind, preventing it from randomly grasping at objects, focusing instead on a single thought, a single object. However, prostration should not be treated merely as physical exercise; if sincere reverence does not arise, there will be no merit, and it will be impossible to attain stability.

Concentration is a form of stability. Focusing all attention on one thing or one problem means the mind is stable and undistracted. However, within this kind of stability, there are words, language, sounds, and mental analytical thinking activities. The concentration (Chan Ding) required for observing the "hua tou" (critical phrase) involves no words, language, sounds, or analytical thinking; there is only a single thought suspended in the mind for a long time, enabling one to hold the "hua tou." This kind of concentration is comparatively deeper and less disruptive to daily work. It easily leads to access concentration (Weidaodi Ding) and the first dhyana (Chu Chan Ding), reducing attachment to worldly phenomena. After this concentration becomes prolonged and deep, one can investigate the "hua tou," contemplating the meaning within a phrase. This involves investigative mental activity and requires deeper concentration, making the mind subtler, thereby enabling the birth of wisdom.

Concentration can be cultivated during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, maintaining the mind abiding unmoving on a single object. This is called "cittas'ekagratā" (mind focused on a single object), where the mind is single-pointed and undistracted. When seeing forms, the mind remains unmoved, still reciting mantras or the Buddha's name, reciting sutras, or visualizing, focused on the virtuous Dharma being practiced. When the skill in reciting the Buddha's name or mantras becomes deep, mental thoughts can become continuous and dense, preventing external objects from entering the mind. What is seen is as if unseen; what is heard is as if unheard. The mind focused on a single point can reach a state of seeing without perceiving, hearing without registering, eating without tasting, with thoughts not on the five desires (wealth, sex, fame, food, sleep) or the six dusts (objects of the senses). If the skill in observing the "hua tou," investigating the "hua tou," or Chan practice reaches this level, when the time and conditions are ripe, one can shatter the doubt and achieve a breakthrough (po can).

Once this concentration of observing and investigating the "hua tou" becomes mature, it can be applied when contemplating any Dharma principle in the future. For example, when a phrase spoken by the Buddha or a principle of the Dharma is unclear in the mind, deeply suspend that phrase or principle in the mind without deliberately analyzing it. Just deeply suspend it. At a certain point, one can suddenly awaken and understand the meaning of that phrase. The deeper the concentration, the deeper the wisdom that unfolds. Using this concentration of investigating the "hua tou," one can cultivate up to the first dhyana and continue to deepen the practice.

II. The Perceptiveness of Consciousness in Concentration

So-called concentration (Ding) involves the progression of the six consciousnesses from chaotic movement to regular movement, to systematic movement, then to subtle movement, and finally to non-movement; from fast movement to slow movement, to subtle movement, and then to non-movement. For example, when Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) immobilizes a demon, he shouts: "Ding!" (Be still!), and the demon becomes motionless. True concentration, deep concentration, is non-movement.

In the desire realm concentration (Yu Jie Ding) and the first dhyana, the perceptiveness of consciousness is very strong, enabling dedicated contemplation of the Buddha Dharma. In the second dhyana and above, the five sense consciousnesses cease. The mind consciousness is relatively deep and subtle; its isolated perceptiveness of the meditative state is rather weak. There is a deep, subtle joy within, but its introspective power is poor; it cannot easily discern its own mental activities. Only after exiting the concentration does one know one's previous state. If the perceptiveness of consciousness is extremely deep and subtle, its discerning function weakens, almost becoming incapable of contemplating or observing the Buddha Dharma. However, consciousness still possesses a knowing nature; it has not ceased.

In the second dhyana and above, ordinary people cannot contemplate the Buddha Dharma or engage in Chan investigation (can Chan). Only those with exceptional training might be able to. In the second dhyana and above, the consciousness of an ordinary person certainly cannot discover the existence of the seventh consciousness (manas, or klesha-mind, the afflictive mind), nor perceive its awareness. A Bodhisattva with the Wisdom of the Path (Daozhong Zhi) might be able to perceive the operational characteristics of the manas. Exceptional individuals might engage in deep, subtle contemplation with consciousness in the second dhyana, but it is extremely profound.

In various states of concentration, the seventh consciousness (manas) also possesses awareness and discernment, but consciousness finds it difficult to detect this. At this time, consciousness possesses the four aspects: the seeing part (subject), the seen part (object), self-witnessing consciousness, and the witnessing of self-witnessing consciousness. Without concentration, mental contemplation is coarse, chaotic, superficial, and disorganized. With concentration, mental contemplation becomes unified, subtle, deep, and focused. Therefore, it can stimulate the birth of wisdom, revealing the essence of things.

III. So-called Chan Concentration (Samadhi) refers to the degree of subduing the manas. Chan concentration arises only when the manas is effectively subdued, grasping less or not grasping at all. One can also cultivate Chan concentration by starting with wisdom. Understanding that the surrounding six dusts (objects of senses) are illusory, that one's own seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing are illusory, that thoughts are illusory, that feelings are illusory, and understanding that all dharmas are illusory, the mind's grasping diminishes. With less internal grasping, mental thoughts also decrease, enabling concentrated effort in contemplating the Dharma. Then it becomes easier to realize the Dharma. This is the method of entering Chan concentration through right mindfulness (Zheng Nian). Right mindfulness is the correct cognition of the Buddha Dharma, knowing that the five aggregates are illusory and empty, knowing that the inherently pure mind (Zixing Qingjing Xin) operates eternally without birth or cessation within the five-aggregate body. When the time and conditions are ripe, one can realize the inherently pure mind.

IV. The Difference Between Stability (Ding) and Tranquility (Jing)

Stability (Ding) includes tranquility (Jing). Tranquility is the initial stage of stability, its earliest manifestation. First, the body becomes still and motionless. Next, mental thoughts settle down, and the mind becomes tranquil and unmoving. As it develops further, concentration deepens. It is not merely the tranquility of body and mind; rather, some mental phenomena begin to disappear from the mind. Mental focus becomes more unified, and eventually, even mental thoughts may disappear. In the second dhyana and above, the five sense consciousnesses disappear. In the fourth dhyana and above, breathing, pulse, and heartbeat cease and disappear. The deeper the concentration, the fewer phenomena appear. The quantity of phenomena is determined by the manas. The depth of concentration lies in whether the manas is subdued, which depends on how many phenomena the manas grasps onto.