Chapter Ten   On Cultivation

I. How to Cultivate for True Benefit

Cultivation is like going to a cornfield to pick corn. Your purpose is to pick the corn, bring it back, cook it, eat it, and fill your stomach—not to tour and sightsee in the cornfield. Therefore, picking corn is the primary task. Of course, before you start picking, you can briefly survey the field, observe which ears are ripe and should be picked, which are unripe and should not, and then choose where to begin. Some people, however, are not like this. They spend all day wandering around the cornfield, starving while touching and looking at everything, yet never actually picking any corn. Such people are fools.

It is the same for those learning Buddhism. After roughly browsing, reading, and absorbing some Buddhist teachings, you must engage in genuine practice. Choose the nearest and easiest point to start, diligently apply effort on the Path, gaining whatever you can, realizing whatever is possible. You cannot spend your entire life perpetually in the stage of extensive study and learning, tirelessly studying others' methods, counting others' money. Having your own treasure is paramount; otherwise, you will starve to death and become a hungry ghost.

To possess your own spiritual attainment and avoid becoming a hungry ghost, you must start from the foundation and work diligently and solidly. Cultivate the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment bit by bit; eliminate evil and cultivate goodness bit by bit; subdue afflictions bit by bit; purify the mind bit by bit. Even without realizing the Path, what you cultivate can be carried over to future lives for benefit. Cultivation is always far more useful than not cultivating, far better than counting others' treasures. Happily counting others' money, immersed in it, only to find when needed that not a single penny belongs to you—then regret will come too late. Intelligent and wise people should be very clear about how to learn the Dharma and cultivate.

II. The Difference Between Dharma-Ending Age Practitioners and Ancient Practitioners

As we approach the Dharma-Ending Age, the merit of sentient beings becomes thinner, their virtuous roots shallower. Consequently, in the practice and realization of Buddhism, there are increasingly more who merely discuss principles, fewer who truly understand them; more who comprehend the Path, fewer who walk it; and those who can genuinely realize fruition through cultivation are rare as phoenix feathers. Liezi said: “The great path loses the sheep because of its many forks; scholars lose their lives because of their many methods.” Learning becomes too scattered and chaotic; unable to delve deeply, one loses sight of the thread and method. Cultivation often results in knowing more but realizing less, because without meditative concentration (dhyāna), there can be no actual realization. Extensive hearing and learning many Dharma teachings do not require dhyāna, but actual realization is out of the question. Modern people cannot cultivate dhyāna. If we do not speak more correct principles for sentient beings, many will go everywhere extensively hearing and learning, studying theories that are unreasonable. If the principles guiding realization are incorrect, then realization becomes even more impossible.

What we should most study are the ancient practitioners, investigating how they cultivated the Path, how they applied effort. Did they all learn a heap of theories, then eloquently debate everywhere, or preach eloquently everywhere, becoming teachers of others? Without having attained realization oneself, how can one teach others to realize? Why the desire to be a teacher? Is there a heart seeking self-display within? We see that ancient sages and worthies, even after attaining the Path, remained very humble and low-key, continuing to cultivate themselves. They would not easily occupy a position of authority or take up the transmission staff handed by a master. Because they were selfless and had self-knowledge, knowing there were many worthies and sages propagating the Dharma, sufficient to deliver sentient beings. Why insist on forcibly stepping forward when one's own Path is not yet firm? Modern people are the opposite; regardless of whether they have attained the Path or not, being able to step forward is good enough.

III. The Difference Between Ancient and Modern Buddhists

People in ancient times generally had superior spiritual faculties (karmic capacity). Their minds were simple and pragmatic, willing to pay the price for cultivation, genuinely cultivating and practicing without regard for personal gain, able to let go and be open-minded. Their afflictions were light, desires few, and renunciation strong. Modern people are restless and ungrounded, their eyes higher than their hands, empty stomachs and lofty minds, sharp in speech but dull in mind. They rely entirely on the sixth consciousness (mental consciousness) for extensive hearing and understanding, unable to deeply investigate in meditative concentration. They float on the surface of consciousness, unable to penetrate the inner depths. The investigation of the manas (seventh consciousness) and the understanding of the sixth consciousness are vastly different. Understanding much leads to intense arrogance, unresolved afflictions, becoming the heaviest obstacle to cultivation.

Ancient people had a solid foundation in Buddhism and cultivated well in subtle aspects. Modern people disregard foundational Dharma, considering the Four Noble Truths optional, aiming high while greedy for the great and discarding the small. Without foundational practice, afflictions cannot be subdued, mental habits cannot be transformed. Body, speech, and mind act with heavy greed, hatred, and delusion, causing karmic obstacles to grow heavier, not lighter. Thus, learning Buddhism yields no progress. Modern people look down upon non-Buddhists (tirthikas), yet in every aspect except Buddhist knowledge, they fall short of even half of what non-Buddhists possess. Those non-Buddhists possess renunciation, simple and pure minds, deep meditative concentration, extremely light afflictions, strict self-discipline, moral character—all superior to modern Buddhists.

Non-Buddhists merely lack exposure to the true Dharma of liberation. Once they encounter it, they could immediately realize the first to the fourth fruition (of Arhatship). Modern people, exposed to Buddhism for a lifetime, cannot even glimpse the shadow of the first fruition (except for those falsely claiming realization). How can they compare to non-Buddhists? Non-Buddhists lack only sufficient wisdom and have not encountered the corresponding Dharma; they are just that close to realizing fruition and liberation. Many non-Buddhists, upon hearing the Buddha's Dharma, had their hair and beards fall out spontaneously, robes appeared on their bodies, and afflictions were completely severed. In past eras, despite such harsh living conditions, non-Buddhists did not mind, sitting in meditation deep in mountains and forests. When they encountered the Buddha teaching the Dharma, tens of thousands or even more followed the Buddha to leave home and cultivate the Path, with extremely many attaining fruition.

Yet we, exposed to Buddhism year after year, over decades, cannot cultivate even the Noble Eightfold Path, lack even the most basic Kāmāvacara dhyāna (desire-realm concentration). Our minds are full of greed, hatred, and delusion; conflicts over self and others arise daily. We refuse to endure the slightest hardship, unwilling to relinquish the slightest enjoyment, grasping at wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. The theories from our mouths can reach the heavens, but our bodily actions approach the evil paths (of rebirth). If so-called Mahayana Buddhists are all like this, they are disgracing the Mahayana Dharma, destroying the Mahayana Dharma. Very few realize this.

IV. Learning Buddhism and Cultivation Are Not So Easy

Learning Buddhism and cultivation are quite difficult because the ignorance, afflictions, and karmic obstacles accumulated since beginningless time are extremely deep and heavy. The clinging to self and dharmas is extremely severe; removing and destroying them is exceedingly difficult. It cannot be done without great strength, great courage, and great wisdom; it cannot be done without the kalpa-long blessings and empowerment of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions; it cannot be done without the long-term protection of Dharma protectors. If someone says cultivation is very easy, claiming that by doing a little in some aspect, slightly engaging a bit, one can become a Buddha, enter the Tathagata's family, or attain enlightenment—that nothing else needs cultivation, no need for deep, systematic cultivation of anything, no need to lay a solid foundation step by step, no need to uphold precepts, no need to cultivate concentration, no need to pay any price, no need for too much hardship, that life and learning Buddhism can be happily accomplished—then we should know this person has achieved nothing, for they certainly have not paid any price, are unwilling to break free from the bondage of worldly five desires, and their greed and attachment remain severe.

If one cannot uphold precepts, cannot cultivate dhyāna, cannot manage even basic cultivation, having never truly practiced anything, they certainly have never truly attained anything. Hence the claims that one can become a Buddha in one lifetime, attain Buddhahood in this very body, become a Buddha in this very life, become a Buddha by reciting one Buddha's name at the time of rebirth, that within precepts, concentration, and wisdom, precepts and concentration are unnecessary, only prajna wisdom is needed, that having wisdom allows one to directly become a Buddha—we must be wary of such statements and not be deceived. Those who have not walked that path often say it is easy to walk; those truly walking the path will understand its scenery truthfully and speak truthful words to others.

We must be wary of those who make the Dharma seem very simple and cultivation seem very easy. Those without experience imagine it's all easy, like looking at the moon at night, feeling it is very close, following wherever one goes, seemingly within reach. But when boarding a cloud ladder or an airplane heading towards the moon, one realizes that no matter how far one flies, the moon remains just as distant, always that far. The feeling is close, but feeling is after all feeling, hazy and indistinct; reality differs vastly from feeling.

Learning Buddhism and cultivation are the same. It feels easy to become a Buddha or attain realization. But once you set foot on the path and start walking, ignorance and karmic obstacles entangle you; every step is not so easy. It requires us to continually discard some worldly baggage, relinquish some worldly enjoyments, pay the corresponding price, to exchange for some achievement. Without relinquishment, attainment is impossible. Truly good things cannot be obtained cheaply.

V. The Habits of Path-Cultivators Are Contrary to Worldly Habits

There is a saying: What the Path treasures, the world devalues; what the world values, the Path avoids. Cultivating the Path is precisely behavior contrary to the worldly. Only by opposing the worldly can one break through the imprisonment of the worldly and attain liberation. If one merely complies, this is not cultivating the Path; it is no different from the worldly and cannot transcend the mundane to emerge beyond the world.

Due to cultivation over many kalpas, Path-cultivators develop unique habits distinct from worldly habits—such as frugality, diligence and vigor, not heavily cherishing or clinging to the body, not greedily eating, drinking, sleeping, or seeking enjoyment. Most behaviors may be contrary to worldly people, so many worldly people find it strange, unaccustomed, consider themselves right and the cultivator wrong, and thus wish to correct them.

If one becomes accustomed to the life of a Path-cultivator, the habits of the cultivator will not seem strange, but the worldly greedy habits of ordinary people will seem strange. Opposing the worldly is normal; conforming to the worldly is abnormal. Looking now, who is normal and who is abnormal? What is normal?

Anyone accustomed to worldly life will, consciously or unconsciously, comply with worldly dharmas in all matters. This actually indicates they have not yet cultivated to the point of having the ability for introspection. Worldly people are greedy, so they follow greed, unaware it is greed; worldly people are attached, so they follow attachment, unaware it is attachment; worldly people like enjoyment, so they like enjoyment, thinking it normal—this is abnormal. Being too accustomed to worldly dharmas, without the slightest thought of opposition, feeling everything is natural—this person is still very, very far from cultivation. When interacting with cultivators, if one feels the cultivator does not conform to worldly norms, lacks human warmth, or even always wants the cultivator to comply with their own worldly habits—this person is still very, very far from cultivating the Path. Once a person is slightly on the path in cultivation, they will feel the worldly dharmas are not quite right, feel awkward. This is when a bit of awakening begins.

“The belt loosens, the person grows haggard”—this is ancient language describing meditation practitioners cultivating the Path. Truly applying effort in cultivation will inevitably affect the body—eating less, drinking less, resting less, even staying up all night, diligently practicing the Path. Only then can the kung fu of meditation be continuous, progress be fast, so that one day the mind is enlightened and awakening is attained. People today cherish their bodies, unwilling to let them suffer. Then only the mind suffers—and for life after life, suffering unbearably.

VI. People with Different Karmic Capacities Have Different Cultivation Progress

A: In the Dharma-Ending Age, those who achieve results are all those who have returned by vow. Those without results can only lay a good foundation for cultivation, establish correct cultivation habits, and plan for the long term.

B: Returning Bodhisattvas also need several years of cultivation time to produce results again. It's not that returning Bodhisattvas need more time—ten, twenty, thirty years; achievements do not come in a short time. Each person can only compare with themselves. If they can make significant progress compared to their past, cultivation is effective. One cannot become fat in one bite. The intermediate transition stage requires fulfilling various conditions and causes for realizing the Path; this is extremely difficult. Of course, realizing the Path conceptually (with the sixth consciousness) is very simple and easy; it doesn't require an intermediate process or fulfilling realization conditions—only a sharp mind is needed.

VII. Relying on Illusory Phenomena for Cultivation to Achieve Results

Some say that since all worldly dharmas are illusory appearances, unarisen, then we need not strive to do anything; doing anything is meaningless. Is this correct? This is certainly not correct. Diligently cultivating on illusory appearances is precisely to realize that all worldly dharmas are unarisen. Only after realizing this is one free from the bondage of worldly dharmas and can attain liberation. Only by relying on illusory appearances for cultivation can one achieve realization. Before realization, one needs to diligently cultivate on illusory appearances. All virtuous actions performed on the path of learning Buddhism are for realizing the Path, realizing the unarisen, realizing the signless and the true nature (tathatā). Only after realization does one truly know the unarisen and can be liberated and become a Buddha.

Conditioned action (saṃskṛta) is for the unconditioned (asaṃskṛta). Therefore, before having the ability for the unconditioned, all meaningful conditioned actions that should be done must be diligently performed. Whatever is done is done for oneself; one gains the benefit oneself, reaps the fruit of the unconditioned oneself. Superficially, it seems one benefits others, that others receive one's help, that one supports the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Saṅgha), benefits the Three Jewels and sentient beings. But in reality, one gains the greatest benefit oneself. If the Three Jewels gain no benefit, sentient beings gain no benefit, then all one does is without benefit, useless effort. The so-called benefit can only appear based on benefiting the Three Jewels and sentient beings. If others do not receive benefit, one gains no merit, no virtue, no wisdom.

For example, giving (dāna) to sentient beings yields a thousandfold or more return. If the other party does not accept it, not even a single-fold return is obtained. If the other party gains no benefit, no return at all is obtained. It's like giving ten thousand yuan to empty space: space receives nothing, gains nothing; it's like losing ten thousand yuan oneself—what return is there from losing money? One gains not a single cent in return, let alone a thousand or ten thousand fold. It's like giving ten thousand yuan to the ocean: the ocean receives nothing, gains nothing, and may even destroy the money; then it's like pointlessly wasting ten thousand yuan oneself. Intentionally destroying printed currency may even incur offense. It's like giving ten thousand yuan to a great fire: the fire burns it; not only is the giving without benefit, it incurs offense.

Some people constantly remember their own giving, always feeling they have done others a favor. But in reality, it is the others who have done them a favor. If others were not willing to accept their generosity, how could they gain a thousandfold or ten thousandfold return? How could they accumulate so much merit for realizing the Path, bit by bit? To enable sentient beings to accumulate vast merit, the Buddha, approaching parinirvāṇa, specifically instructed several Arhat disciples to remain in the world in physical form, accepting offerings from sentient beings, providing them the opportunity to cultivate great merit. Those Arhats actually dislike receiving offerings—first, finding it troublesome; second, it consumes their own merit. But as disciples of the Buddha, first, they must respect the Buddha's arrangement; second, they must benefit sentient beings. Therefore, they do not enter parinirvāṇa without residue but remain in the world.

Some people perform Dharma giving, posting articles to guide those with affinities into proper study, feeling as if they are doing work for the master, as if others are gaining the benefit, while they invest some time and effort, feeling at a loss. They do not understand the result of their Dharma giving, how supreme it is, how immense the benefit they will ultimately gain—perhaps beyond counting or calculation. Precisely because of these merits and virtues they perform, they will quickly accomplish the Buddha Path in this and future lives, avoiding the suffering of birth and death for immeasurable kalpas. This result cannot be exchanged for wealth as vast as empty space; the resulting benefits cannot be fully described. Those who gain benefit from their Dharma giving are far inferior to them in merit, virtue, and wisdom. The greater the benefit the Three Jewels and sentient beings gain from one's giving, the greater one's own merit and virtue, and the highest one's future wisdom will be. As long as one's vision is not short-sighted, one should observe truthfully, considering one's own future and greatest benefit.

A Bodhisattva's merit is ten thousand times, a hundred million times, immeasurable times greater than an Arhat's. Because a Bodhisattva, life after life, is together with sentient beings; in every gesture and movement, they can benefit sentient beings, simultaneously gaining ten thousandfold, a hundred millionfold, immeasurable merit and virtue. Therefore, Bodhisattvas are great wealthy elders; their wealth and nobility cannot be matched by anyone in the world. When merit and wisdom are perfectly complete, they will manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Buddhahood and become the Teacher of Gods and Humans, the World-Honored Buddha.

VIII. The Difference Between Modern and Ancient Buddhists

The characteristics of modern people: the environment they inhabit is complex; the objects of the six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental objects) are too alluring; learning the Dharma is easy; knowledge is abundant; the sixth consciousness is very clever, exceedingly clever; yet meditative concentration is difficult to cultivate; they cannot cultivate the Path or attain realization. Therefore, they can only be called learners of Buddhism; rarely are they cultivators of the Path. Ancient people: the environment they inhabited was simple; obtaining the Dharma was difficult; knowledge was scarce; theories were few; minds were simple; meditative concentration was easy to cultivate. Therefore, there were many cultivators of the Path, and many who attained realization. Abundant knowledge ultimately becomes an obstruction to cultivating the Path, turning into the hindrance of knowledge (jñeyāvaraṇa). Theories become ample, but the Path does not appear; they die under theories, like dying of thirst beside the sea.

An ancient person asks: “How do you modern people all die?” Modern people answer: “Crushed to death by theories, poisoned to death by knowledge, died from being too clever.” There is another kind of death: died from research.

IX. Only with a Solid Foundation Can One Attain Actual Realization

After each person learning the Dharma has grasped the theoretical knowledge necessary for cultivation to a certain extent, they should not spend more time and energy on theory. Because no matter how much theory one studies, it ultimately remains theory; it cannot transform into one's own truest wisdom to withstand birth and death and attain liberation. Only by actualizing the Dharma can great wisdom arise, and liberation be attained. To actualize, one must start cultivating from the foundational Dharma of the Four Noble Truths bit by bit, actualizing bit by bit; one cannot cultivate in a leapfrogging manner.

We should start from the foundation right now. The foundation is very important; it must be laid solidly. Because if the foundation is not solid, no matter how profound a Dharma one studies, it cannot be mastered completely. It can only form a kind of view, at best reaching the level of understanding, not actual realization. If the theories learned cannot be actualized, they will not give rise to true wisdom. Only personally realized wisdom can lead us out of the mire of birth and death.

Therefore, we should now start cultivating from the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna). First, realize the liberation of the Small Vehicle (Hīnayāna), then use this method to immerse ourselves in the meditation of the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), and we can realize the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature). Afterwards, observe the functions of the Tathāgatagarbha, then attain the wisdom of distinctions (pratisaṃvid). As wisdom further increases, after passing the firm barrier (牢关), investigate Consciousness-Only (Vijñaptimātratā), familiarize oneself with the functional aspects of the Tathāgatagarbha seeds, and possess a portion of the wisdom of all modes (sarvajñatā) or the wisdom of the path (mārgajñatā). That wisdom would be truly extraordinary. But such great wisdom is not obtained in one life or a few lives; it is achieved through the accumulation of virtuous roots and merit over life after life, even immeasurable kalpas. It is actualized step by step based on an extremely solid foundation in the initial Buddhist teachings.

X. If One Is Lax and Not Diligent, the Path Work Does Not Advance

If one becomes lax in cultivation, one will lose oneself in daily trivialities, so that the work of the Path cannot advance, and one might even regress unintentionally. If one can constantly master oneself, introspect oneself, reflect on oneself, examine oneself, leaving no gaps in the mind, then afflictions cannot penetrate, and meditative concentration and wisdom will gradually arise. If the work of the Path is not advancing forward, there is definitely a problem. The problem remains there all along, yet one cannot discover it—what does this indicate? Discovering the problem yet not wanting to solve it—what does this indicate? Wanting to solve it yet unable to—what does this indicate? Worldly affairs most easily cause one to sink; wanting to break free is the most difficult. If the power of the mind is insufficient, what is lacking?

XI. How to Most Quickly Attain the Perfection and Fullness of Worldly Dharmas

Almost everyone pursues worldly dharmas, hoping to be the most supreme, the most beautiful in the world, the most talented, the wealthiest, the wisest, the most virtuous, the most cultivated, the most respected, with everything perfectly complete, including family and relatives. How can one achieve this goal, and most quickly? That is to come and cultivate, to cultivate wholeheartedly and earnestly, relinquishing the self as much as possible. Only the single path of cultivation can quickly and perfectly fulfill one's wishes. There is no other path; other paths cannot eliminate greed, hatred, and delusion. Human virtue, cultivation, and worldly dharmas cannot be perfected. Only when cultivation is done well will a person's merit, wisdom, talent, wealth, relatives, etc., all be complete and perfectly beautiful, including aesthetic sense, language, literary skill, eloquence, unimpeded debating ability—all kinds of cultivation will be elevated.

The Buddha is the Most Venerable One of the Three Realms, perfectly complete in all dharmas, including worldly dharmas. In worldly dharmas, whatever it is, He is the best, the pinnacle, none surpass Him. Bodhisattvas, compared to the Buddha, are not the best, but compared to all worldly people, they are all the best, surpassing all worldly people. What worldly people hope for and admire, Bodhisattvas all possess and are complete in—it's just a matter of whether the Bodhisattva manifests or uses it. We should look up to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, definitely applying our minds to cultivating the Path as much as possible, no longer applying our minds to worldly dharmas—the gains do not make up for the losses. When cultivation kung fu advances, the mind becomes extremely subtle and refined, feeling very sensitive and intelligent. Whatever one does, there will be inspiration; the person has spiritual vitality. Cultivating the Path is the greatest and fastest shortcut to attaining supreme worldly dharmas.