Section Three: Meditative Concentration Gives Rise to Wisdom and Eradicates Afflictions

I. Practicing Buddhism necessarily requires cultivating meditative concentration (dhyāna). Wisdom without concentration is wild and dry wisdom. Those with dry wisdom lack the meritorious virtues and beneficial experiences of liberation. If all Buddhists are like this, it will inevitably lead to the decline of the Dharma. Those without genuine cultivation and realization merely borrow others' views as their own talking points, speaking eloquently day after day. If everyone were like this, the Dharma would undoubtedly decline. After the widespread circulation of the Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sutra, everyone took the ideas and views from the Sutra as their own realization, engaging in endless disputes everywhere, failing to genuinely cultivate and realize the truth within. There was only empty talk, no experiential realization, and as a result, Chan Buddhism gradually declined. When Chan Buddhism declines, the Dharma declines, because Chan Buddhism is the pillar of the Dharma. Without the experiential realization of the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) in Chan, the Dharma cannot be established. Chan without the eighth consciousness is no different from worldly dharmas; the Dharma becomes a worldly dharma.

Meditative concentration is crucial. With concentration, one gains the ability to reflect upon and contemplate one's actions of body, speech, and mind. Without concentration, this is impossible. If concentration is shallow, the power of observation is insufficient, and many problems remain undetected by oneself. Even if discovered, one cannot control them and lacks the ability to change oneself. Calm contemplation in daily life is cultivating concentration, including wisdom; concentration and wisdom are cultivated simultaneously. If a person is very busy and lacks cultivation of concentration, rationality is insufficient when encountering events. If the mind is not busy and concentration is good, the mind remains calm and undisturbed when encountering events. A mind moistened by the water of concentration is peaceful, comfortable, light, and cool. A mind unmoistened by the water of concentration is dry, brittle, and prone to explosion. Therefore, cultivating concentration is extremely important. Concentration refines the mind to the minutest detail, enhances wisdom, and subdues afflictions.

For the perpetual continuation of the Buddhist cause and for one's own spiritual path, everyone should tread the path of genuine cultivation and experiential realization, avoiding the construction of flashy but insubstantial castles in the air. Thoroughly integrate the threefold training of precepts (śīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā) taught by the Buddha: not lacking precepts, not deficient in concentration, not indulging in wild wisdom. Firmly lay the foundation of the edifice of the Dharma, allowing the Dharma to take deep root in the triple realm (triloka), truly benefiting more disciples of the Buddha.

The empty talk often spoken by those who do not cultivate concentration merely treats theoretical knowledge obtained elsewhere as their own understanding, unable to experientially realize the principles within. Their minds are restless and agitated, utterly incapable of subduing afflictions, and they gain no genuine meritorious virtues or beneficial experiences from the Dharma. Consequently, theory remains theory, and afflictions remain afflictions. When afflictions flare up intensely, they can affect sentient beings' faith in the Dharma and also hinder the steady development of the Buddhist cause. Those who cannot subdue afflictions allow greed, hatred, and jealousy to run rampant everywhere, becoming people of no virtue who are unworthy of their position.

Sentient beings can be divided into four types: The first type, lacking talent and virtue, are foolish people. The second type, having virtue but no talent, are mediocre people. The third type, having talent but no virtue, are arrogant and conceited people. The fourth type, having both talent and virtue, are sages. I hope everyone can become a person with both talent and virtue, subduing their own afflictions, preventing their afflictions from harming others, and not causing sentient beings to lose faith in Buddhism.

II. How did the first Buddha in the ten directions, King Sound of Thunder Buddha (Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja), attain realization? With no other Buddha to reveal that all dharmas are the nature of the Tathāgata-garbha, how did he himself discover the existence of an indestructible ālaya-vijñāna that gives birth to all dharmas of the five-aggregate world? Although the impermanent, changing, arising-and-ceasing phenomena of all worldly dharmas are difficult to realize, they can still be observed through long-term observation. But how was the ālaya-vijñāna observed and realized? Later people, under the guidance of Buddhas, can acknowledge the permanent existence of the eighth consciousness, the Tathāgata-garbha, after many lifetimes and eons. The first Buddha, relying solely on his own efforts to observe the existence of the eighth consciousness, is truly inconceivable. Every step on the path to Buddhahood was traversed realistically. How did he accomplish this?

The emptiness of all dharmas can be self-realized and self-understood. The Tathāgata-garbha giving birth to all dharmas is extremely difficult to self-realize and self-understand, unless someone hints: "There is a thing preceding heaven and earth, formless, originally silent and still." The realization of a Pratyekabuddha is not considered too difficult; one only needs to diligently investigate and let go of everything worldly. The investigation of the Mahāyāna Tathāgata-garbha is exceedingly difficult. Therefore, the first Buddha who opened heaven and earth was one of extremely sharp faculties and wisdom.

How crucial is meditative concentration, ultimately? What direct perception (pratyakṣa) did it bring, enabling the Buddha to connect all dharmas and summarize them under the Tathāgata-garbha? Between theory and the observation and contemplation of phenomena, which is more important? Naturally, direct perception is more important. The first Buddha was a pioneer; he had absolutely no theory to rely on. He alone, through gradual observation and contemplation of various phenomena, finally arrived at a correct conclusion conforming to reality, thus forming a theory for later practitioners to rely upon. Nowadays, the Dharma of the non-self of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha anātman) is explained in such detail, yet countless people still cannot find the entrance. Why is the gap between sentient beings so vast? Without the guidance of the correct theories established by the pioneers, later people would be like blind men touching an elephant.

How did the first Buddha, relying solely on himself, cultivate and realize, attaining all dharmas? Profound meditative concentration and wisdom, extraordinary logical thinking ability, and a tenacious will to courageously explore the truth – these qualities far surpass those of ordinary people. The first Buddha had no one to rely on, nor any Dharma to rely on. Alone, through long, unceasing effort, he explored the truths of the world, seeking the facts and reality of the existence of all dharmas. King Sound of Thunder Buddha had only the facts and reality to rely on, and even that he explored alone. How should we, later people, learn from and emulate King Sound of Thunder Buddha? The wise should learn from King Sound of Thunder Buddha, speak based on facts, courageously explore the truth, and will certainly become Buddhas in the future. If King Sound of Thunder Buddha had lacked even a little concentration, he could not have become a Buddha. He relied entirely on the merit of meditative concentration to explore the complete truth, with no reliance on others. In our practice, we should also strive to rely on our own precepts, concentration, and wisdom to realize more and more of the truths revealed by the Buddhas.

III. Without Calm Abiding (śamatha), Observation (vipaśyanā) Cannot Occur

Observation without calm abiding is purely scattered observation. The mind is distracted and cannot penetrate deeply; it is often emotional thinking and intellectual understanding, incapable of giving birth to great wisdom. Almost all sentient beings can engage in such scattered thinking; it is nothing remarkable. The most precious and difficult to achieve is observation during calm abiding, observation after attaining calm abiding. This is quite difficult. Genuine practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā requires cultivation over a period of time to develop.

However, some people claim that one can observe without cultivating concentration or calm abiding. What kind of observation is this? What state of direct perception can be observed? What direct-perception conclusion can be reached? Everyone has this so-called observation, but it is of no benefit for realizing the Dharma, attaining wisdom, or achieving liberation. Such observation cannot give rise to the wisdom of observation and discernment. Nowadays, the Dharma has become so flooded and confusing that it's hard to grasp. It is packaged with a plethora of clever words and fine phrases, spoken brilliantly and eloquently, yet within there is no substantive content of cultivation and realization, incapable of enabling people to rely on it and cultivate step by step, solidly realizing it. Sentient beings lack wisdom and are often deluded by those ornate expressions, failing to awaken themselves.

IV. The Importance of Cultivating Concentration and Wisdom Together

Śamatha is calm abiding, which is concentration (samādhi); Vipaśyanā is observation, which is wisdom (prajñā). Equal cultivation of concentration and wisdom, the coordination of śamatha and vipaśyanā, is necessary for accomplishment in practice. This is the practice method relied upon by Bodhisattvas. Having śamatha without vipaśyanā, or vipaśyanā without śamatha – leaning to one side – cannot give birth to great wisdom, cannot experientially realize the Dharma, and cannot attain right wisdom. One can only intellectually understand the Dharma and gain knowledge. The Buddha's teaching of the threefold training of precepts, concentration, and wisdom (śīla, samādhi, prajñā) – śamatha and vipaśyanā are two of these, and also two of the six pāramitās (perfections) of the Bodhisattva.

If someone sits in meditation cultivating concentration for years on end but does not engage the mind to contemplate and investigate the Dharma, they will never attain realization or liberation. If someone leans towards absorbing knowledge, studying broadly and hearing much, but does not practice meditative concentration, their mind remains scattered, restless, and fails to penetrate deep contemplation; they too will never experientially realize the Dharma. At best, they can intellectually understand the Dharma and gain knowledge, but cannot attain wisdom, their mind-ground cannot be liberated, and they cannot sever the three fetters (trīṇi saṃyojanāni). Knowledge can never replace experiential realization, but outsiders cannot distinguish this; most are those who admire knowledge and learning without true discernment.

V. How to Arouse the First Dhyāna After Realization

The first dhyāna is relatively difficult to cultivate; it requires special conditions and causes to succeed. For example, immediately after severing the view of self and attaining the fruit of Stream-Entry (srota-āpanna), or right after realizing the mind (明心) or seeing the nature (見性), the mind is joyful, luminous awareness arises, afflictions are slight, sleep is reduced, and it is easy to eliminate the five hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇāni). The five hindrances are wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, or form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; strictly speaking, they are the hindrances of sensual desire (kāmacchanda), ill-will (vyāpāda), sloth-and-torpor (styāna-middha), restlessness-and-worry (auddhatya-kaukṛtya), and doubt (vicikitsā). If the mind does not cling to any of the five hindrances, it is easy to subdue and eliminate them. Once the five hindrances are subdued, the first dhyāna can manifest.

If, at the time of attaining the fruit or realizing the mind, the skill in concentration is not very good, the mind's joy is not great, the luminous awareness lasts only a short time, and afflictions have not been effectively subdued, then the five hindrances cannot be subdued, and the first dhyāna cannot arise. Once this period of luminous awareness passes and the mind becomes lax, it becomes very difficult to cultivate the first dhyāna later. Many people, after realization, go through a lifetime without even a glimpse of the first dhyāna. Therefore, cultivating concentration well before realization is extremely important.

Lacking concentration and merit (puṇya), even after realizing the mind, subsequent progress will be very slow. If concentration is insufficient upon realizing the mind, the period of luminous awareness is extremely brief, subsequent concentration is not easy to arise, and greed, hatred, and delusion cannot be reduced. Because concentration is insufficient, the wisdom arising from observation is also not easy to arise, and many dharmas cannot be observed. Attaining the fruit and realizing the mind must occur under extremely good concentration. Then, concentration can arise rapidly. Seizing this opportunity, one can soon cultivate up to the first dhyāna. If this time is missed, the first dhyāna is not easy to arise, the second and third fruits are not easy to attain, the second and third barriers of Chan are not easy to pass, and then any hope of becoming a third-fruit person (anāgāmin) and entering the first ground (bhūmi) in this lifetime is lost.

VI. Samādhi States All Involve Profound Meditative Concentration

We should learn from Sudhana (善财童子). Reflect well on why Sudhana achieved so quickly: hearing one Dharma, deeply contemplating and observing it, and soon attaining the corresponding samādhi state. The sign of his attainment was the manifestation of samādhi, with extraordinary physical and mental sensations, and the appearance of many states with special meaning and symbolism, indicating Sudhana's high level of wisdom. If Sudhana had not cultivated meditative concentration, without the four dhyānas and eight samāpattis, he could not have had such deep observation and contemplation, nor could various profound samādhis have appeared, manifesting one after another state of concentration and wisdom, along with various miraculous transformations. If we achieve corresponding levels of accomplishment in our practice, we should all have manifestations of various wisdom states, such as the realization of the mind at the seventh abiding stage (saptama vihāra), seeing the nature at the tenth abiding stage (daśama vihāra), the mirage contemplation at the ten practices stage (daśa caryāḥ), the dream-like contemplation at the ten transferences stage (daśa parināmanā), etc. All have various states manifesting, with various physical and mental sensations and changes, proving one's level of cultivation and realization. This is the union of concentration and wisdom; neither can be lacking. Otherwise, the most one can have regarding the Dharma learned is intellectual understanding; realization is absolutely impossible.