The Samādhi Required for Dharma Realization

The meditative concentration required for our realization of the Path—is it maintained continuously and unbroken, or is it present only when we deliberately engage it, available when needed, but absent otherwise? If one's cultivated meditative concentration is firm, the mind remains constantly in a state of concentration, though its intensity may vary—stronger at times and weaker at others. When worldly affairs are numerous and cause distraction, the power of concentration weakens. If one's cultivated meditative concentration is not firm, it may be present while seated in meditation but becomes scattered and lost upon rising from the seat.

The meditative concentration necessary for attaining the fruit and mind illumination is a relatively firm concentration. Such concentration is deep, enabling contemplation and practice to be profound, subtle, and coherent. Only then can the effort be sustained, and the wisdom of contemplative practice progressively improve. This is like boiling water: only when the fire burns continuously and unceasingly can the water in the pot grow increasingly hot and eventually boil. If the fire is intermittent, the water will heat up at times and cool down at others, making it impossible to know when it will finally boil.

The minimum level of meditative concentration required for practice is that during contemplative practice, there must be continuous concentration. One must engage in contemplation and reflection within this state of concentration, ensuring that the contemplative reflection is continuous, enduring, and progressively deepening. It must sustain prolonged contemplative reflection with sufficient concentration power. Otherwise, the effort is easily broken and cannot be maintained; the thinking becomes disjointed, making it impossible to carry out contemplation thoroughly and sever the view of self. As long as one possesses meditative concentration and other conditions are complete, realization of the Path can occur at any time.