Theoretical Research Is Not the Correct Path of Spiritual Practice

Nowadays a kind of drawback has appeared in the Buddhist community: an emphasis solely on theoretical knowledge. People feel that the more theory one learns, the better; if one is extremely learned, one feels wonderful and proud; if one can write a number of articles and several books, one feels even more wonderful and proud. But whether this theoretical knowledge can guide and regulate one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions, whether it can transform some of the mental activities of the seventh consciousness, whether it can internally make one's mind tranquil (praśama), reduce ignorance, and whether it can bring real benefit—none of this is attended to. Worse still, it is glorified with the claim that bodhisattvas need not concern themselves with afflictions, and that with correct views, afflictions will naturally be eradicated in due time. But the facts are not so. Mere theoretical knowledge, mere intellectual views held by the conscious mind, will never be of any help against afflictions. At the time of death, one's destination in the next life is determined by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, by the karmic actions created through greed, hatred, and delusion—not by theoretical knowledge or doctrinal views of the Buddha-dharma. Therefore this problem is extremely serious, and every Buddhist learner should take it seriously and not treat it lightly. 

Theory and views are like a recipe used in cooking. One may have studied several cookbooks, yet never once personally operated in the kitchen, never even selected and combined ingredients. Can the cooking knowledge and cooking views one has acquired solve the problem of hunger? Precious time and energy are spent researching over and over, and after the research, writing books and expounding theories, widely recruiting disciples, thereby achieving great fame—yet going hungry, having nothing but an empty appearance. For example, a child studies from elementary school all the way through university, then graduate school, then a doctorate, and then a postdoctoral program—all of it theoretical knowledge. Those at university level and above may engage in some scientific research and experiments, gaining some genuine realization, but what is learned before university is all knowledge. Knowledge cannot be directly applied to production and manufacturing; it must pass through an intermediate stage of internship and practice before knowledge can be transformed into productive power.

Studying the Buddha-dharma must likewise be applied in living within the world of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha). This requires continual observance of precepts and cultivation of meditative concentration (samādhi), diligent investigation within profound dhyāna, connecting it with one's own five aggregates, linking it with bodily, verbal, and mental actions, so that theory is put into practice, striving for personal realization and genuine verification, eradicating ignorance, growing real wisdom, transforming and reforming body and mind. Only such cultivation can be considered accomplished, only then is there real benefit, and only then is it the correct path.