The Realization and Practice of All Bodhisattvas Are Inseparable from Meditative Concentration

In ancient times, all bodhisattvas practicing the path required very deep meditative concentration (samādhi). There is no case recorded in the Buddhist sūtras of any bodhisattva who attained realization without cultivating meditative concentration, or who attained the various meditative absorptions (samādhi) without passing through profound meditative concentration. And all meditative concentration is inseparable from the stillness-based concentration of sitting meditation. The process by which each bodhisattva attained meditative absorption is recorded in the various Buddhist sūtras; without the process and experience of cultivating concentration through sitting meditation, one would not be a bodhisattva in the true sense. Although bodhisattvas all cultivate the mind, during practice the mind and body cannot be separated, because body and mind mutually influence each other; if the body is not well, it will disturb the calm of the mind, and afflictions cannot be subdued and eradicated. 

Chapters five and six of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra describe the processes by which the great bodhisattvas realized the various meditative absorptions—all of them attained samādhi and gained profound wisdom in the stillness-based concentration of sitting meditation. The Buddha's cultivation over three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas is fully recounted in the Jātaka tales of the Buddha's previous lives; there was not a single lifetime in which he did not attain the Way through sitting cross-legged in meditation. When investigating Chan (canhua) and contemplating the meaning of the Dharma, or pondering other matters, examine carefully: is thinking clearer while sitting in meditation, or while walking or standing? Under what circumstances is the mind most stable, most serene, and most subtle? It is always in quiet sitting. Only when the body is steady and settled can the mind be steady and settled; only then can the mind be at ease, calm down, and engage in stable, peaceful deep contemplation and investigation. 

Among the patriarchs and Chan masters of the past, there was not a single one who practiced without sitting cross-legged in meditation; their stillness-based concentration was all excellent, and many even possessed the fourth dhyāna. Could anyone with the fourth or second dhyāna have cultivated it while standing or walking? Even the first dhyāna and preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi)—who could attain them without sitting meditation? Some people may feel that they have never sat in meditation yet seem to possess preparatory concentration, but even if such a person has it, it lasts only momentarily and cannot endure; they would hardly have firm and solid skill in investigating Chan. No matter what kind of Chan one practices, it is impossible to do without the foundation of sitting meditation. Only with the groundwork of sitting meditation can one achieve "walking, it is Chan; sitting, it is Chan; whether speaking or silent, moving or still, all is serene." 

Others say that cultivating concentration wastes too much time, and it would be better to abandon meditative concentration and use the saved time to listen to more teachings and contemplate them. This notion is too ignorant and childish. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not delay the work of cutting firewood: only with a sharp blade can one chop firewood quickly, and in a short time one can produce a large pile of firewood. But if one takes a dull blade, or goes up the mountain empty-handed to cut firewood, how many branches could one break? Genuine practice is not about spending vast amounts of time on extensive listening, merely wanting to absorb other people's knowledge and ready-made theories; rather, it takes one's own cultivation and realization as the mainstay, with the development of the wisdom within one's own mind as the priority. Sentient beings become Buddhas through wisdom and merit, not through knowledge and theory. Wisdom is gained and the bonds of ignorance are severed not by theoretical knowledge, but by the wisdom that arises from one's own cultivation and realization. And to cultivate and realize wisdom, one can only bring forth true wisdom by relying on meditative concentration within meditative concentration. With mere knowledge, one still cannot escape the cycle of birth and death. 

There is also another group of extremists who only cultivate meditative concentration without using their heads, sitting foolishly all day long, without the skill or ability to think, unable to contemplate the Buddha's Dharma; even after rising from the seat, their minds are not on the meaning of the Dharma. What they cultivate is purely withered Chan, without the arising of wisdom. Practicing the Buddha's Dharma must be comprehensive and balanced; one must not go to extremes—clinging to either side makes accomplishment impossible. In propagating the Dharma, one must also propagate correct methods of practice that accord with what the Buddha taught, taking as the standard the actual facts of how the Buddhas and bodhisattvas practiced. To depart from the facts is to be inconsistent with reality, and thus not the truth; if it is not the truth, then relying on it for practice, one cannot attain the Way or realize the Way.