The Principles of Samadhi Cultivation

When the conscious mind first sits down to meditate, it prepares for concentration, yet after sitting for a long time, it still cannot settle, leaving one utterly perplexed. Only by tethering the fundamental mind, preventing it from wandering aimlessly, does the conscious mind gradually attain stability. How does the conscious mind tether the fundamental mind?

The conscious mind, desiring to cultivate concentration, forcibly focuses the mind on a single point to counter the fundamental mind's tendency to grasp at objects indiscriminately. Over time, the fundamental mind realizes that its random grasping is futile, and as the six consciousnesses refuse to follow along, the fundamental mind gradually becomes subdued. Only then can the conscious mind truly attain concentration.

The conscious mind possesses strong discriminative wisdom; it recognizes the various faults of a scattered mind and thus generates the desire to cultivate concentration. At this point, one can forcibly focus the mind on a single point to tether the fundamental mind, allowing it to gradually become obedient and subdued. The fundamental mind must first become purified before the conscious mind can truly settle into concentration. However, for the fundamental mind to become purified, it initially relies on the conscious mind's influence and the practice of single-pointed focus. The two complement each other; without the cooperation of either, the mind cannot achieve stability.

After the fundamental mind, like an ox, is gradually tamed by the conscious mind—neither grazing recklessly nor trampling others' crops—can the conscious mind rest at ease. The conscious mind is the herdsman riding on the back of the fundamental mind ox. When the conscious mind herdsman points towards the village of enlightenment, the fundamental mind ox slowly carries the herdsman towards it. Learning Buddhism is precisely like this. The conscious mind subdues the fundamental mind to enable the fundamental mind to lead one along the right path. Because the conscious mind, riding on the back of the fundamental mind ox, cannot act autonomously and cannot dismount to walk alone, it must rely on the fundamental mind to reach the destination.

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